COLLEGE STATION — In front of the third largest crowd in Kyle Field history, the Texas A&M football team took care of business against LSU in Week 9 to stay atop the SEC standings. With the big 38-23 win lifting them to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference, the Aggies will next be at Williams-Brice Stadium to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks .
The Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3) rolled over Oklahoma in Week 8, winning 35-9 before being idle in Week 9.
The Aggies are 2-0 on the road while the Gamecocks are 2-2 at home. The Week 10 matchup will kickoff 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 No. 11 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll , while South Carolina is unranked entering the matchup.
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Here are five things to know about South Carolina:
1. Gamecocks are 68th in scoring offense
Despite three losses, the Gamecocks have fought hard this season with the help of their offense, including a tightly contested loss to Alabama the week before their big win over Oklahoma. The Gamecocks are ranked 12th out of 16 SEC teams and 68th in the country in scoring, averaging 28.6 points.
Freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers has tallied 968 passing yards and eight touchdowns. And running back Raheim Sanders has tallied 426 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while the receiving group is led by Mazeo Bennett Jr. and his 19 receptions, 270 yards and three touchdowns.
2. South Carolina is 22nd in scoring defense
The true strength of the Gamecocks is their stout defense. Through the first half of the season, South Carolina has the 22nd-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing 18.71 points per game. The defense held Oklahoma to nine points two weeks ago and has held opponents to single-digit point totals three times.
3. Gamecocks are 16th against the run
Saturday night will feature strength versus strength. The Aggies' ninth-ranked rushing attack will face off against the Gamecocks' 16th-ranked defense, which surrenders only 101.9 rushing yards per game.
South Carolina is led by linebacker Debo Williams, who's 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 fairly limited. They have met only 10 times, with the Aggies holding a commanding 9-1 lead.
A&M's road record is 4-1 in those contests, with the latest road appearance against the Gamecocks being the only loss A&M has suffered in the series, back in 2022. The Aggies won their first matchup against South Carolina in 2014 and won eight in a row before the Gamecocks got their first win in 2022.
5. The history behind South Carolina's mascot
Like many SEC mascots, South Carolina's 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, earned the nickname "The Fighting Gamecock" due to his military tactics. That reputation, coupled with his love for the sport of cockfighting, led to the use of the Gamecock 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 named "Cocky the Gamecock."
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M vs South Carolina: 5 things for Aggies fans to know about the Gamecocks
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