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5 things to know about Week 10 opponent South Carolina

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COLLEGE STATION – In front of the third-largest crowd in Kyle Field history, the Texas A&M football team took care of staying atop the SEC standings in Week 9 against LSU. With the big 38-23 win, the Aggies move to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference. The Aggies will next face the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3) defeated Oklahoma in Week 8, winning 35-9, before going idle in Week 9.

The Aggies are 2-0 on the road while the Gamecocks are 2-2 at home. The Week 10 matchup begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC and streamed on ESPN and Fubo.

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Texas A&M is ranked 11th in the latest USA LBM Coaches Poll, while South Carolina is unranked.

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Here are five things you should know about South Carolina:

1. The Gamecocks rank 68th in offense

Despite three losses, the Gamecocks have battled hard this season with the help of their offense, including a hard-fought loss to Alabama the week before their big win over Oklahoma. The Gamecocks are averaging 28.6 points, 12th among 16 SEC teams and 68th in the country.

Freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers has 968 passing yards and eight touchdowns. And running back Raheim Sanders has 426 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while the receiving group is led by Mazeo Bennett Jr. with 19 receptions, 270 yards and three touchdowns.

2. South Carolina is 22nd in scoring defense

The Gamecocks' true strength is their strong defense. Through the first half of the season, South Carolina has the 22nd scoring defense in the country, averaging 18.71 points per game. The defense held Oklahoma to nine points two weeks ago and held opponents to single digits three times.

3. Gamecocks are 16th against the run

Saturday evening will be about strength versus strength. The Aggies' ninth-ranked rushing attack faces the Gamecocks' 16th-ranked defense, which gives up just 101.9 rushing yards per game.

South Carolina is led by linebacker Debo Williams, who is second on the team with 40 tackles, while defensive back Nick Emmanwori leads all Gamecocks with 49 tackles and is aggressive in run defense from the third level.

4. Aggies have dominated the all-time series

The history between these two SEC programs is quite limited. They met just 10 times, with the Aggies holding a commanding 9-1 lead.

A&M's away record in these contests is 4-1, with its most recent road appearance against the Gamecocks being the only loss A&M has suffered in the series in 2022. The Aggies won their first matchup against South Carolina in 2014 and won eight straight before the Gamecocks earned their first win in 2022.

5. The story behind South Carolina's mascot

Like many SEC mascots, the South Carolina football team's nickname and mascot have a military connection.

The name originated on the battlefield during the American Revolution. General Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina militia leader during the Revolutionary War, was nicknamed “The Fighting Gamecock” because of his military tactics. This reputation, coupled with his love of the sport of cockfighting, led to the gamecock being used as a symbol for the state of South Carolina.

South Carolina has a live mascot named Sir Big Spur, with the original mascot making its debut in 1999. The program also features a costumed character called “Cocky the Gamecock.”

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