Tag: South Carolina Gamecocks Football

Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and the relentless Aggie defense stuffed the stat sheet in Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina

Within Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina, several Aggie defenders, including LB Edgerrin Cooper, completely dominated the stat sheet.

If you’ve been paying attention, Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) is just inches (yeah, I said it) away from reaching 7-1 on the year, which includes an undefeated record in the SEC if the Aggies offense had been up to snuff in the second half in consecutive losses to Alabama and Tennessee.

On the other hand, Texas A&M’s 9th-ranked defense has been one of the most significant bright spots in college football since falling to Miami in Week 2, consistently tying or leading the country in sacks after every week. At the same time, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has solidified himself as the best linebacker in the country by a fair margin.

“I got comfortable with the strategy of our game and playbook. I am able to see everything and compete.”

On Saturday, the Aggies came off their Week 8 bye week motivated to prove that the 2023 campaign is not a lost cause just yet, facing a South Carolina team dealing with midseason roster attrition and poor play on both sides of the ball, providing A&M’s defense a clear opportunity to tee off on quarterback Spencer Rattler throughout the afternoon.

Despite scoring 17 points, the Aggie D limited the Gamecocks to 209 total yards (176 passing, 33 rushing) while recording four sacks and ten tackles for loss, led by Edgerrin Cooper (7 tackles, one sack, 2 TFLs) and standout safety Bryce Anderson (7 sacks, two sacks, 2 TFLs) as both returned from injuries in the loss to Tennessee.

Even more impressive? Four players recorded six or more tackles, while Cooper, Anderson, safety Demani Richardson, and edge Fadil Diggs all recorded a pass deflection, exhibiting their dominance at the line of scrimmage.

Dealing with early season scrutiny, second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin deserves much credit, especially in player development. While Edgerrin Cooper’s incredible rise as a future NFL early-round pick has stuck out consistently, it’s evident that nearly every contributor on the defensive line and the secondary has taken a step in their collective development and in a must-win to keep their season afloat, every defender who took the field on Saturday proved made an impact.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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‘We can still make this season real, real special.’ Ainias Smith, Edgerrin Cooper, and Bryce Anderson recap win over South Carolina, and the path forward

After picking up a much-needed win, Ainias Smith, Edgerrin Cooper, and Bryce Anderson believe they can still make this season special.

As the dust settles on Week 9 of the college football season, the Bonham Trophy is back in College Station courtesy of Texas A&M’s (5-3, 3-2 SEC) 30-17 win over South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC). Is it safe to say the Aggies are officially back?

Well, they’re back into the win column at least, thanks to a nice blend of elite defense and a relatively improved offense in Saturday’s win. But after two straight disheartening losses, A&M will gladly take a double-digit win over the Gamecocks. After all, it can serve as a precursor to the season’s much more promising finish.

As head coach Jimbo Fisher noted in his postgame presser, Texas A&M is now officially just one win away from bowl eligibility. But most importantly, a strong finish to the season would mark a paramount achievement in separating themselves from last season’s debacle.

Veteran leaders Ainias Smith and Edgerrin Cooper, as well as emerging defensive star Bryce Anderson, understand that latter goal all too well. They were here for the disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2022, and they are the ones who can ensure history ceases to repeat itself. As Smith aptly noted below, this team can still make the season “real, real special.”

Below are Smith and Cooper’s full postgame press conferences, as well as notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

‘Happy for our guys. Wasn’t perfect but did really good things.’ Jimbo Fisher believes win over South Carolina can spark a strong end to the season

After a much-needed win against South Carolina, Jimbo Fisher believes the opportunities are still there to make this season a success.

There’s no sugarcoating the obvious: Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) had to get back into the win column in Week 9. Courtesy of a 30-17 win against South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC), the Aggies gave their season a much-needed injection of life.

By no means was Saturday’s win pretty, and it was by far a complete game on both sides of the ball. But another elite defensive performance paired nicely with a more-or-less improved offense to ensure the Bonham Trophy was welcomed back home in College Station.

