Saturday, November 2
Columbia, S.C.
6:30 PM
Texas A&M
at
South Carolina
10th-Ranked Aggies Head to South Carolina
Nov 01, 2024 | Football
10th-ranked Texas A&M hits the road for a critical showdown with South Carolina this weekend at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff in Columbia is set for 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
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Secs(#10) Texas A&M at South Carolina
Saturday, November 2, 2024 • 6:44 PM CT
Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina
Weather: partly sunny, low 70s
WATCH
TV: ABC (Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath)
Watch Live: ESPN App
LISTEN
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (Andrew Monaco, Dave Elmendorf, Will Johnson)
1620 AM/94.5 FM (local), SiriusXM 84
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App
Spanish Broadcast: Click Here (Pedro Luna, Michel Gonzalez)
102.7 FM (local)
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App
FOLLOW
Live Stats: Click Here
Social Media: @AggieFootball on X
South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3)
- RANKING: AP: RV / Coaches: NR
- LAST GAME: Oct. 19
- South Carolina 35, at Oklahoma 9
- HEAD COACH: Shane Beamer (Virginia Tech '00)
- Overall Record: 24-21 (4th season)
- at SC: same
- vs. Texas A&M: 1-2
Texas A&M Aggies (7-1, 5-0)
- RANKING: AP: #10 / Coaches: #11
- Last Game: Oct. 26
- at #14 A&M 38, #8 LSU 23
- HEAD COACH: Mike Elko (Penn ‘99)
- Overall Record: 23-10 (3rd Season)
- at Texas A&M: 7-1 (1st Season)
- vs. SC: 0-0
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- The Aggies have claimed nine of the last 10 meetings with South Carolina, including four of the last five in Columbia ... Texas A&M defeated the Gamecocks, 30-17, last season in Aggieland.
- The Maroon & White boast one of the best rushing offenses in the nation, ranking ninth with 221.5 yards per game, while their 21 rushing touchdowns are good for 15th in the country.
- Junior RB Le’Veon Moss leads the strong Aggie rushing attack, ranking third in the SEC and 26th nationally with 94.6 yards per game, while his 10 rushing scores are the third-most in the league ... Moss made it three straight games with multiple trips to the end zone with a pair of rushing scores against No. 8 LSU, marking the first time an Aggie has rushed for multiple scores in three consecutive games since Trayveon Williams in 2018.
- Texas A&M has been efficient in the red zone as it ranks fourth in the country and leads the SEC with a 97.0 conversion rate ... The Aggies have scored on 32 of 33 trips, including 24 touchdowns.
- The Maroon & White have disrupted the opposition’s aerial attack all season, registering their third game this season with multiple picks after tallying three against LSU ... The Aggies’ 11 interceptions on the season are tied for second in the SEC and 11th nationally, while their 46 passes defended rank among the 10th in the country and third in the league.
- Sophomore LB Taurean York has led the defense in tackles four times this season, including each of the last two games, tallying seven takedowns against LSU after posting a career-high 12 in the win at Mississippi State ... York also recorded the first interception of his career to seal the victory over the Tigers.
- Junior DL Nic Scourton has come on strong in league play, tallying 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks through five SEC games and has registered at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of the team’s eight games this season ... He ranks second in the nation and first in the SEC with 12.5 tackles for loss on the season, while his 5.0 sacks are good for ninth in the league.
QUICK HITS
- The Aggies have notched their best start in SEC play, boasting a 5-0 record for the first time since joining the league in 2012 and their best conference start since going 7-0 to begin Big 12 play in 1998.
- With the wins over No. 8 LSU and No. 9 Missouri, Texas A&M is the only team in the nation to take down two AP top-10 teams so far this season.
- After three weeks away from action, sophomore QB Conner Weigman returned for the Aggies in Week 6, leading them to a big victory over top-10 Missouri, connecting on 18-of-22 passes for a season-best 276 yards.
- Junior RB Amari Daniels has played a key role in the Aggies’ success in the run game, ranking among the top-25 in the SEC with 47.9 yards per game while his five rushing scores are good for 11th in the SEC.
- The offensive line has controlled the battle in the trenches while clearing the way for A&M’s top-10 rushing attack, as the unit ranks second in the SEC and 12th nationally allowing 26.0 tackles for loss.
- The Aggies have held their opponents to 100-or-fewer yards on the ground in five of the last six games, most recently limiting LSU to just 24 yards on 23 attempts ... A&M has not allowed multiple rushing scores in a game since the season opener and its six touchdowns allowed this season are the 12th-fewest in the nation.
- Junior DB Will Lee III has brought veteran leadership to the secondary and ranks eighth nationally with eight breaksups while his 10 passes defended are the 10th-most in the country ... He ranks fourth on the team with 30 tackles, 28 of which are solo takedowns which are good for 17th in the SEC.
