On the surface, this may have looked like your pedestrian 24-13 victory over a double-digit underdog. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see that this was anything but the yawner most anticipated it would be.

True, the Gamecocks have struggled on offense, their high-water mark reached in a 20-15 victory over East Carolina while averaging just 13.5 points per game through the first four games. And true, they’re still learning a new system under head coach Will Muschamp.

But winning on the road in the SEC is nothing to take lightly. There are no easy road wins in this conference, and you take them where and when you can get them.

Not only was this a win on the road against a team looking to prove itself in front of the home folks, but it was a road win without the Aggies’ marquee defensive player in Myles Garrett, who did not make the trip to rest an injured ankle.

It was a win accomplished on the road without three starters on offense, including two in a receiving corps considered by more than a few to be the best in the conference, if not the country. Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil did not make the trip, and neither did starting lineman Jermaine Eluemunor.

So even though somewhat short-handed, the Aggies were still able to prevail on the road in the SEC. Again, no small task.

5-0, we’ve seen it before

The Aggies improved to 5-0 for the third consecutive season, an accomplishment unequalled since a similar stretch from 1939-41. And though the last two seasons have each followed with 3-5 finishes, this year’s version is a bit different. The Aggies are also 3-0 in conference play; that hasn’t happened since 2004.

Another significant difference between this year’s 5-0 team and those of the past few years is that the Aggies have proven an ability and a desire to fight back. They’re 4-0 this season when the opposition scores first. They were only 3-8 in the previous 11 games when the opponent was first on the scoreboard.

One more sign that this year’s team is different than those in recent past is the ability to win on the road. Saturday’s victory at South Carolina was the third consecutive game away from Kyle Field, all have been neatly tucked away into the win column for the Aggies, who didn’t play a true road game until Week 8 last season. Still, Texas A&M is 21-7 overall under Kevin Sumlin in games played away from Kyle Field. Prior to Sumlin’s arrival, the Aggies were 10-19 away from home.

Got to have balance

The Aggies are doing it with a balanced attack on offense. Noel Mazzone’s up-tempo scheme is proving to be uncanny in its even-handedness towards the pass and run. The Aggies finished with 39 rushing plays and 40 pass attempts on Saturday. They came into the game with exactly 153 rushing and passing plays for the season. It doesn’t get any more balanced than that.

True freshman RB Trayveon Williams continues to lead the ground attack. He turned in a team-high 98 rushing yards on Saturday, including a 49-yard touchdown run, on 14 carries. He entered the game leading the FBS with a 9.7-yard average per carry.

Of course, Aggies QB Trevor Knight has taken to the new scheme like it was made for him. The graduate transfer from Oklahoma has run the show with poise and leadership. Short on options Saturday, Knight pinpointed WR Christian Kirk, who came through with a career-high 12 pass receptions (61 yards).

Chavis’ defense keeps improving

Of course, we can’t overlook the contributions from an ever-improving defense under the tutelage of DC John Chavis, who in his second year at College Station is transforming the Aggies into one of the best in the SEC.

Senior LB Shaan Washington nearly reached his career-high for tackles in a game (13) by collecting 11 on Saturday, including the 200th of his career. Safety Armani Watts came up with his first interception of the season, and DE Daeshon Hall recorded 2 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. As a unit, the Aggies piled up 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. It was the fourth time in five games that the Aggies’ defense has compiled 10-plus tackles for loss.

Moving on; Tennessee next

That’s a final look at the South Carolina game. It’s time to move forward and look ahead to one huge challenge on Saturday. The Aggies will host a Tennessee team that has rallied from double-digit deficits in back-to-back weeks to beat SEC East rivals Florida and Georgia.

The Vols are beginning to look like a team of destiny, but could it be in fact the Aggies who are destined to Atlanta and beyond? A victory at Kyle Field might begin to answer that question, while at the same time exorcise some of the demons that have plagued this team the last two years at this point in the season.