LaNorris Sellers' Late 41-Yard Touchdown Run Lifts No. 23 South Carolina Past Texas A&M 17-9

Texas A&M outgained South Carolina by nearly 100 yards and held the ball for more than 34 minutes, but the Aggies never reached the end zone. LaNorris Sellers ran 41 yards for the clinching touchdown with 1:19 left, one snap after a fourth-down sack, and No. 23 South Carolina beat Texas A&M 17-9 on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

South Carolina (6-3, 4-3 SEC) trailed 9-7 entering the fourth quarter and scored the final 10 points. Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5 SEC) got all nine of its points from David Olano field goals, missed a 30-yard try in the third quarter and was stopped on downs twice in South Carolina territory.

The Homecoming win was South Carolina's fourth straight, all in SEC play, after a 2-3 start. It was also the Gamecocks' third win in 13 meetings with Texas A&M, and all three have come at home under Shane Beamer.

Olano keeps the Aggies in front

Texas A&M's first snap was a 40-yard Rueben Owens II run to the South Carolina 33, but the drive stalled. On fourth and 7 from the 30, Olano ran for 3 yards and the Gamecocks took over on downs at their own 27 with 9:53 left in the first quarter.

The Aggies got points on their next try. Starting at their own 8, they put together a 15-play, 69-yard drive that lasted 6:38 and carried into the second quarter, and Olano made a 40-yard field goal at 14:48 for a 3-0 lead.

South Carolina answered with its only touchdown drive of the first three quarters. A holding penalty wiped out a 25-yard Jabree Coleman run, but on the next snap Sellers threw deep to Brady Hunt for 40 yards to the Texas A&M 28. Sellers found Donovan Murph for 16 yards, Isaiah Augustave ran 11 yards to the 1, and Sellers threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mazeo Bennett Jr. at 11:54. Malik Orsan's extra point made it 7-3.

A strip-sack ends a Gamecocks threat

The rest of the half turned on field position and one big defensive play. Texas A&M punter Tyler White pinned South Carolina at its own 1 midway through the second quarter, and the Gamecocks punted out of trouble.

With 5:44 left in the half, Sellers hit Bennett for 64 yards to the Texas A&M 18, a play that put South Carolina in position to double its lead. On the next snap, freshman defensive tackle Bryce Perry-Wright sacked Sellers and forced a fumble, and Brandon Davis-Swain recovered at the Aggies' 22 with 5:23 left. Texas A&M Athletics said it was Perry-Wright's first career sack and first forced fumble.

Texas A&M turned the takeaway into points. The Aggies ran off the rest of the half on a 13-play, 50-yard drive that included a 17-yard catch by Kiotti Armstrong and a 14-yard catch by Mario Craver, and Olano made a 46-yard field goal at the end of the half to cut South Carolina's lead to 7-6.

Aggies lead, but leave points on the field

Owens opened the second half with a 44-yard run, and Olano's 44-yard field goal at 13:14 of the third quarter gave Texas A&M a 9-7 lead.

The Aggies had a chance to stretch it on their next possession. Texas A&M went 67 yards in 15 plays and used 6:27, surviving a fumble by Richie Anderson III at the South Carolina 23 that the Aggies recovered. The drive stalled inside the 20 after a replay review upheld the call on a pass play, and Olano then missed a 30-yard field goal at 4:39, the kicker's only miss of the day.

South Carolina could not take advantage either. The Gamecocks moved 49 yards in nine plays, but Orsan missed a 49-yard field goal with 58 seconds left in the third quarter, and Texas A&M took a two-point lead into the fourth.

South Carolina goes back in front

After a Texas A&M punt, South Carolina started its go-ahead drive at its own 10. Sellers hit Nyck Harbor for 24 yards early in the fourth quarter, a Texas A&M holding penalty gave the Gamecocks an automatic first down at 9:33, and South Carolina moved 65 yards in 13 plays and 5:19. Orsan made a 43-yard field goal at 8:14 for a 10-9 lead.

Texas A&M punted after six plays on its next possession. South Carolina went three and out from its own 10, and Texas A&M got a break when Isaiah Horton fumbled the ensuing punt but the Aggies recovered it.

A fourth-down sack and a 41-yard run

Texas A&M took over at its own 29 with a little more than three minutes left and worked into South Carolina territory. Facing fourth and 7 at the South Carolina 45, Marcel Reed dropped back and was sacked for a 14-yard loss by Anthony Addison and Justin Okoronkwo at 1:27, and the Gamecocks took over on downs at the Texas A&M 41.

Sellers needed one play. The South Carolina quarterback ran right and went 41 yards into the end zone at 1:19, and Orsan's extra point made it 17-9.

Texas A&M still had one more chance to tie with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Reed hit Houston Thomas for 20 yards and converted a third and 16 with a 21-yard pass to Aaron Gregory, and Jamarion Morrow ran 8 yards for another first down. Addison forced a KJ Edwards fumble at the South Carolina 24 with 13 seconds left, but W. Formby recovered for the Aggies, and Reed found Horton for 14 yards to the 10 with 8 seconds to go. Reed's last two passes, to Gregory and Horton, fell incomplete.

By the numbers

Texas A&M outgained South Carolina 457 to 360, had 26 first downs to 17 and converted 9 of 19 third downs, while the Gamecocks were 4 of 12. The Aggies did not turn the ball over and South Carolina lost one fumble. The difference was finishing drives: Texas A&M went 0 for 2 on fourth down, had a field goal miss inside the 15 and was flagged eight times for 75 yards. South Carolina was penalized six times for 37 yards.

Reed completed 25 of 43 passes for 251 yards, a season high according to Texas A&M Athletics, with no touchdowns or interceptions. Owens ran 19 times for a season-high 137 yards. Horton caught five passes for 78 yards, Gregory caught five for 48 and TK Norman caught four for 45. Olano made three of four field goals, from 40, 46 and 44 yards, and White averaged 51.3 yards on four punts, all inside the 20.

Sellers completed 20 of 31 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown without an interception and ran six times for 34 yards and the clinching score. Harbor caught four passes for 70 yards, Bennett had three for 66 and the touchdown, and Hunt added three for 51. Augustave led the Gamecocks with 50 rushing yards on 10 carries.

On defense, Fred Johnson led South Carolina with 11 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss. Addison had eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sack and the forced fumble on the final drive. For Texas A&M, safety Marcus Ratcliffe and Tawfiq Byard each made six tackles, and Marco Jones had a sack.

What it means

South Carolina has turned its season around since a 2-3 start that included a loss in overtime to Kentucky. The Gamecocks beat Florida 38-19, beat Tennessee on Orsan's walk-off 48-yard field goal and followed with a 42-25 win at Oklahoma in which Sellers accounted for five touchdowns. Saturday's win reached six victories, the mark for bowl eligibility. South Carolina plays at Arkansas on Nov. 14, hosts Georgia on Nov. 21 and closes at Clemson on Nov. 28.

Texas A&M came in off a 31-20 loss at Alabama on Oct. 24 and an open date, and the loss in Columbia was its fifth of the season. At 4-5, the Aggies need two wins in their final three games to reach six. Texas A&M hosts Tennessee at Kyle Field on Nov. 14, plays at Oklahoma on Nov. 21 and faces Texas on Nov. 27.

In a series Texas A&M still leads 10-3, the home team has now won each of the last five meetings.

Sources: ESPN box score (opens in a new tab) and play-by-play. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photos: Texas A&M Athletics.