- Graduate K Randy Bond tallied 10 points in the win at Mississippi State, marking the 11th time in his career he has scored 10-plus points in a game ... Bond ranks 10th nationally with 14 made field goals this season while his 72 total points are good for 15th.
MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR
- Sophomore QB Conner Weigman continues to climb the Texas A&M record books and is in need of three touchdown passes to crack the top-15 all-time, entering the game with 19 career scoring strikes.
- Junior RB Le’Veon Moss is 184 rushing yards away from moving into the top-35 all-time at A&M with 1,355 to-date, while junior RB Amari Daniels is 123 yards away from the top-40 with 1,234 career yards.
- Graduate WR Moose Muhammad III ranks 14th in career touchdown receptions at Texas A&M with 11 entering the week and his next scoring grab will move him into a tie with Chad Schroeder (2003-06) for 13th ... Muhammad is also five catches and 44 receiving yards away from cracking the top-30 all-time at A&M.
- Junior WR Noah Thomas is looking for a touchdown catch to move into the top-14 all-time at A&M, entering the week with 10 to-date.
- Graduate K Randy Bond ranks among the top-10 on A&M’s career fields made, extra points made, kicker-only scoring and overall scoring lists ... His 53 made field goals are just three away from fourth all-time ... Bond is eyeing Josh Lambo’s 109 career extra points as he sits in 10th with 103 and his 262 career points are three shy of Terry Venetoulias (1990-93) for ninth on the overall scoring list and sixth among kickers only.
QUARTERBACK ROOM
- The Aggies boast proven depth in their quarterback room with three players that have made multiple starts in their A&M careers and each thrown for at least 290 yards and multiple touchdowns in a game.
- Sophomore Conner Weigman began the year as the starter and returned after battling an early injury to guide the Aggies to a landslide victory over No. 9 Missouri in Week 6 and made it four straight in league play with a road win over Mississippi State.
- In the Missouri win, Weigman connected on 18-of-22 passes for a season-best 276 yards, leading the Aggies to victory over a top-10 team for the second time in his career ... Against McNeese, Weigman guided the Aggies to touchdowns on all five drives he was in on in the first half, helping A&M take a 38-0 lead into the half.
- Freshman Marcel Reed has stood ready and shown up in a big way when called on, leading the Aggies to three victories in his three starts as well as three of A&M’s record five wins to start league play ... Reed was named SEC Freshman of the Week after sparking a 31-6 scoring spree in the second half to lift the Aggies past No. 8 LSU with three unanswered rushing touchdowns of his own to become the first A&M QB to rush for three-plus scores since Trevor Knight in 2016.
- Reed also garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance at Florida after throwing for 178 yards and two scores to go along with 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.
- Junior Jaylen Henderson started the final four games of the 2023 campaign, accounting for four touchdowns in the lopsided win over Mississippi State in his first start for the Maroon & White ... He has completed 53-of-78 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns as an Aggie, while also adding 104 yards on the ground and two scores.
MAROON GOONS
- The Texas A&M offensive line has been winning the battle in the trenches, playing with great consistency despite having to lean on its reliable depth ... The Maroon Goons have helped the Aggies boast one of the best rushing offenses in the country while also holding strong to protect their quarterbacks.
- The Maroon & White rank 12th in the country and second in the SEC, allowing 26.0 tackles for loss on the year, while their 11.0 sacks allowed rank fourth in the league.
- With the help of the o-line clearing the way, the Aggies rank ninth nationally and second in the SEC averaging 221.5 rushing yards per game and have racked up over 200 yards on the ground in five games this season.
- The line is anchored by junior Trey Zuhn III, who was named a season-long team captain prior to the season ... While the Aggies have had to use four different starting lines this season due to injury, Zuhn has remained a staple at left guard and has been joined in all eight games by Ar’maj Reed-Adams at right guard and Dametrious Crownover at right tackle.
- Zuhn started all 13 games last season and has logged 32 career starts as he helped clear the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in 2022 and helped A&M rack up over 400 yards of total offense in eight games last year.
ELEVATING THE RUN GAME
- Junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels have made big improvements in the offseason and have been a dynamic duo in the backfield to give the Maroon & White one of the best rushing attacks in the nation.
- Moss ranks 26th nationally and third in the SEC averaging 94.6 yards per game, while his 6.4 yards per carry average is good for fifth in the SEC ... Moss always battles for the extra yard, racking up 526 yards after contact this year and averaging 4.4 yards after contact per carry which ranks 11th in the country ... A top-10 scorer in the SEC, Moss’ 10 rushing scores are good for third among league backs.