The Aggies finally crept back into the 30-point scoring mark, courtesy of a trio of touchdowns from Reuben Owens II, Amari Daniels, and Ainias Smith. Despite another concerning performance from A&M’s offensive line, Max Johnson held his own in the pocket, finishing 20/30 for 249 yards and one touchdown without an interception.

In his postgame presser, Jimbo Fisher mirrored the same takeaways that could be had from the eye test. A&M’s performance was far from perfect, but they got a much-needed win when it mattered most, and most importantly, they have plenty of opportunities left ahead to close out the season successfully.

Below is Fisher’s full postgame press conference following Saturday’s win over South Carolina, including notable takeaways from his time at the podium.

Post Game Recap: Texas A&M defeats South Carolina 30-17 behind a blend of improved offense and elite defense

Behind a stifling defensive effort and improved play on offense, Texas A&M rebounded with a decisive 30-17 win over South Carolina.

Sitting at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC entering Week 9, Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher were focused entirely on the task at hand: making a statement at home against the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks.

While Fisher’s future at the helm remains one of the most significant talking points in college football, the only solution to cooling off his proverbial “Hot Seat” is to either win out or at least win four out of the Aggies’ final five games. Game on?

Coming out of the bye week, the return of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, and safety Bryce Anderson immediately bolstered the Aggies defense, but that’s about it, especially compared to the recent struggles on offense that have essentially destroyed Texas A&M’s chances of gaining any team cohesiveness.

Returning to a packed Kyle Field for the 11:00 a.m. kickoff against the Gamecocks, the Aggies would start the game on offense, and if you were looking for any immediate improvements after the bye, I’m sorry.

While Texas A&M’s offensive line has been a lost cause for most of the year, the utter collapse witnessed in consecutive losses to Alabama and Tennessee continued into Saturday, as quarterback Max Johnson (20/30, 249 yards, 1 TD) endured three sacks against one of the worst pass rushes in the SEC. At the same time, the veteran southpaw continued to hold the ball much too long in the process.

After several stalled drives, the Aggie’s stout defense had its first moment of weakness, allowing Gamecocks signal caller Spencer Rattler to pass his way down the field, leading to a 1-yard TD run from RB Dakereon Joyner. Finally gaining some offensive momentum, first-year OC Bobby Petrino opened up the playbook, focusing on the run game, specifically freshman RB Reuben Owens.

After Johnson connected with WR Evan Stewart on a 15-yard strike and hit TE Max Wright on a short gain, Owens weaved his way through defenders for a 14-year score to even things up at 7-7 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. While the Aggies’ defense continued to pressure Rattler to provide offense-added cushion, Max Johnson took a beating in the pocket.

However, Texas A&M’s short-yardage game starkly improved in critical moments late in the first half, as the Aggies took a 14-7 lead after an efficient 12-play drive that included four 3rd-down conversions and on 4th-down conversion (3-3 on the day), capped off by a 2-yard touchdown from sophomore RB Amari Daniels.

More offense before the half? After the Aggie’s tremendous pass rush notched its fourth sack on the day, Fisher, well-known for bleeding the clock before most halves while holding a slight lead, finally chose to trust his offense after taking a timeout with 1:12 remaining, leading to a one-play, 42-yard touchdown to do-it-all WR Ainias Smith, who would juke his way into the end zone to score his first receiving touchdown on the season and give the Aggies a solid 21-7 lead at the half—one heck of a second-quarter performance.

Second Half:

South Carolina opened the half desperate to do something on offense, and after an oddly lucky sequence of events in the passing game, kicker Mitch Jeter’s 49-yard FG cut into the lead at 21-10. With a semi-comfortable lead, Fisher and Petrino once again focused on the running game while loading the protection with 12-personnel looks. After two failed attempts to score a touchdown, Texas A&M would respond after a long 13-play drive ending with a 26-yard Randy Bond FG.

