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After nine months of anticipation, major college football is finally back. And, as has been the case so often in recent years, a South Carolina game brings about the dawn of the new season.
The first live football game on the SEC Network. The first-ever meeting between two permanent rivals. The Thursday night meeting between the Aggies and Gamecocks is all that and more. Both teams are replacing the best quarterbacks ever to play at their school. Both teams lost linemen and wide receivers to the early rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft. Both have reloaded with talented but untested players.
The first test comes tonight.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network (Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, Maria Taylor)
Radio: South Carolina; Texas A&M
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: South Carolina enters 2014 ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches' Poll, coming off an 11-2 year and just missing out on an SEC Championship Game appearance. Texas A&M was 9-4 last season and starts the post-Johnny Manziel era at No. 20 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 21 in the AP Top 25.
Vegas: South Carolina opened as a big 13-point favorite. Bettors have given A&M a little credit, but the Gamecocks are still favored by 10.5 at most sportsbooks. The over/under is hanging around 57.
Weather forecast: It's going to be a hot and sunny one in Columbia, with a high of 97 and a low of 69.
Four Aggies who should concern Gamecock fans
Read more on the Aggies
Read more on the Aggies
Cedric Ogbuehi - Texas A&M has put its starting left tackle in the first round of the last two NFL Drafts, and the Aggies may yet make it three in a row. The 6'5, 305 senior anchors a strong A&M offensive line that returns every starter save Jake Matthews, who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Ogbuehi outweighs South Carolina's projected starters at defensive end by an average of 47.5 pounds.
Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil - Were it not for these two dangerous wide receivers, it would be easier to dismiss first-time starter Kenny Hill's chances of lighting up South Carolina's talented but inexperienced secondary. Seals-Jones is a behemoth cut from the Alshon Jeffery/Mike Evans mold. Speedy Noil is exactly what his first names suggests, and in addition to lining up at wideout, he returns punts. Hey, does South Carolina have any difficulty doing things like defending punt returns?
Drew Kaser - Texas A&M's senior punter represented the Aggies at SEC Media Days this year. This was a bountiful source of internet jokez because #LOLPUNTERS, but the truth is South Carolina frequently loses games at the hands of skilled kicking specialists on the other side and its own punt-returning ineptitude on its own. So pardon our lack of amusement. Ace Sanders has been the only specialist capable of being productive in the return game. There's some optimism that Pharoh Cooper can replicate his production, but the limited results in 2014 (Cooper took over for Bruce Ellington halfway through the season) weren't overly encouraging.
Required reading
Garnet And Black Attack goes inside the Midnight Yell
Breaking down South Carolina vs. Texas A&M
Bill Connelly's big Texas A&M preview
Bill Connelly's big South Carolina preview
Required listening
Updated South Carolina depth chart
Offense
| WR | 4 | Shaq Roland | 6'1 | 176 | JR-2L | Lexington, S.C. |
| 1 | Damiere Byrd | 5'9 | 170 | SR-3L | Sicklerville, N.J. | |
| 8 | Shamier Jeffery | 6'1 | 198 | JR-1L | St. Matthews, S.C. | |
| 14 | Shaq Davidson | 5'11 | 170 | FR-HS | Gaffney, S.C. | |
| WR | 11 | Pharoh Cooper | 6'1 | 201 | SO-1L | Havelock, N.C. |
| 80 | K.J. Brent | 6'4 | 192 | JR-2L | Waxhaw, N.C. | |
| 9 | Deebo Samuel | 6'0 | 192 | FR-HS | Inman, S.C. | |
| WR | 3 | Nick Jones | 5'7 | 168 | SR-3L | Moore, S.C. |
| 83 | Carlton Heard | 6'0 | 188 | JR-SQ | Athens, Ga. | |
| 85 | Kane Whitehurst | 5'11 | 169 | JR-1L | Duluth, Ga. | |
| 19 | Terry Googer | 6'4 | 210 | FR-HS | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| LT | 53 | Corey Robinson | 6'8 | 344 | SR-2L | Havelock, N.C. |
