Where South Carolina Needs to Attack Texas A&M's Defense

Where the South Carolina Gamecocks need to attack Texas A&M's defense.

Oct 19, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Raheim Sanders (5) scores a touchdown past Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Where the South Carolina Gamecocks need to attack Texas A&M's defense.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are preparing for a big matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Gamecocks sit with a 4-3 record while Texas A&M has just one loss on the year which was to Notre Dame in the first week of the season. With that said, early indications of this game are that it might be closer than what it looks on paper.

The Aggies are coming off of a big win over LSU which has them sitting in the driver's seat in the SEC. A large reason why they have become a threat is due to their strong defense. Head coach Mike Elko has his team playing some of the more consistent and high-level defense in the conference right now, so that begs the question of where should South Carolina try to attack the Aggies' defense?

Well, just look at numbers, you would think through the air. Texas A&M ranks 91st in the country for passing defense and their rush defense ranks top 20 in the country. However, one could make the argument that it's more important that you try and attack them on the ground to have ultimate success against the Aggies.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had 50 pass attempts against Texas A&M and the team as a whole only had 23 rushing attempts. They also averaged just one yard per carry. The Aggies shut down the run and once they managed to do that, life on defense became very easy for them.

If South Carolina lets the Aggies force into being one dimensional on Saturday, then it might not be a pleasant experience for South Carolina's offense. The good news for the Gamecocks is that LaNorris Sellers and Raheim Sanders can both play a major role in the run game, and they have shown that they can be explosive in doing so. South Carolina has to find a way to establish the run on Saturday to increase their chances of winning.

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