Texas A&M entered Week 10 amongst the hottest teams in college football thanks to a seven-game win streak and a landmark home win over LSU last week. The Aggies left South Carolina beaten and bruised following the 44-20 defeat on the road. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak that began after falling in Week 1 at home to Notre Dame. 

South Carolina outscored the Aggies 24-0 in the second half. The Gamecocks accounted for 530 yards of offense, including 286 on the ground. Quarterback Lanorris Sellers threw for 244 yards, ran for 106 more, and accounted for three total touchdowns. Raheim Sanders rushed for 144 yards and two scores. As a team, Texas A&M allowed 6.7 yards per rush. 

The Aggies played like a team that heard how great it was for nearly a week following that comeback win over LSU. Mike Elko was the toast of the coaching community after his postgame promo. Marcel Reed was anointed as the savior. The defense shut down a Tigers’ offense that is potent. But the loss to South Carolina calls most of it into question. Is Texas A&M truly a College Football Contender or the benefit of an easier schedule? 

Reed didn’t play as well against a defense that had a week to prepare for his skillset. The redshirt freshman was 18-of-28 for 2016 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 costly interception. They ran for 144 yards on 42 carries as a team. Injuries to running backs and offensive linemen are a major concern heading into the stretch run of the regular season. 

The Aggies still control their destiny to the SEC title game despite the loss. They hold a tiebreaker over LSU and play the one-loss Longhorns on Nov. 30. Georgia and Tennessee – the other one-loss teams in SEC play – face each other on Nov. 16 in Athens. Elko’s crew is idle in Week 11 and host New Mexico State in Week 12 before closing with a trip to Auburn and the Lone Star Rivalry game against Texas at home.