- In the win over LSU, Moss’ two rushing scores marked his fourth multi-touchdown game of the year, making it three straight weeks with multiple scores after adding two scores at Mississippi State and making a career-best three trips to the end zone in the win over Missouri ... Moss registered his third 100-yard game of the season and fourth of his career in the win over the Tigers, with a career-high 138 rushing yards.
- Moss had a strong start to his third season in Aggieland, setting a new career high in every category through the first three games of the year ... He posted 20 carries against Notre Dame, scored two touchdowns in the McNeese win and tallied 110 yards in the victory at Florida.
- Moss has also been a threat in the passing game, adding a career-best three catches for 42 yards against LSU to help his rank fourth in the SEC averaging 109.8 all-purpose yards per game.
- Daniels racked up a career-high 91 yards on 12 carries in the win over LSU ... He recorded his second multi-touchdown game of the season and of his career with a pair of 1-yard scores in the first half against Missouri and joined the 1,000 career yards club with 68 yards on 13 carries in the win at Florida.
- On the season, Daniels ranks among the top-25 in the league with 47.9 y/g while his five touchdowns are good for 11th in the SEC.
- Dual-threat freshman QB Marcel Reed has also supplemented the Aggies’ solid rushing attack leading all SEC QBs averaging 5.5 yards per carry, while his 48.0 yards per game and five rushing scores are good for top-10 overall in the league and third among SEC signal callers ... Reed came in midway through the third quarter against LSU and sparked the Aggies scoring three unanswered rushing TDs.
- As a team, the Aggies are No. 9 in the country and second in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging 221.5 yards per game, and their 21 rushing scores rank 15th nationally and second in the league ... A&M also boasts league-best 5.3 yards per carry.
- After eclipsing the 300-yard mark in Week 2, the Maroon & White tallied 310 yards on the ground in the win at Florida, marking the first time they have tallied 300-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games since the 2012 season.
- In the win over McNeese, A&M racked up 333 yards on the ground and five rushing scores, marking the most rushing yards in a game for the Aggies since rushing for over 500 yards against Northwestern State to start the 2018 season and the most rushing scores since reaching the end zone five times on the ground in the Orange Bowl win over North Carolina to cap off the 2020 season.
STEADY BACKER
- Sophomore LB Taurean York immediately stepped into a leadership role as a true freshman in 2023, quarterbacking the defense at middle linebacker, and was selected as a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2024 season.
- In the win at Mississippi State York tallied a career-high 12 tackles, registering the second double-digit tackles game of his career ... He has led the team in tackles in four games this season, most recently with seven while adding the first pick of his career in the win over LSU.
- York’s efforts against the Bulldogs also led an impressive outing from the entire linebacker unit, as junior Scooby Williams recorded his first career interception and returned it 32 yards to set up an A&M touchdown while also adding a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss and six tackles, and sophomore Daymion Sanford nearly doubled his previous career high with seven tackles, 1.0 TFL and two breakups.
- He leads the Aggies with 47 tackles on the year, good for 17th in the SEC, and has recorded five-plus tackles in five of the team’s eight games so far this season.
- York started all 13 games last season, finishing second on the team with 74 tackles, which ranked in the top-20 among SEC players and third among league freshman ... His 8.5 tackles for loss were the most by an SEC freshman a year ago and ranked fourth on the team.
NEW-LOOK SECONDARY
- The Texas A&M secondary has seen a number of new faces in 2024, adding eight defensive backs in the transfer portal while returning sophomores Jayvon Thomas and Dalton Brooks have also made starts this season.
- Junior Will Lee III, who came to Aggieland from Kansas State, ranks second in the SEC with 10 passes defended on the year, breaking up a career-high four passes in the win over Arkansas and recording his first interception as an Aggie in the win over McNeese ... Top-four on the team in tackles, 28 of Lee’s 30 tackles are solos and good for 17th in the SEC.
- Brooks has come on strong in SEC play, making at least six tackles in three of the last four games and leading the team in two of those outings ... Brooks tallied a career-best nine tackles in the win at Mississippi State.
- Sophomore Marcus Ratcliffe made an immediate impact for the Maroon & White after spending last season at San Diego State, starting all eight games and ranking second the SEC while ranking 14th nationally with three interceptions on the year.
- Senior BJ Mayes came up big in the third quarter against LSU, registering two of A&M’s three interceptions in the win that set up a pair of Aggie touchdowns ... His two picks on the year are good for seventh in SEC.
- Lone returning veteran Bryce Anderson registered the first touchdown of his career when he came up with a tipped pass and returned it 45 yards to the house at Florida, becoming the third Aggie to have scored a defensive touchdown in their career.
- As a team, the Aggies rank 10th nationally and third in the SEC with 46 passes defended, sitting at 11th in the country and second in the SEC with 11 picks, while also leading the league in turnover margin (0.88).
