COLUMBIA, S.C. _ South Carolina's still winless against Texas A&M.
The Gamecocks outplayed expectations Saturday in Williams-Brice Stadium but only because the expectations were so low and eventually dropped a 24-13 decision to the Aggies. Texas A&M, which was a 17.5-point favorite entering the game, is now 3-0 all-time in this short-lived series.
A crowd of 78,245 watched as South Carolina remained within one score of the Aggies into the fourth quarter thanks to an inspired defensive effort. Texas A&M entered the game averaging 43 points and 546 yards per game. It was held to under 450 yards Saturday.
The defensive effort was wasted, though, by another rough day on offense. Starting quarterback Brandon McIlwain was benched in the fourth quarter after completing just nine passes for 34 yards. The Gamecocks scored a touchdown on the first play of the game but couldn't move the ball much after that. Senior Perry Orth, who started the first two games of the year, replaced McIlwain in the fourth quarter and moved the offense, but it was too little, too late.
South Carolina pulled within one possession on a 43-yard field goal from Elliott Fry that made the score 21-13 with 4:23 left in the game. The Gamecocks then stopped Texas A&M forcing a punt with more than three minutes remaining, however cornerback Jamarcus King, who had been inserted at punt returner after Rashad Fenton fumbled a punt earlier in the game, fumbled away the punt. The Aggies iced the game with a 35-yard field goal with 1:41 left.
The Gamecocks and Aggies were tied 7-7 at halftime, and South Carolina already had established a season-high in rushing yards in the first 30 minutes with 124.
TURNING POINT
On Texas A&M's first drive of the second half, the Aggies elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the 50-yard line. Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight converted the first down with a second-effort quarterback sneak. One play later, Aggies running back Trayveon Williams raced 49 yards for a touchdown that broke the halftime time and put Texas A&M up 14-10 with 11:37 left in the third quarter.
THREE POINTS
_Star of the game: South Carolina freshman running A.J. Turner had a career-high 113 rushing yards, thanks mostly to a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. Turner took a zone read around the left side broke several tackles on the way to his second career score.
_Play of the game: The Gamecocks prettiest pass of the game may have come from punter Sean Kelly. On a third quarter fake punt, Kelly found a wide open Hayden Hurst for a 36-yard gain that moved South Carolina to the Aggies 36-yard line, however the Gamecocks could not take advantage of the play due to a 44-yard missed field goal from Elliott Fry on the drive. The play was the second-longest completion of the season for South Carolina.
_Stat of the game: Kelly had more passing yards than McIlwain, who played quarterback for three quarters.
OBSERVATION
Injuries abound: South Carolina played without its two leading wide receivers. Neither sophomore Deebo Samuel nor freshman Bryan Edwards dressed out for the game due to hamstring injuries. Edwards is the team's leading wide receiver with 17 catches for 223 yards. Samuel, who missed his third straight game due to the injury, has four catches for 66 yards. Freshman wide receiver Randrecous Davis, who has three catches for 45 yards this year, already had been announced as out for Saturday's game. The Aggies were dealing with plenty of injuries as well. Texas A&M was without four starters due to injury, including All-America defensive end Myles Garrett and wide receivers Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil.
