3 Texas A&M Players Who Stood Out vs. South Carolina

Game number nine has come and gone, and the Texas A&M Aggies are still searching for their first win away from Kyle Field, having fallen to the No. 21 South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 17-9.

Texas A&M struck first with a David Olano field goal in the second quarter, and two more Olano kicks made up the entirety of the team's offense for the night, and the defense was holding strong until about midway through the fourth quarter, when they allowed a 41-yard rushing touchdown to South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, effectively putting the game on ice.

Despite the extra tally in the loss column, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko had plenty of players to be proud of in the contest, and here are three of his standouts.

Rueben Owens, RB

Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II (4) runs the ball during the second quarter against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rueben Owens was running around Williams-Brice Stadium like an upperclassman trying to save his starting role in the backfield, because that is exactly what his situation entailed.

With the rise of true freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker, many wondered what Owens' fate would be in the running game, and he gave an emphatic answer against the Gamecocks, running for 137 yards, just five yards off of his career high.

Owens broke off for a 40-yard rush on the Aggies' first drive and opened up the second half with another run of 55 yards, those two runs putting together a chunk of what would eventually be 206 yards on the ground for the Maroon and White.

Edwards and Baker will definitely be stars in the future for A&M, but the RB1 spot is still Owens' until he graduates.

TK Norman, WR

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver TK Norman (18) runs with the ball in the first half of a game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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When starting wide receiver Mario Craver went down with a lower body injury in the game's early stages, and Isaiah Horton was struggling to get going, sophomore TK Norman was called onto the field, and quickly caught two passes to help move the Aggies down the field, finishing with four catches for 45 yards on the night.

Norman has seen limited time on the field this year, but in light of Ashton Bethel-Roman's recent absence from the team, many have viewed him as the team's WR3, currently sitting at 15 catches for 226 yards on the year.

Marcel Reed, QB

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In a season of lows, Saturday was a much-needed high for Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed.

The Nashville native completed 25 of 43 pass attempts for 251 yards, and also added eight yards on the ground.

A&M was unable to find the end zone, and the game's closing drives were unable to get them the points they needed to grab that elusive first road win on the year, but Reed looked like the quarterback that his coaches had set him out to look at the beginning of the season.

He was much calmer under pressure with no turnovers committed by the junior, and he was seeing the field just like a prime college quarterback should be able to. He was a lot more pick-and-choose when deciding whether to tuck the ball and run or not, and he took a lot more time in the pocket to scan the field for an open man.

Unfortunately, his supporting cast wasn't too supportive, as numerous drops plagued the A&M offense, and potentially left many points on the board, points that could have definitely helped in the later stages of the contest.

Now below .500 for the first time this season, the Aggies now turn their attention to the Tennessee Volunteers for their first home conference game since Arkansas in early October, which just so happens to be their lone SEC win on the year.

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