South Carolina was humbled in Baton Rouge, La. The Gamecocks’ defense was sliced by a freshman quarterback making his 1st collegiate start.

After a week to lick its wounds, South Carolina returns to Williams-Brice Stadium as it play host Texas A&M - a team they havent defeated in the history of the 2 schools.There isn’t a need for Gamecock fans to want to throw the baby out with the bath water in regards to the offense. Quarterback Collin Hill has been serviceable for head coach Will Muschamp and staff through the 1st 5 games of the season.

The identity for USC is the running game. It is imperative that Kevin Harris gets 20-25 carries per game if the Gamecocks want to win or have a chance of winning.

Based on the defensive performance in Baton Rouge, the Gamecocks will need to play keep away as it appears the coaching staff isn’t necessarily interested in dialing up pressure. That’s because they don’t have the horses or the confidence to do so.

This game provides South Carolina a chance to bounce back and to do so against a top 10 team at home. The Gamecocks will need to dial up the pressure on Kellen Mond, forcing him into quick decisions.

I expect South Carolina will continue to consistently play man coverage on the outside with Jaycee Horn and John Dixon with Israel Mukuamu and Shilo Sanders playing the majority of snaps at the safety spot.

Honestly, the Gamecocks appear to be playing a very vanilla defense. There isn’t a great deal of mystery pre-snap as to what the coverage will be. Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson will need to get creative this week against a Jimbo Fisher offense that can adapt to their strengths throughout the game.

A 2-3 record wasn’t a shocker to many. The route taken to that record has fans feeling frustrated, an emotion that has been the only consistent part of the Muschamp era to this point.

I don’t see the bad feelings ending this weekend, as Texas A&M should take care of South Carolina behind Mond’s arm and a solid defensive effort.

The Gamecocks will still be looking for answers as they head to Oxford, Miss. next week with a 2-4 record.

The game will air at 7 pm Saturday on ESPN.