Yahoo Finance Gameday Guide: South Carolina vs Texas A&M football kickoff time, odds, stream, TV
South Carolina football embarks on a trip across the South to meet with its permanent SEC West Division rival, the Texas A&M Aggies, this weekend. What you need to know about the matchup:
What channel is the South Carolina game on?
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 1-3 SEC) at Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kyle Field (102,733) in College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network
On-air announce crew: Tom Hart, play-by-play; Jordan Rodgers, analyst; Cole Cubelic, sideline
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analyst; Jamar Nesbit, sideline) … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite radio: Sirius 134/XM 190
Series history: Texas A&M carries a 7-0 record against South Carolina. The teams have played annually since their first meeting in 2014.
Weather forecast for College Station, TX
There’s a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, but any chance of rain is expected to dwindle by the game’s late afternoon kickoff. The daytime high is expected to reach 86 degrees, with conditions settling to 71 degrees and clear skies by the evening.
Where is College Station, Texas?
College Station is located in the East-Central region of Texas. It’s nestled near the center of the “Texas Triangle,” an area formed inside the boundaries of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
College Station is about 95 miles from Houston, 107 miles from Austin and 180 miles from Dallas. Texas A&M’s Kyle Field is more than 1,000 miles from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
South Carolina vs TAMU game prediction
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Texas A&M an 89.4% chance to win over the Gamecocks.
Point spread for Texas A&M vs USC Gamecocks
This week’s 21-point line is the largest in South Carolina-Texas A&M matchup history. This year’s betting line has grown steeper throughout the week, as the Aggies opened a 19-point favorite and saw the line move to 21.
Week 8 SEC college football betting lines
Odds according to VegasInsider consensus.
Noon: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas
3:30 p.m.: LSU at Ole Miss (-9.5)
4 p.m.: Mississippi State (-20.5) at Vanderbilt
7 p.m.: Tennessee at Alabama (-25)
7:30 p.m.: South Carolina at Texas A&M (-21)
South Carolina football injury, status report
Quarterback Luke Doty is out for the remainder of the 2021-22 season as he undergoes surgery on the foot he injured in preseason and aggravated in the Vanderbilt game.
Offensive lineman Dylan Wonnum (back) is “iffy” and safety Jaylin Dickerson (ankle) is out this week, Beamer said.
Linebacker Sherrod Greene is “progressing nicely” after undergoing surgery on his lower right leg following the Georgia game Sept. 18, Beamer said.
Wide receiver Jalen Brooks is out again, Beamer said, after not playing in the Vanderbilt game while tending to a personal matter.
Running back Juju McDowell will be back this week after sitting out the Vanderbilt game due to an accountability issue off the field.
Safety Jahmar Brown is questionable for this week as he recovers from a shoulder sprain. He did not play against Vanderbilt.
Running back Kevin Harris is expected to play this week after leaving midway through the Vanderbilt game with an ankle injury.
Gamecocks vs Texas A&M Aggies: What to watch for
The most challenging stretch of South Carolina’s season begins this week and isn’t expected to let up for the rest of the season.
The Gamecocks will roll with Zeb Noland at quarterback after it was announced Luke Doty would undergo season-ending foot surgery. South Carolina’s offense, ranked next-to-last in the SEC in points per game, will have a challenge ahead of it as it faces the conference’s second-best scoring defense (16.4 points per game) in Texas A&M.
Defensively, South Carolina will be tasked with neutralizing the SEC’s third-leading rusher Isaiah Spiller as well as Devon Achane. The two have combined for over 1,110 yards on the ground through Texas A&M’s first seven games, while the Gamecocks’ rushing defense is ranked ninth in the conference.
South Carolina will enter a hostile road environment as heavy underdogs with the hopes of showing offensive life with Noland at the helm and defensive effort against the formidable Aggies.
The Aggies are on an upswing after adjusting to quarterback Zach Calzada early in the season. Texas A&M upset then-No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9 and head into the South Carolina game after handily defeating Missouri 35-14 last week.
South Carolina players to watch
1. Quarterback Zeb Noland makes his return as the Gamecocks’ signal caller after leading South Carolina’s final touchdown drive against Vanderbilt last week. The former graduate assistant hasn’t played a full game since USC’s 20-17 win over East Carolina back on Sept. 11.
