Texas A&M’s second-quarter surge sinks South Carolina

Texas A&M’s offense produced a three-touchdown stretch in the second quarter, including two inside the final two minutes, that led to a 30-17 victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in College Station, Texas.

The Aggies (5-3, 3-2 SEC West) broke a two-game skid by getting rushing touchdowns from Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels and a TD catch by Ainias Smith (six catches, 118 yards). Randy Bond was good on 3 of 4 field goals.

Texas A&M’s Max Johnson went 20-of-30 passing for 249 yards, while the offense managed 354 total yards to South Carolina’s 209.

Texas A&M has won nine of 10 meetings between the schools since 2014.

The Gamecocks (2-6, 1-5 SEC East) got scores from Dakereon Joyner and Joshua Simon but lost for the fourth straight time.

Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 33 passes for 176 yards and was sacked four times.

Late in the first quarter, Joyner —- on his second straight play out of the Wildcat formation — danced in from a yard out on fourth down at 2:04 for a 7-0 Gamecocks lead.

The impressive drive went 65 yards on 13 plays, with Rattler connecting twice to Nyck Harbor on a pair of third-and-long plays to keep the series moving.

In the second, Johnson got the Aggies’ offense in gear on a six-play, 55-yard drive. That series ended with Owens cutting back from the right side and dashing 14 yards to even it at 7-7.

Right before halftime, Texas A&M strung together two touchdowns in a span of 52 seconds to create some separation at 21-7.

Daniels was stopped on third-and-goal at the 1 but bounced off a tackle and fell into the end zone for his third score and the Aggies’ first lead.

After the Aggies forced a punt, Johnson found Smith on a long pass that ended with the electrifying receiver cutting back twice on a 42-yard score, his first TD reception.

The Gamecocks’ Mitch Jeter booted a field goal from 49 yards less than five minutes into the third, but Bond matched it from 26 yards out late in the frame.

On the first play of the final quarter, Rattler’s two-yard TD pass to Simon trimmed it to a single score, but Bond nailed a 24-yarder to push the lead to 27-

17 and added a career-long-tying 52-yarder with 7:39 left.

—Field Level Media