DEPTH ON THE D-LINE
- Texas A&M boasts one of the most talented and unpredictable defensive lines in the nation, led by the veteran experience and consistent production of senior Shemar Turner and junior transfer Nic Scourton.
- Scourton has played with consistency in the SEC, registering at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of A&M’s eight games ... Against Arkansas he finished with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, including a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to help the Aggies seal the victory.
- Scourton ranks second nationally and is tied for league lead with 12.5 tackles for loss on the year ... His total is tied for ninth with Pittsburgh Steeler DeMarvin Leal in A&M’s single-season list since joining the SEC in 2012 ... Scourton also adds 4.5 sacks on the season which are good for ninth in the league.
- Turner filled out the stat sheet in the win at Mississippi State, finishing with six tackles, 2.0 for loss, and a solo sack for 9 yards lost, while also breaking up a pass a forcing a fumble ... He started the 2024 season with a career-high seven takedowns against Notre Dame.
- Junior Cashius Howell has been a key disruptor in league play and ranks 10th in the SEC with five pass breakups on the season ... Howell has registered at least one breakup and one hurry in three of the last four games, tallying three breakups and two hurries in the win at Mississippi State.
- Juniors Shemar Stewart and Albert Regis have earned starting jobs on the line this season after being part of the Aggies’ consistent second rotation last year ... Stewart has come on strong in the last three games, getting to the quarterback in back-to-back victories while matching his career high with five tackles at Florida.
- As a defense, the Aggies have held their opponents to 100-or-fewer yards on the ground in five of the last six games, most recently limiting LSU to just 24 yards on 23 attempts, not allowing a rushing yard in the second half ... A&M has the No. 18 rushing defense (104.5 y/g), while its six rushing scores allowed are 12th nationally ... The team’s 57.0 tackles for loss are good for 11th in the FBS.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
- Graduate K Randy Bond was one of the nation’s leading scorers a season ago and continues to rank among the best in 2024 while also climbing A&M’s all-time scoring, field goals made and extra point lists.
- Bond currently ranks 10th nationally and fourth in the SEC with 14 made field goals this season, while his 72 total points land among the top-15 in the country and top-five league scorers.
- Bond has posted double-digit points in a game 11 times in his career and four time this season, most recently tallying 10 points in the victory at Mississippi State by way of two field goals and four extra points.
- The kicker has been climbing A&M’s all-time field goals made, extra points and scoring lists, ranking sixth with 53 career makes, 10th overall with 262 points and 10th with 103 made extra points.
- Last season, Bond registered a new career-long with a 52-yarder against ULM and he later connected from the same distance against South Carolina and Mississippi State.
- Freshman P Tyler White has also elevated A&M’s special teams game this season, as he averages 46.3 yards on 26 punts in his first year as the team’s primary punter ... White boasts a 62-yard long from the Notre Dame and has sent nine punts 50-plus yards.
- White earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks this season after landing seven of his nine punts inside the 15 and five inside the 10 against Arkansas and the following week averaged 46.3 yards per punt, pinning Missouri on its own 1 ... White earned his third SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor after booming three punts 50-plus yards down the field, landing four of his five punts inside the 20, and finishing the night with an average of 48.4 yards per boot, including a game-long 54 yards.
- Four Aggies on the 2024 roster have registered a blocked kick in their careers ... Senior DL Shemar Turner blocked a pair of field goal attempts last season, getting his hand on the ball in back-to-back weeks against Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and junior DL Albert Regis blocked a field goal attempt in the win over Miami in 2022, and senior WR Jahdae Walker blocked a punt a year later in Miami ... Prior to arriving in Aggieland, graduate DB Trey Jones III registered a blocked kick against Eastern Michigan in 2022.
THE ELKO EFFECT
- Known as one of the top defensive minds in the country, head coach Mike Elko has consistently produced highly disruptive and productive defenses throughout his career, most recently putting the Texas A&M defense on the map during his time as defensive coordinator and carrying the same standard as the head coach at Duke.
- In his first season at the helm in Aggieland, Elko has led the Maroon & White to their best start in SEC play, going 5-0 in the league ... This marks the best record in conference play since the Aggies started their Big 12 slate 7-0 in 1998.
- In 2023, Duke led the ACC and ranked 16th nationally in scoring defense (19.0 ppg) while registering a top-five rush defense among league teams and standing in 17th in the country with 67 passes defended ... In Elko’s first season as a head coach, the Blue Devils ranked in the top-35 in the nation in scoring defense, rush defense, rushing touchdowns allowed and passes defended.
- After not finishing in the top-50 nationally in total defense for more than a decade, Elko’s first stint in Aggieland as defensive coordinator from 2018-21 coincided with consistent top-35 finishes, including a top-10 ranking in the 2020 final FBS total defense standings.
- Elko has produced top-50 defenses in 11 of the last 12 years with multiple programs (Duke, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Bowling Green).
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