Despite the Aggie’s pass rush causing quarterback Spencer Rattler issues throughout the day, the senior would engineer an impressive 7-play touchdown drive on a 7-yard strike to WR Joshua Simon, bringing the Gamecocks within a score at the start of the fourth quarter. Still throwing confidently, Max Johnson continued to hit his targets through the air while the Aggies’ run game capitalized on the Gamecock’s poor tacking but could only muster a second consecutive Randy Bond FG after another failed red zone trip.

After multiple defensive stops, Bond hit a career-tying 52-yard FG with 7:39 remaining; Texas A&M’s 30-17 lead looked more and more decisive after every South Carolina offensive possession failed to get past midfield due to impressive play by the Aggie secondary in man coverage. Bond’s first miss on the day provided the Gamecocks with good field position to make something happen, but nevertheless, a fumble recovered by Aggie DT McKinnley Jackson would seal the game for the Maroon & White.

It wasn’t pretty offensively (outside of Ainias Smith’s 42-yard TD), as A&M has failed to score a second half touchdown in its last four games, but Jimbo Fisher and his resilient team, yes, found the inches and earned a much, much-needed victory to end their SEC losing streak and get back on track in their quest to finish strong in 2023.

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Texas A&M’s offense finds second quarter spark, leads South Carolina 21-7 at halftime

Texas A&M’s offense (finally) found a spark in the second quarter, building a 21-7 lead over South Carolina by halftime.

Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) entered Week 9 fresh off the bye, and for the first quarter, it looked like the brief time off had a hangover effect. Finally, the Aggies offense found a spark in the second quarter to take an early lead over South Carolina (2-5, 1-4 SEC) by halftime.

Max Johnson was as efficient as he could be through the first quarters, completing 11/15 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown, without an interception. His performance was admirable given that A&M’s offensive line showed no improvement in their pass protection. Despite taking more than a few heavy hits, Johnson stood tall in the pocket to make his throws, even if he could get a few out quicker.

The Aggies defense once again put together an inspired performance, holding the Gamecocks to just one scoring drive, 49 total yards of offense, and a mere -1.9 yards per carry in the first half. Their ability to bottle up Spencer Rattler and South Carolina’s offense allowed A&M to, finally, find its spark offensively in the second quarter.

The Maroon and White scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter, kicked off by a 14-yard touchdown run by Reuben Owens II.

Not being outdone by his fellow backfield teammate, Amari Daniels gave the Aggies the lead with a one-yard touchdown at the goal line.

Ainis Smith, aptly dubbed “Agent Zero,” caught South Carolina’s defense sleeping with a beautiful 42-yard touchdown reception from Johnson, giving Texas A&M a comfortable two-touchdown lead heading into the locker room.

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A look back at Kellen Mond and Seth Small helping No. 22 Texas A&M’s hold off South Carolina for their third straight win.

Texas A&M held on to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks in a game that went down to the wire in 2018

The closest game between these two teams came back in 2018 when Texas A&M survived a late rally by the Gamecocks that came down to an onside kick.

The Aggies almost tripled South Carolina in the time of possession, but penalties and poor third down conversions stalled way too many promising drives, ending them in field goals. Even though they racked up over 200 yards in the first half, they only went into halftime with a 13-0 lead.

With a chance to really put some distance between the teams, Texas A&M once again down the field but failed to score a touchdown, having to settle for three, keeping the game within two possessions.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

In the game’s flow, 16-0 seemed almost safe based on how the defense had the Gamecocks bottled up. To this point, they had forced five punts and two turnovers. All that goodwill stacked up washed when South Carolina scored 16 unanswered points to tie the game in the third quarter.

Another Seth Small field goal put the Aggies up by three points, and the defense followed that up with a five-down drive, resulting in a punt. Finally, after three field goals, the Maroon & White hit pay dirt with a Kellen Mond-led 11-play 78-yard drive capped off by a three-yard TD run by Trayveon Williams to extend the lead to 26-16.

South Carolina was able to squeeze in another touchdown, but after a failed onside kick, the Aggies were able to kneel out the game and escape South Carolina with a 26-23 victory.