| 74 | Mason Zandi | 6'9 | 301 | SO-1L | Irmo, S.C. | |
| LG | 50 | A.J. Cann | 6'4 | 311 | SR-3L | Bamberg, S.C. |
| 75 | Will Sport | 6'5 | 291 | JR-2L | Milton, Fla. | |
| C | 54 | Clayton Stadnik | 6'3 | 273 | SO-1L | Greensboro, N.C. |
| OR | 75 | Will Sport | 6'5 | 291 | JR-2L | Milton, Fla. |
| RG | 51 | Cody Waldrop | 6'2 | 309 | SO-1L | Seffner, Fla. |
| 70 | Alan Knott | 6'4 | 280 | FR-RS | Tyrone, Ga. | |
| RT | 71 | Brandon Shell | 6'6 | 333 | JR-2L | Goose Creek, S.C. |
| 55 | Na'Ty Rodgers | 6'5 | 280 | FR-RS | Waldor, Md. | |
| TE | 81 | Rory Anderson | 6'5 | 227 | SR-3L | Powder Springs, Ga. |
| 89 | Jerell Adams | 6'6 | 242 | JR-2L | Pinewood, S.C. | |
| 90 | Cody Gibson | 6'7 | 278 | SR-3L | Tallahassee, Fla. | |
| 88 | Drew Owens | 6'6 | 238 | JR-1L | Charlotte, N.C. | |
| QB | 17 | Dylan Thompson | 6'3 | 218 | SR-3L | Boling Springs, S.C. |
| 10 | Perry Orth | 6'1 | 204 | SO-SQ | Ponte Vedra, Fla. | |
| 6 | Connor Mitch | 6'3 | 211 | FR-RS | Raleigh, N.C. | |
| FB | 41 | Connor McLaurin | 6'0 | 243 | SR-2L | Raleigh, N.C. |
| 31 | Jordan Diaz | 6'1 | 236 | SR-1L | Hamilton, N.J. | |
| TB | 28 | Mike Davis | 5'9 | 223 | JR-2L | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 22 | Brandon Wilds | 6'2 | 222 | JR-2L | Blythewood, S.C. | |
| 7 | Shon Carson | 5'8 | 201 | JR-1L | Scranton, S.C. | |
| 33 | David Williams | 6'1 | 214 | FR-RS | Philadelphia, Pa. |
Defense
| DE | 44 | Gerald Dixon | 6'2 | 274 | SO-1L | Rock Hill, S.C. |
| 34 | Mason Harris | 6'3 | 235 | JR-2L | Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. | |
| DT | 97 | J.T. Surratt | 6'2 | 274 | SR-1L | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| 52 | Phillip Dukes | 6'3 | 323 | JR-2L | Manning, S.C. | |
| 93 | Deon Green | 6'4 | 289 | SO-SQ | Windemere, Fla. | |
| DT | 92 | Gerald Dixon, Jr. | 6'3 | 323 | JR-2L | Rock Hill, S.C. |
| 99 | Abu Lamin | 6'4 | 302 | SO-TR | Fayetteville, N.C. | |
| 94 | Kelsey Griffin | 6'2 | 310 | SO-1L | Buford, Ga. | |
| DE | 5 | Darius English | 6'6 | 241 | SO-1L | Powder Springs, Ga. |
| 55 | David Johnson | 6'1 | 275 | FR-RS | Lithonia, Ga. | |
| 18 | Cedrick Cooper | 6'2 | 225 | JR-2L | Lithonia, Ga. | |
| MLB | 11 | T.J. Holloman | 6'2 | 234 | SO-1L | Stone Mountain, Ga. |
| 8 | Kaiwan Lewis | 6'0 | 228 | JR-2L | Mays Landing, N.J. | |
| 21 | Marcquis Roberts | 6'1 | 216 | SO-1L | Powder Springs, Ga. | |
| WLB | 28 | Jonathan Walton | 6'0 | 228 | SO-1L | Daphne, Ala. |
| 10 | Skai Moore | 6'2 | 213 | SO-1L | Cooper City, Fla. | |
| 4 | Bryson Allen-Williams | 6'1 | 231 | FR-HS | Ellenwood, Ga. | |
| SPR | 9 | Sharrod Golightly | 5'10 | 187 | SR-3L | Decatur, Ga. |
| 42 | Jordan Diggs | 6'0 | 217 | SO-1L | Fort Myers, Fla. | |
| 32 | Larenz Bryant | 6'0 | 220 | SO-1L | Charlotte, N.C. | |
| CB | 12 | Brison Williams | 5'11 | 208 | SR-3L | Warner Robins, Ga. |
| 3 | Chris Lammons | 5'10 | 172 | FR-HS | Sunrise, Fla. | |
| 30 | Sidney Rhodes | 5'10 | 182 | SR-2L | Easley, S.C. | |
| SS | 6 | Chris Moody | 6'1 | 210 | SO-1L | McDonough, Ga. |
| 25 | Kadetrix Marcus | 6'1 | 194 | SR-2L | Stone Mountain, Ga. | |
| FS | 17 | Chaz Elder | 6'2 | 195 | SO-1L | Union City, Ga. |
| 20 | T.J. Gurley | 5'10 | 194 | JR-2L | Cairo, Ga. | |
| 26 | Jasper Sasser | 6'0 | 203 | FR-RS | Jacksonville, Fla. | |
| CB | 31 | Al Harris, Jr. | 5'11 | 162 | FR-HS | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| 1 | Rico McWilliams | 5'11 | 184 | SO-1L | Hampton, Ga. | |
| 7 | Wesley Green | 5'10 | 176 | FR-HS | Lithonia, Ga. |
Special Teams
| KO | 19 | Landon Ard | 5'9 | 178 | JR-1L | Rock Hill, S.C. |
| 29 | Elliott Fry | 6'0 | 165 | SO-1L | Frisco, Texas | |
| PK | 29 | Elliott Fry | 6'0 | 165 | SO-1L | Frisco, Texas |
| 19 | Landon Ard | 5'9 | 178 | JR-1L | Rock Hill, S.C. | |
| P | 13 | Tyler Hull | 6'2 | 207 | SR-2L | Mount Airy, N.C. |
| 18 | Patrick Fish | 6'0 | 194 | SR-1L | Shelby, N.C. | |
| KR | 11 | Pharoh Cooper | 5'11 | 201 | SO-1L | Havelock, N.C. |
| PR | 11 | Pharoh Cooper | 5'11 | 201 | SO-1L | Havelock, N.C. |
| SSN | 58 | Ryland Culbertson | 6'4 | 267 | SR-1L | Laurens, S.C. |
| LSN | 47 | Drew Williams | 6'2 | 201 | SO-1L | Irmo, S.C. |
| H | 18 | Patrick Fish | 6'0 | 194 | SR-1L | Shelby, N.C. |
| 13 | Tyler Hull | 6'2 | 207 | SR-2L | Mount Airy, N.C. |