COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M is riding a three-game winning streak and still has a chance to make a big statement over the last three games of the regular season. The Aggies will try to continue their winning ways and keep the offense moving when they come out of a bye and host South Carolina on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Texas A&M -11
Texas A&M's three losses all have come against teams ranked in the top-10 at the time - Clemson, Auburn and Alabama - and it will play two more against the best in the country when the Aggies finish the season at Georgia and at LSU. "We need to come out the break and finish these next three games and play the way we need to play," Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters. "But we've got to start it off this week first and play a great game. This game was a great game last year and it always is a great game. We've got to play well, so hopefully we will." The Gamecocks have dropped three of their last four games and are coming off a home loss to a non-conference opponent - Appalachian State - last week, leaving them needing to beat Texas A&M and Clemson over the final two games to become bowl eligible. "Well, this is a results business," South Carolina coach Will Muschamp told reporters. "It's about winning games at the end of the day and we haven't won enough games. So, that's the bottom line. The main progress that needs to be made is winning football games. We haven't made that progress."
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (4-6, 3-4 SEC)
Gamecocks freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski threw for a season-high 325 yards against Appalachian State but dropped balls and a tipped interception that went through the hands of a receiver kept the offense in low gear. “Ryan threw the ball well, but it’s hard to rely on some things in the passing game right now,” Muschamp told reporters. “We’re just so inconsistent with personnel and different things that are obviously affecting our football team as far as those things are concerned.” South Carolina has not reached 30 points since beating FCS foe Charleston Southern 72-10 in the second game of the season.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (6-3, 3-2)
Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond is just as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm, but the team is trying to get him to deploy that weapon only when necessary. “He is making good decisions, being accurate with the ball,” Fisher told reporters of Mond. “I think he’s playing really good football, and I think he’s using his legs when it’s the right opportunity, People say, well, he should look to run. You don’t look to run. You react to run. There’s called runs, if you have a called run or you read it, you do it. But you’ve got to react. You can’t say I’m just going to go look to run. He’s letting the game come to him.” Mond only totaled one rushing yard against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 2 but made it count with a touchdown in the 45-14 triumph.
EXTRA POINTS
1. South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards (3,045 yards) broke Alshon Jeffery's school record for receiving yards last week.
2. Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller recorded season highs of 217 yards and three TDs against UTSA.
3. The Aggies are 5-0 all-time against the Gamecocks.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 24, South Carolina 17