Texas A&M Aggies vs South Carolina Gamecocks Early Preview: What The Stats Say

After a disappointing loss to an extremely talented South Carolina team last season, Texas A&M strives to complete the bounce back this year at Kyle Field. The Aggies never got off to a strong start last year, especially after 24 unanswered points in the second half.

Last season, the Aggies walked into Columbia, South Carolina, with full reign of the Southeastern Conference after beating a top-10 LSU team the week prior. With a target on their backs, the Gamecocks certainly played tough, which resulted in a 44-20 win and a field storm for the Gamecocks.

Dating back to these two teams' first meeting in 2014, Texas A&M has been the winner in most of the matchups. The Aggies hold an all-time 9-2 record against the Gamecocks, with a perfect 5-0 record at home. With the game being held at Kyle Field this year, the Aggies hope to continue their win streak.

How Do These Two Matchup?

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Ree — Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks for an open receiver during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

A big story for both of these teams is the quarterback and how well they do on their feet. Both Marcel Reed and LaNorris Sellers are impeccable at running the ball, with both picking up over 500 yards. Last season, we got to see these two head-to-head, where Sellers was able to outrun Reed on the field by 60 yards.

Sellers has also been known for having a strong arm, whereas for Reed, it wasn't his strong suit. Reed mentioned that over the offseason, he has been working on his passing game a lot more ahead of the upcoming season. With this, expect to see both quarterbacks utilizing both the running and passing game.

A big loss for the Gamecocks this season is Raheim Sanders, who declared for the NFL Draft and was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent. Sanders led the Gamecocks last season in rushing yards for 9 of their 13 games.

On the other side, Texas A&M has players who flip-flop in leading rushing yards in Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels. The Aggies have extended their running back room this year, though with the return of Rueben Owens II, who only appeared in two games last season due to an injury.

Both teams have many great receivers, meaning no one really stood out from the next in overall stats. Although in the matchup last season, South Carolina's leading receiver was Joshua Simon, who was also an undrafted free agent signed by the Atlanta Falcons.