Channeling Bear Bryant with their throwback uniforms from the 1956 team that went 9-0-1 with the legendary coach on their sidelines prior to his great run at Alabama, Texas A&M held off South Carolina 24-13 for its third consecutive victory away from Kyle Field this season.

What it means

The victory keeps Texas A&M undefeated (5-0, 3-0) and among the favorites to challenge for an SEC title. The Aggies are becoming battle-tested and road warriors, which bodes well for the remainder of the season. Conversely, South Carolina drops to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, and head coach Will Muschamp continues to look for answers on offense.

What I liked

Texas A&M: Without their leader — Myles Garrett — on defense, the Aggies persevered with a stingy defense that didn’t yield much after South Carolina struck first with a 75-yard touchdown run from A.J. Turner on the first play from scrimmage. Take away that long run, and the Aggies held South Carolina to just 86 yards rushing. Daeshon Hall, the other half of the sack twins, did his part to pick up the slack. He led the team with two sacks. Garrett did not make the trip, resting an ankle injury.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks’ defense once again played well enough to win against a Texas A&M offense that just scored 45 points on Arkansas a week ago and averaged 43 points per game coming into the contest. Though it wore down a little bit in the fourth quarter, it was nevertheless a solid effort.

What I didn’t like

Texas A&M: The downfield passing game just wasn’t there for QB Trevor Knight. He missed a couple of open receivers on plays that would have resulted in explosive plays. He even had one of those passes intercepted late in the third quarter.

South Carolina: The offense remains inept. With no running game to speak of, the Gamecocks can’t move the ball consistently. And the passing game isn’t helping either, despite the yardage gained late by backup QB Perry Orth.

Who’s the man:

Shaan Washington led the charge defensively for Texas A&M, collecting a team-high 11 tackles, including one sack.

Key play:

Trayveon Williams broke a 7-7 tie with a 49-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to swing the momentum the Aggies’ way.

What’s next:

Texas A&M hosts Tennessee next Saturday in a big inter-division contest at Kyle Field. South Carolina, meanwhile, entertains Georgia on Saturday in an SEC East battle.