The SEC’s second-leading receiver, Pharoh Cooper (587 yards, 4 TDs), will be on display when the South Carolina Gamecocks meet the Texas A&M Aggies. Texas A&M (5-2) enters the week hoping to stop the bleeding after losing two of its last three. The game starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 31 and will air on SECN.
Texas A&M lost big against Ole Miss 23-3 last week. Ricky Seals-Jones had a solid outing in the loss, registering three receptions for 75 yards. South Carolina is hoping for another victory like its last game, when it beat Vanderbilt 19-10. Pharoh Cooper had an outstanding performance for the Gamecocks, totaling seven receptions for 160 yards and one TD. Perry Orth also had a big game with 272 yards and a TD through the air.
Texas A&M is a 16-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable.
Heading into Week 9 of the college football season, the Aggies are 5-2 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Aggies have records of 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS. The Texas A&M pass defense has played at another level the past five games. It has given up 204.0 passing yards per game during that span. The Aggies make it hard on their opponents early, averaging 9.4 points in the first 15 minutes.
On the other side, the Gamecocks have a record of 3-4 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, South Carolina has a record of 2-3 both SU and ATS. The South Carolina pass defense has given teams fits during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of only 215.0 passing yards against this scary bunch. The Aggies need to make smart throws against the opportunistic Gamecocks. The defense ranks 22nd in the country in interceptions with 1.3 per game. South Carolina fans don’t normally have much to complain about when it comes to the refs. The Gamecocks record very few penalties, ranking 17th with only 4.9 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas A&M, ATS Winner – Texas A&M
Notes
Texas A&M is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
Texas A&M is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home.
Texas A&M is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas A&M’s last 6 games at home.
Texas A&M is 5-0 SU when leading at the half this season.
Remarkably, South Carolina is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet undefeated (3-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Per FBS ratings, Texas A&M has an advantage in the passing game. Its offensive passing game (ranked 31st nationally) will face the 54th-ranked pass defense of South Carolina, while its 29th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 100th-ranked aerial attack of the Gamecocks.
