Texas A&M left Williams-Brice Stadium with more than a loss to South Carolina. The Aggies also appeared to be dealing with a flu bug that had spread through the program, and it showed up in the way the afternoon unfolded.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Roy Philpott said during Saturday’s broadcast that the illness had affected several key members of the Texas A&M football team, including head coach Mike Elko, running back KJ Edwards, and wide receiver Mario Craver.
That backdrop helps explain some of the personnel choices and production issues in a 17-9 defeat that kept Texas A&M winless away from Kyle Field in the 2026 season. The Aggies leaned on kicker David Olano, whose three field goals kept them in control for much of a low-scoring game, but South Carolina kept hanging around and eventually found the plays it needed late.
Edwards’ status stood out most. With him battling the flu, Rueben Owens moved back into the starting role and turned in a big night, piling up 137 yards on the ground. Edwards, meanwhile, had 10 carries for 37 yards, a sharp drop from Owens’ 19 carries.
Craver’s day was also affected. He finished with four catches for 25 yards and briefly left early after what looked like a lower body issue had been aggravated, though he did return. The illness offers another reason his impact never really took off.
Texas A&M still had a chance to finish the job. The Aggies held a 9-7 lead in the second half before South Carolina added another field goal and then got a 41-yard touchdown run from LaNorris Sellers, who did it on one leg with just over a minute left.
Marcel Reed tried to answer for Texas A&M, pushing the Aggies down the field in the closing seconds. But his final two throws fell incomplete, first to Aaron Gregory and then to Isaiah Horton, with the pass to Horton sailing out of bounds as time expired.
That sealed a 17-9 South Carolina win, the Gamecocks’ third ever against Texas A&M.
The Aggies head back to College Station for their first home game in nearly a month, where they’ll face Tennessee on Saturday.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Just Lost A Recruit To A Much Worse Outcome
Mark Matthews recruiting path took a sharp turn this week, and it left Texas A&M watching one of its former commitments head to a familiar SEC rival. The top-ranked offensive tackle had been pledged to the Aggies, but he has now decommitted and announced for Georgia, a move that caught plenty of fans and recruiting insiders off guard after Miami had been viewed as the likeliest alternative.
For Texas A&M, the timing adds another layer to an already frustrating development. The Aggies are set to play Georgia twice over the next three years, which means Matthews could end up lining up against the program he once chose, turning a recruiting miss into a matchup storyline that will linger well beyond signing day. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms Latest Loss Just Deepened A Brutal Season Debate
Texas A&Ms latest setback in the SEC only sharpened the questions hanging over a frustrating season. The Aggies fell 17-9 to No. 21 South Carolina, and even a day that produced 457 total yards ended with the offense unable to find the end zone. It was the kind of loss that leaves little comfort behind, especially when the scoreboard says the same thing the film has been saying for weeks.
The bigger concern is how deep the slump has become. Texas A&M has now gone three conference games without scoring a touchdown for the first time since 1971, a staggering marker for a program that expected far more from this fall. ESPNs Football Power Index has only added to the unease, projecting a losing finish and giving the Aggies a low chance of reaching the SEC title game or the College Football Playoff, which only makes the remaining stretch feel even heavier. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Bigger 2027 Recruiting Worry
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting picture took a sudden hit when five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews backed off his pledge and is now expected to land at Miami. For a class that had been building momentum, losing a cornerstone prospect like that is a reminder that even the most promising early commitments can turn shaky fast, especially when other national powers get involved late in the process.
Now the Aggies have another high-stakes situation to monitor with five-star linebacker Kaden Henderson, who remains committed to Texas A&M but recently visited Notre Dame. The Irish are making a late push to flip him, and his final call is still unsettled as he weighs that interest against his relationship with Mike Elko and the Aggies' continued recruiting effort. [Read more 🡒]