The South Carolina Gamecocks won their season opener, and the Texas A&M Aggies lost their season opener. The two teams have gone in opposite directions since, even though South Carolina did win this past weekend.
The Aggies have had a number of close calls this season that had they would have been losses, would have landed head coach Kevin Sumlin on the chopping block. They blew a win at home to UCLA. They struggled in the first half at home to Louisiana Lafayette. They nearly lost at home to Arkansas last week. But they’ve survived and are now 3-1 and possibly should be 4-0.
Can South Carolina reverse course, and can Texas A&M gain even more momentum? Those are just some of the questions waiting to be answered in this game.
Details
Odds: Aggies -9.5
Date & Time: Saturday, September 30, 7:30 PM ET
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Broadcast: SEC Network
Reasons To Bet On The South Carolina Gamecocks
The Texas A&M defense is a unit in bad need of improvement, but no realistic hope in sight. After losing Myles Garrett to the NFL, the Aggies are without a No. 1 NFL Draft pick, and it shows. Texas A&M can’t generate consistent pass pressure, which is why Arkansas and Austin Allen were able to score 43 points against the Aggies this past Saturday. Texas A&M has allowed at least 43 points in two of its four games this season. The team is vulnerable against really good quarterbacks, and while South Carolina’s Jake Bentley has struggled the past two weeks, he is capable of breaking out at any time. Bentley has mobility in the pocket and can feel the rush, so even if A&M generates some pressure, he can avoid it and make plays with his legs or simply buy more time before throwing a forward pass. South Carolina’s offense is admittedly a work in progress, but if Bentley gets extra time to throw, he is very much able to do a lot of damage to the Aggies’ secondary in this game.
Reasons To Bet On The Texas A&M Aggies
The South Carolina offense is without its best player. That’s not Bentley – it’s receiver Deebo Samuel, who will miss most of the season with an injury suffered a few weeks ago against Kentucky. Samuel is strong and fast and has great hands – he’s the complete package as a wide receiver. He led South Carolina to its season-opening win over North Carolina State by making a few high-difficulty catches, including one for a touchdown. Samuel was a security blanket for Bentley, the guy who would always get open and who gained Bentley’s total trust. With him out of the lineup, South Carolina and Bentley no longer have a clear No. 2 option to go to. That adjustment process is taking a long time. The Gamecocks were fortunate to barely beat Louisiana Tech last weekend in a low-scoring game. They might figure out their woes without Samuel in a month, but they do not appear ready to immediately fix their flaws. This gives Texas A&M’s offense, which scored 50 points last weekend and finally seems to be learning how to play together, a distinct advantage in this matchup. The Aggies might still struggle against the elite teams of the SEC, but against South Carolina, they hold the cards.
Outlook
The Gamecocks’ loss of Deebo Samuel is simply too big a hit. The team does not yet know how to cope with this absence. Until South Carolina proves it can score without Samuel, A&M is the better choice.
And as for the Aggies go, yes this number is a little bit more than you probably want to lay but it looks like this team is trending in the right direction. They have scored 44 points or more in three of their four games this season and it’s hard to imagine South Carolina keeping up if their offense continues to do that type of damage. It’s a number that’s slightly uncomfortable to lay but we like the Aggies to get the job done here and cover the 10 points.
Prediction: Aggies -9.5
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