Haltime Update: Gamecocks Dominating Aggies, Lead 30-3

Despite being heavy underdogs, the South Carolina Gamecocks have ended the first half of their matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies with the lead. They are currently dominating the Aggies and lead 20-3 at the half.

First Quarter:

The Gamecocks got the ground game going early, picking up two first downs on 32 rushing yards. Following the early success, new playcaller Mike Furrey showed some trickery and picked up 21 yards on a fake reverse pass from WR Brian Rowe to QB LaNorris Sellers. Despite the early success, the Gamecocks were forced to settle for a field goal, as William Joyce converted from 36 yards out to give the Gamecocks an early 3-0 lead.

The Aggies received the ensuing kick off and went down the field with ease after executing several chunk plays. Luckily, after making it to the SC 23 yard line, a Bryan Thomas Jr. sack on third & long forced the Aggies to settle for a 40 yard kick, tying the game at 3-3. The Gamecocks took over possession and had two passes deflected by star EDGE Cashius Howell, Sellers connected to his younger brother Jayden for 22 yards. The drive ended with a touchdown on a monster 50 yard throw to Vandrevius Jacobs, as the Gamecocks took a 10-3 lead.

The Aggies took the following drive into Gamecock territory on a quick 40 yard pick up from Marcel Reed to KC Concepcion. Luckily, the Gamecocks forced them to kick a field goal, which sailed left, giving the Gamecocks the ball with prime field position. However, the Gamecocks went three and out were forced to punt. The struggles for the Aggies continued, as a massive jump off the snap from Dylan Stewart led to a strip-sack, resulting in a Nick Barrett scoop-n-score touchdown, giving the Gamecocks a 17-3 lead.

Second Quarter:

The Gamecocks continued their defensive domination, forcing the Aggies to go three and out. Upon the stop, the Gamecocks continued to rip off chunk plays and move down the field on both the ground and through the air. They were forced to settle for a field goal, but it extended their lead to 20-3. The Gamecocks got the ball back after forcing another three-and-out, but also punted after a short possession of their own.

After continuing their defensive success, the Gamecocks finally got another breath of life after a powerful 22 yard rush from RB Rahsul Faison. However, their fortunes were cut short after a mishandled throw from Sellers turned into an interception that was returned for 30 yards down to the SC six yard line. Despite the setback, the Gamecocks forced the Aggies to settle for what seemed to be a chip shot field goal, but hit the goal post, leaving the score at 20-3.

After punting the ball back to the Aggies, Reed led his team down to the red zone, but squashed their momentum after throwing a pick in the end zone to DB Vicari Swain. The Gamecocks responded with a massive 80 yard touchdown from Nyck Harbor, extending the Gamecock lead to 27-3. Reed continued his poor play, throwing a pick on the next series to Swain once again. The turnover led to another Joyce field goal, pushing their lead out to 30-3.

Despite an underwhelming season, the Gamecocks are playing their best game of the season against arguably the best team on their schedule. They’ve been able to spread out the field, gaining over 300 yards of total offense while outgaining the Aggies by over 100 yards. Defensively, they’ve kept the Aggies out of the endzone and have forced Reed to make plays under duress, as he currently sits at 6/19 passing for 117 yards and two interceptions. If the Gamecocks want to pull off the upset, they’ll have to continue racking up first downs and keeping Reed uncomfortable, as he is responsible for all three turnovers.

Continue to follow our live updates as the second half gets back underway.

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