2. Wide receiver Xavier Legette stepped up last weekend in place of Jalen Brooks and caught the game-winning touchdown against Vanderbilt. With Brooks out again as USC heads into College Station, Legette should expect to see his playing time continue to grow.
3. Defensive lineman Zacch Pickens impressed coaches with this effort last Saturday, coming up with seven tackles, two quarterback hurries and a sack against Vanderbilt’s Mike Wright.
Three Texas A&M football players to watch
1. Running back Isaiah Spiller is the SEC’s third-leading rusher of 2021 with 659 yards on 105 carries and four touchdowns. He’s totaled another 159 yards and a touchdown on 18 receptions this year. A three-year veteran on the Aggies’ offense, Spiller has already put up 2,641 rushing yards in his college career and finished with a season-high 168 yards on 20 touches in last week’s win over Missouri.
2. Quarterback Zach Calzada didn’t command the Aggies’ offense at the start of the season, but he’s worked through early struggles to become an impressive newcomer. The sophomore played his best under pressure against Alabama, completing 21 of his 31 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Aggies’ win over the Crimson Tide. He’s completed 56% of his passes in 2021 for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
3. Defensive back Demani Richardson is another Aggie veteran finding success midway through this season. The junior defensive back has had his best performances of 2021 in A&M’s last two games, finishing both the Alabama and Missouri games with seven tackles against each. Richardson also came up with a clutch interception at the Aggies’ 1-yard line against Alabama’s Bryce Young on Oct. 9.
South Carolina Gamecocks 2021 football schedule
Home games in bold
Sept. 4: South Carolina 46, Eastern Illinois 0 Sept. 11: South Carolina 20, East Carolina 17 Sept. 18: Georgia 40, South Carolina 13
Sept. 25: Kentucky 16, South Carolina 10
Oct. 2: South Carolina 23, Troy 14 Oct. 9: Tennessee 45, South Carolina 20
Oct. 16 South Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 20 Oct. 23 at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network) Nov. 6 vs. Florida Nov. 13 at Missouri Nov. 20 vs. Auburn Nov. 27 vs Clemson
South Carolina football projected depth chart vs Texas A&M
Any position, whether it’s a starter or a backup, is listed with an —OR— designation.
Offense
QB — Zeb Noland (Jason Brown, Colten Gauthier)
RB — ZaQuandre White —OR— MarShawn Lloyd —OR— Juju McDowell —OR— Kevin Harris
WR — Xavier Legette
WR — Dakereon Joyner (Ahmarean Brown)
WR — Josh Vann (Ger-Cari Caldwell)
LT — Jazston Turnetine —OR— Jakai Moore
LG — Vershon Lee (Jaylen Nichols)
OC — Eric Douglas (Vincent Murphy)
RG — Jovaughn Gwyn (Wyatt Campbell —OR— Hank Manos)
RT — Dylan Wonnum —OR— Tyshawn Wannamaker
TE — Nick Muse (E.J. Jenkins)
TE — Jaheim Bell (Traevon Kenion, Keveon Mullins)
Defense
EDGE — Aaron Sterling (Jordan Burch)
DT — Jabari Ellis (Tonka Hemingway)
DT — Zacch Pickens (Alex Huntley)
EDGE — Kingsley Enagbare (Jordan Strachan)
NICK — David Spaulding (Carlins Platel)
MLB — Damani Staley (Debo Williams)
WLB — Brad Johnson (Mo Kaba —OR— Darryle Ware)
CB — Cam Smith (Dominick Hill)
SS — R.J. Roderick (Jahmar Brown)
FS — Jaylan Foster (Tyrese Ross)
CB — Darius Rush (Marcellas Dial)
Specialists
PK — Parker White (Mitch Jeter)
KO — Parker White —OR— Mitch Jeter —OR— Alex Herrera
P — Kai Kroeger (Alex Herrera)
LS — Matthew Bailey (Hunter Rogers)
H — Kai Kroger (Alex Herrera)
KOR — Dakereon Joyner (Juju McDowell)
PR — Josh Vann (Ahmarean Brown)
