A win’s a win for steady Aggies
Program records 5-0 start for third straight season
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Texas A&M safety Armani Watts deflected a pass in the first quarter at South Carolina and swiftly turned as the ball popped in the air behind him. With a smooth dive for an interception, Watts said one thought prevailed beneath his helmet at that moment.
“Don’t drop the ball,” he said. “It was a big play, and I had to make it.”
Watts did, and he and his teammates spent the rest of the ninth-ranked Aggies’ game against the underdog Gamecocks with another prevalent thought: Don’t blow it.
A&M didn’t, in a closerthan-expected 24-13 victory at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday that moved the Aggies to 5-0 for a third consecutive season.
“There’s no such thing as an ugly win,” A&M quarterback Trevor Knight said following the ugly win. “Any time you get a win in the SEC, that’s a big deal. We still have a zero after that dash mark in the win-loss column, and we couldn’t be happier about it.” Injuries take toll
Despite their inability to move the ball for chunks of the game, the Aggies (5-0, 3-0) were especially happy to prevail by double digits being down four starters to start with. Junior defensive end Myles Garrett, senior offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and junior receivers Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil missed the game with various injuries.
Garrett and Seals-Jones had noticeable leg injuries a week prior against Arkansas, but Garrett was able to return against the Razorbacks. His absence against the Gamecocks (23, 1-3) was thought to be precautionary, considering A&M next plays host to No. 11 Tennessee and then at top-ranked Alabama. The status moving forward of the three other players is unknown, and A&M coach Kevin Sumlin declines to discuss injuries that aren’t figured to be season-ending.
A&Mis 5-0 in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1939-41 and 3-0 in league play for the first time since 2004. Despite the recent hot starts, the Aggies finished 8-5 in each of the last two years, and this year’s bunch vows they’re not headed toward an unbecoming trifecta.
“We kept our composure,” A&M receiver Christian Kirk said of being tied 7-7 with the Gamecocks into the third quarter. “That’s a big thing I see with this team this year. We’re calm, and everybody is locked in.”
The A&M defense under second-year coordinator John Chavis didn’t allow a touchdown following the game’s first play from scrimmage, when South Carolina’s A.J. Turner scooted 75 yards for a score.
The Gamecocks’ other six points came from sec- ond-half field goals.
“Myles is my brother, and we missed him out on the field,” said A&M defensive end Daeshon Hall, who finished with six tackles, two sacks, 3½ tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. “I just tried to play my hardest — to play my heart out. I was trying to fill Myles’ presence.”
A&M countered Turner’s opening touchdown with a 75-yard drive of its own, capped by Knight’s 4-yard touchdown run. Aggies freshman running back Trayveon Williams continued his impressive start with a 49-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. He has six runs of 20-plus yards this season, including four for touchdowns.
The Aggies added a 2-yard touchdown run by James White early in the fourth quarter and a 35-yard field goal by Daniel LaCamera late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
“I was disappointed, but our guys fought hard,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said. “We’re not in this for a consolation prize.” Tennessee looms next
A&M was favored to win by more than two touchdowns, but that was prior to the news of Eluemunor and Noil missing the game. Garrett and Seals-Jones were in doubt since the Arkansas game. Meanwhile, A&Mrunning back Keith Ford left the South Carolina game with an undisclosed injury.
“We had a number of young guys come in and really continue playing with great effort,” Sumlin said. “Could we be better? You bet.”
The Aggies likely will need to be next weekend against Tennessee, which used a Hail Mary to prevail at Georgia on Saturday about the same time A&M won its less-thrilling game at South Carolina.
“It’ll be great to be back home,” said Sumlin, whose team hasn’t played at Kyle Field since a Sept. 10 victory over Prairie View A&M. “It’s been a while since Kyle Field has had a game like this. Weknow our fans won’t disappoint.”