Texas A&M and South Carolina will kick off from inside Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 11:00 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN.

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Texas A&M Tight end Max Wright is confident that the Aggies can turn things around in the second half of the season

Facing stiff adversity, Texas A&M is struggling, but senior Tight end Max Wright is confident that the Aggies can go on a run.

Through adversity comes strength, usually led by steadfast leadership, especially on the gridiron. For Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), the 2023 season has been an unwelcome roller coaster ride led by offensive struggles that seem to persist week after week, mainly due to the horrendous play on the offensive line.

Coming off of their bye week, back-to-back losses to Alabama and Tennessee have essentially ended the Aggies’ chances at competing for an SEC Championship, but with the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) headed to College Station this weekend, maybe, just maybe, a second-half turnaround is in the works; just asked senior Tight end Max Wright:

“We rallied together over the bye… It’s us finding a way to beat ourselves. We were in every one of those games. We have confidence now to where if we execute, we can go out and win.”

During Monday’s annual pre-game press conference, Wright, amid his sixth year with the program, is definitely the man to talk to regarding personal adversity. As a four-star defensive end prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, the once-feared high school pass rusher buried himself on the depth chart during his freshman season but earned a reputation as one of the most formidable competitors on the roster.

After suffering a brutal season-ending knee injury in 2019, Wright, with head coach Jimbo Fisher’s blessing, switched to offense at tight end, and three seasons later, Wright has become one of the more reliable blockers and short-yardage converters in the country. In 2023, the recent failures he and the team have faced will not define them, as their effort hasn’t diminished.

“Guys were annoyed and ticked off. Frustrations came out. There were conversations that needed to be had. We hate losing. I hope everyone knows we really hate losing. This year is not last year.”

Still, a very young roster despite the notable growth from the 2022 recruiting class, Wright, along with quarterback Max Johnson, wide receiver Ainias Smith, and safety Demani Richardson, stand as the predominant veteran voices in the locker room, and if these young men aren’t rattled back to back SEC losses, expect a hungry and determined group against the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon.

“We had a lot of guys have a chance to get healthy. In an SEC season, seven weeks in a row get pretty hard. The temperature of the team is good.”

Take it from Max, who has seen it all and experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The only way to change the current narrative is to win and keep winning.

Texas A&M will host South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28, as kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT. and will air on ESPN.

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Final injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Here is the final injury report ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 9 home matchup vs. South Carolina on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) will embark on a potential second-half turnaround after dropping consecutive SEC matchups to Alabama and Tennessee before entering their much-needed bye week to reflect and move on to host the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.

Knowing that nearly every media member and Aggie fan alike will be deadset focused on Jimbo Fisher’s future at the helm, South Carolina’s struggling defense presents a great opportunity for the Aggies’ equally struggling offense to finally find some rhythm, starting with stark improvement on the offensive line.

Regarding how healthy the team looks ahead of the matchup, Fisher provided a vague yet positive update concerning several key Aggie defenders who sustained minor injuries in the loss to Tennessee.

“Most guys healed up. The week was really good. For the most part, we should be pretty healthy.”

First off, star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who suffered what looked to be a concussion-based injury, is good to go. At the same time, defensive tackles Walter Nolen and Albert Regis also avoided serious lower-body injuries and, as of now, should be available for Saturday. Safety Jardin Gilbert and tackle Reuben Fatheree II remain out.

South Carolina’s injury list is quite dense:

  • WR Antwane Wells Jr. (Questionable, Foot)
  • OL Vershon Lee (Questionable, Undisclosed)
  • WR Ahmarean Brown (Questionable, Hamstring)
  • WR Xavier Legette (Questionable, Upper Body)
  • RB Bradley Dunn (Out, Lower Body)
  • OL Cason Henry (Out, Lower Body)
  • OL Markee Anderson (Out,Knee)
  • TE Reid Mikeska (Out, Undisclosed)
  • LB Mohamed Kaba (Out, Knee)

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Aggies Wire Staff Predictions ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Our Staff at Aggies Wire have predicted just how things may shake out during Texas A&M’s Saturday home matchup vs. South Carolina.

