Coming off of a dominant 38-23 victory versus then-No. 8 LSU, No. 10 Texas A&M football heads to South Carolina.
Here are a few players to watch when the Aggies take on the Gamecocks this Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Marcel Reed, redshirt freshman quarterback, Texas A&M
Subbed on in the second half versus the Tigers in relief of redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman, Reed reignited the Aggies’ offense and put on a show worth watching. In stark contrast to the quick-passing RPO game that LSU had bottled, offensive coordinator Collin Klein decided to take a page out of the service academies’ books and went to the read option.
The Tigers’ defense had no answer to the change, as defenders were left guessing as to whether Reed would hand off to junior running back Le’Veon Moss or keep it himself. In Reed’s five complete drives, A&M scored each time with four touchdowns and a field goal.
Coach Mike Elko has yet to give an indication as to which quarterback will start against the Gamecocks. No matter the decision, expect Reed to take the field at some point to showcase his dynamic ability.
Raheim Sanders, senior running back, South Carolina
South Carolina won’t be wowing anyone with its explosive play, but its grind-it-out offense is exactly the type of game it wants to play. Sanders — a big bruising back intending to punish anyone attempting to meet him in the middle — pairs with freshman QB LaNorris Sellers to create a steady rushing attack.
Despite a heavy dosage of runs to the inside, the Maroon and White should be wary of letting him get to the outside, where “Rocket” can showcase his surprising speed, as shown with his 66-yard touchdown against LSU in a 36-33 loss on Sept. 14.
Shemar Stewart, junior defensive end, Texas A&M
The Gamecocks’ offensive line has acted as a sieve up to this point, surrendering the second-most sacks in the nation with 32. The Aggie Wrecking Crew will be able to exploit this matchup, even with four-man rushes. Expect South Carolina to give a lot of attention to junior DE Nic Scourton, but don’t forget about his partner on the other side of the line.
Stewart has had a quiet last couple of weeks, but this matchup could serve as his breakout game. An edge rusher with plenty of physicality, look for lots of power moves to quickly get past the lineman and straight to Sanders.
Nick Emmanwori, junior defensive back, South Carolina
Despite its offense being middle of the pack, South Carolina has been a tough out for all the teams it has played thanks to one of the best defenses in the nation. As the only team that may boast a better defensive line than the Aggies, the Gamecocks’ front contains multiple future first rounders who can make opposing quarterbacks’ lives a living hell. Constant pressure leads to bad decision making, and Emmanwori is lurking in the secondary to capitalize on those mistakes.
A big, lanky cornerback with plenty of speed, the Aggies should have an eye on Emmanwori at all times. Fifth in the nation in interceptions, he doubled his season total after his two-interception performance against Oklahoma on Oct. 19. On the first play of the game, Emmanwori kept step in step with his receiver on an out route and leaped to pick off the ball. Later in the first quarter, freshman QB Michael Hawkins Jr. was hit while he threw, and the ball landed in Emmanwori’s waiting arms, who took it 65 yards to the house for a pick-6.
