10th-ranked Texas A&M will head to Columbia (SC) to face one of the toughest SEC defenses in the country, as South Carolina brings constant pressure in the trenches due to the play of defensive ends Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard. However, it’s fair to say that the Gamecock’s four wins aren’t that impressive.
One of the primary reasons this game presents a big challenge on paper for the Aggies is A&M’s recent performance in pass protection in Saturday’s win against LSU, as starting quarterback Conner Weigman faced an overload of pressure before being benched in favor of backup Marcel Reed.
This week, head coach Mike Elko stated that he would continue to evaluate the quarterback position ahead of the matchup, giving both Reed and Weigman equal practice reps to determine the final choice. As Saturday nears, a decision has yet to be made.
Injury-wise, the third SEC Availability Report was released on Friday night. Texas A&M’s roster looks to be in great shape outside of starting left guard Chase Bisontis, who will miss at least the next two weeks due to a lower-body injury.
As of Friday, here is the latest SEC Availability report ahead of Saturday night:
Texas A&M injury report
- Rueben Owens – RB (Out for the season)
- Mark Nabou – OL (Out for the season)
- Tyreek Chappell – DB (Out)
- Chase Bisontis – OL (Out)
- Jahdae Walker — WR (Out for first half)
- Jaylen Henderson — QB (Questionable)
South Carolina injury report
- Jakai Moore — OL (Out)
- DeAndre Jules — DL (Out)
- Jared Brown — WR (Probable)
OL Chase Bisontis injury update
After sustaining a lower-body injury against Mississippi State, Mike Elko stated on Monday that Bisontis will miss “a couple of weeks,” which is very good news for the Aggies, who will be on their second bye week after facing South Carolina on Saturday. Bisontis is expected to be ready to return against New Mexico State or at Auburn.
WR Jahdae Walker’s update
Jahdae Walker shouldn’t have been suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game after what was flagged as a blindside block and targeting against an LSU wide receiver during the Aggies’ 31-6 second-half run against the Tigers. Walker will come out of halftime with a chip on his shoulder, that’s for sure.
Texas A&M will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 2nd, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on either ABC.
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