South Carolina visits Texas A&M after tough loss

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — South Carolina doesn’t have time to dwell on its upset loss to Appalachian State, not with a trip to Texas A&M on Saturday.

The Gamecocks (4-6, 3-4 SEC) must get a victory against the Aggies and in their season finale against No. 3 Clemson to become bowl eligible.

It won’t be an easy task for a team that is 0-5 alltime against Texas A&M, which enters the game on a three-game winning streak. If South Carolina doesn’t win its last two games it will end a streak of three straight bowl appearances.

Coach Will Muschamp said he hasn’t talked to his team about extending its bowl streak this week.

“I address each week as a season and it’s Texas A&M and it’s folks in our football team and Texas A&M and that’s it,” he said. “So, that’s what we need to be focused in on.”

Even though Muschamp isn’t focusing on becoming bowl eligible, it is definitely on the minds of the players as they try to move on from the 20-15 loss to Appalachian State.

“It hasn’t been the season we wanted,” receiver Bryan Edwards said. “So we need to get the two wins to get eligible for a bowl game. That would be a positive.”

The Gamecocks have had an up-and-down season. They handed Georgia its only loss of the season in a double-overtime thriller, but have lost three of four games since then.

“It’s life,” Edwards said. “You’re going to go through tough stretches in life and you’ve just got to respond the right way. You’ve got to come to work every day.”