South Carolina's Defensive Front Could Create Another Difficult Day for Texas A&M

After a much-needed bye week, the Texas A&M Aggies will need to prepare for another elite defensive front

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks off the field after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas A&M Aggies have been one of the more perplexing teams this college football season. Entering the year with lofty expectations, the program has struggled on both sides of the ball to live up to the hype built from the historical 2025 season.

After a much-needed bye week, hopefully bringing a deeper look at the struggles and answers as to how to fix them, the Aggies will hit the road to take on the red-hot South Carolina Gamecocks to begin the final third of the season.

It won't be an easy matchup, and the Aggies' offensive line, which has struggled plenty this season, could be in for another rough game against the ferocious front of the Gamecocks.

South Carolina is Busy Up Front

South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Dylan Stewart (6) reacts during the first quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Gamecocks are one of the more dominant defensive fronts in the country, despite what the numbers say. They rank 50th in sack percentage, bringing opposing quarterbacks down 7.17 percent of the time, and rank 43rd in sacks per game with 2.4.

No single player is the most dominant on the team, although Dylan Stewart is widely regarded as one of the best edge defenders in the country when he is healthy. As individuals, however, the Gamecocks don't have a player in the top 10 for tackles for loss or sacks in the conference.

The Gamecocks have 21 sacks on the season, led by Anthony Addison with five, and Tomiwa Durojaiye, who has four, while four different players have at least two sacks this season. However, the sacks aren't the highlight, as they have 107 quarterback hurries this season, forcing teams to either throw quickly or risk not being able to get the ball off.

How Do the Aggies Counter It?

The Aggies have struggled in the trenches, and despite being aggressive in the portal, the group has yet to live up to expectations. Oddly, the tackle position has been the strongest, with Tyree Adams and Wilkin Formby being two of the highest-graded offensive linemen on the team.

In the interior, center Mark Nabou Jr. has had moments of greatness and low points, but has otherwise been a solid piece. The guard position, however, has been the clear point of concern for the offensive line.

The Aggies have been working to counter that by putting Formby inside at guard and letting Lamont Rogers become the tackle opposite Adams. With a full off-week to acclimate more to that, they will get a big test this week against the Gamecocks, but they will also need better guard play on the opposite side, starting with Trovon Baugh.

If the Aggies can reduce the offensive line to only one weak point, rather than two, and build a capable running game on the right side where Formby and Rogers are, it could help open up the offense more as well.

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