MarShawn Lloyd rushed for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and host South Carolina held on for a 30-24 victory over Texas A&M in SEC action Saturday night in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday night.
Under heavy pressure all night, Spencer Rattler was only 12-of-25 passing for 168 yards as the Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2 SEC) recorded their first win over the Aggies after eight losses and their first four-game winning streak since 2013.
Lloyd’s second touchdown on a 4-yard run gave the Gamecocks a two-score cushion in the closing minutes. They needed it as the Aggies recovered an onsides kick after Randy Bond’s third field goal with 10 seconds left.
The loss saddled fifth-year coach Jimbo Fisher with his first three-game losing streak with the Aggies (3-4, 1-3).
The Aggies made a game of it despite falling behind by three scores in the first quarter but couldn’t overcome the early deficit despite Devon Achane’s 99 rushing yards.
When they lost starting quarterback Haynes King (17-of-32 for 178 yards) to an apparent shoulder injury with 12:54 left, true freshman Conner Weigman had to take over. He finished 8-of-15 passing for 91 yards.
The Gamecocks led 17-0 just a little over five minutes into the game. Xavier Legette returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, Darius Rush’s 59-yard interception return led to a field goal, and Tonka Hemingway’s 20-yard run after a fumble recovery set up Christian Beal-Smith’s 5-yard touchdown run.
But the Aggies began chipping away at their early deficit. Bond’s two field goals, one a 51-yarder, and King’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Max Wright made it a 17-14 game at the half.
The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter.
The Gamecocks took advantage of a short field for Lloyd’s 18-yard scoring run and the Aggies countered with Achane’s 15-yard burst up the middle following Rattler’s fumble to make it a 3-point game entering the final period.
–Field Level Media
