Texas A&M; vs. South Carolina 2016 final score: What we learned from the Aggies’ 24-13 victory

Texas A&M was made uncomfortable in Columbia on Saturday afternoon in their tilt versus the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Aggies were only leading by the slim total of eight points near the end of the fourth quarter but thanks to a Daniel LaCamera field goal, the Ags propped that lead up to 11 and that would wind up being all she wrote, as A&M clung on to win 24-13 over the Gamecocks to remain unbeaten.

Here’s what we learned.

1. The Aggies winning without three players, including Myles Garrett, was major: Texas A&M was without stud pass rusher Myles Garrett as well as wide receivers Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil in their matchup against the Gamecocks. And yet, A&M was still able to scratch and claw their way to victory. That, in itself, is a confidence booster even with South Carolina not being the mightiest of opponents. The point spread indicated this would be a blowout and the aforementioned absences obviously made an impact. Still, the Ags remain unbeaten, and will hopefully truck on with their studs still in tow.

2. The South Carolina QB situation still remains murky: Will Muschamp went to the well again as both Perry Orth and Brandon McIlwain got significant burn during the contest. Orth and McIlwain combined for 33 pass attempts -- 18 for Orth and 15 for McIlwain -- and while Orth performed better than McIlwain, 11-for-18 for 138 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions is still pretty meager. Going forward, there are still some question marks under center, and those aren’t likely to be answered soon.

3. Texas A&M is able to win even without Trevor Knight performing at his best, but that must change: Knight had his first clunker of the year as he went 23-for-40 for just 206 yards on the afternoon. Knight couldn’t find the end zone through the air and was picked off as well. He did score a rushing touchdown, showing his abilities on the ground, but he’ll have to avert these kinds of games if the Aggies want any shot at taking down Alabama and keeping their lofty position in the SEC West.