Will Muschamp’s Tuesday Press Conference: Gamecocks prepare for athletic Aggies

Will Muschamp isn’t going to come out of the tunnel Saturday afraid of the talent his team will imminently face, and he’s going to do his best preparing and ensuring his team comes onto the field with the same attitude.

Muschamp spent the better part of his opening statement Tuesday listing off the areas the Aggies excel in, and when it was all said and done, there wasn’t much he left off.

They're really a complete football team (Texas A&M). When you turn the tape on, you look at all three phases. They're a good-looking bunch when they come out of the locker room.

And while, yes, they’re probably going to look even better with their Junction Made uniforms, the Gamecocks can’t afford to enter with a mindset that the Aggies can’t be stopped.

Even as good as the Aggies’ wide receivers may be, and for that matter look when they play the Gamecocks.

At receiver...They've got guys who are going to create space; we've got to make plays in space and tackle in space. Get yourself aligned and get in the right spots. They stretch the defense, both vertically and horizontally.

Or, as talented as some of their running backs have been so far.

"Running back Trayveon Williams, a true freshman, is an outstanding back. He's got big-time top-end speed. He's physical and runs through contact. Keith Ford is a transfer from Oklahoma who's done a really nice job, and he's a big, physical back as well.

Or, even as well as their transfer quarterback Trevor Knight has managed the offense through the first four games.

He's a guy that's come in and adapted well to the system. They've done a good job putting him in situations. He can hurt you with his legs and throwing. He's playing with a lot of confidence, and they have a lot of good people around him.

If you haven’t gotten the point by now, Texas A&M possesses what South Carolina doesn’t yet have and hasn’t yet developed: Big-time skill players littered in every phase of the game capable of busting open plays and creating space with speed and athleticism.

This fact can be narrowed in on one player: DE Myles Garrett, a future NFL first round draft pick, if not the number one overall selection in next year’s draft. If South Carolina plans on having any success moving the ball against an overall unit that has looked more than suspect in Kevin Sumlin’s tenure, it starts with limiting the 6-5, 262 lb. Garrett. Easier thought than accomplished with an o-line that’s yet to live up to it’s ability.

In short, the Aggies are the most talented team South Carolina has faced in this young season, and one of the most talented they will face all year. There’s no reason to expect South Carolina to be able to match position for position the athleticism Kevin Sumlin’s team possesses. Muschamp’s Gamecocks aren’t built yet.

That said, the one he’s mostly inherited and is currently developing, can’t enter this game defeated. If they think they can beat ‘em, they’ll have a chance, and sometimes that is all you need when playing at home.