Texas A&M (4-3 2-2 SEC) is coming off their bye week after consecutive close losses to Alabama and Tennessee, set to host the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.

Taking center stage week after week, the Aggies floundering offense starts and ends in the trenches, as A&M’s offensive line has continued to digress after solid showings to start SEC play, leaving quarterback Max Johson either on his back or scrambling for his life after every snap.

Looking to show some improvement against a porous Gamecocks secondary and unimpressive pass rush, there’s plenty of improvement to be had, especially in the passing game. Again, with such a talented receiving core led by Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Noah Thomas, and Moose Muhammad, there’s no reason the offense should be struggling at this rate.

Ahead of the battle for the Bonham Trophy, we at Aggies Wire have provided several key storylines and five players to watch ahead of the game. At the same time, Our Staff has made our predictions ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

Cameron Ohnysty, Managing Editor: 

“Coming off of their bye week, will Texas A&M’s offensive line finally show some level of improvement? South Carolina may be the cure to the Aggies’ offensive woes. 

While quarterback Max Johnson needs to get the ball out faster, above-average blocking should be enough to reignite the offense and get back to “feeding the studs” in the passing more consistently. While SC quarterback Spencer Rattler is certainly a threat, the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense, specifically the pass rush (29 sacks), should feast against the Gamecock’s O-line, ranked 132nd in sacks allowed per game (5.0). 

All in all, this should (hopefully) be a much-needed rebound game for the Maroon and White.” 

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 14

Pete Hernandez, Staff Writer: 

“After two tough back-to-back matchups against SEC behemoths, A&M comes off a much-needed bye week and is greeted with a softer matchup compared to the last two weeks. Simply put, it’s do or die, and the Aggies HAVE to win this game.

Being two-touchdown favorites seems generous, but then again, SC boasts just the 81st-ranked scoring offense and the 114th-ranked scoring defense. Texas A&M needs to show marginal improvement, and they should get a much-welcomed return to the win column.”

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 17

Jarrett Johnson, Staff Writer: 

“I’m not sure what to think about this team anymore. Every game, they have shown the potential to score at least 30 points but disappear in the second half of games. That could be attributed to several things; however, with the experience the team possesses across the offensive coaching staff, they are still a step behind the elite teams.

Getting back on track, South Carolina is not an impressive team right now. Even though I believe in the concept of “Any Given Saturday,” there is no way in my mind that Bobby Petrino will call an aggressive game, putting his players in the best position to score points.

The defense will handle business as usual, as DJ Durkin has been in his play-calling bag since the Miami game. The defensive line is clogging lanes, keeping the linebackers clean, and helping propel Edgerrin Cooper to an All-SEC type of bounceback halfway through the season. In conclusion, the Aggies will have a lot of yards, and the defense will have a lot of sacks en route to a comfortable victory.”

Final Score Predictions: Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 12

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Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Will the O-line show a sign of life? is QB Spencer Rattler a threat? here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

We’re slightly past the halfway point of the 2023 college football season. For Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), head coach Jimbo Fisher and his talented but underwhelming offense have plagued any sense of consistency, recently dropping two consecutive SEC matchups against Alabama and Tennessee.

While Fisher’s coaching future in College Station remains a mystery, the final five games of the regular season will likely provide more answers down the line, especially if what we’ve seen from the Aggies since reaching 4-1 after decisively defeating Arkansas to reach 2-0 in the SEC.

Yes, quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury certainly threw a wrench in the Aggies’ offensive plans. Still, second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio’s failure to fix the blocking issues in the trenches has put then-backup signal caller Max Johnson under constant duress, virtually destroying any rhythm in both the passing and running game since.

However, facing a Gamecocks defense that allows more than 30 points per game should give the offense confidence heading into the matchup.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday afternoon.

Focusing on the players that need to make this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina.