Ninth-ranked Texas A&M got enough production from its offense and several big stops by its defense to hold off South Carolina for a 24-13 road win Saturday at Columbia, S.C.

The Aggies (5-0, 3-0 SEC) took the lead for good early in the second half but could not put South Carolina away until a critical Gamecocks turnover on a late punt return.

Quarterback Trevor Knight threw for 206 yards and rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown to keep Texas A&M unbeaten. True freshman Trayveon Williams added 98 yards rushing and a score on 14 carries.

"Playing on road in SEC with four starters out. That affects all phases," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "But we had guys go out, handle crowd, not panic and play ball."

South Carolina (2-3, 1-3) stayed close as its defense forced Texas A&M to work for every bit of its offense, holding the Aggies 124 yards below their average of 546 yards of total offense per game.

Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said he was proud of his team's effort, but noted there is plenty of room for improvent on defense.

"We are playing decent. We are playing decent," Muschamp said. "Don’t be confused with good."

The game started as though it would be a high-scoring affair with the game tied 7-7 at 12:31 of the opening quarter.

On the first offensive snap, South Carolina running back A. J. Turner turned the corner and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. Turner finished with a game-high 113 yards on 10 carries.

The Aggies responded immediately. Knight led a seven-play, 75-yard drive by completing all five of his pass attempts for 68 yards. He finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.

The game stayed 7-7 the remainder of the first half.

Texas A&M, playing without star defensive lineman Myles Garrett, gave up 378 yards and frequently had to stop scoring opportunities. The story of the day for South Carolina was seven trips into Texas A&M territory that produced a mere six points.

One first-half drive ended when Aggies defensive back Armani Watts picked off South Carolina quarterback Brandon McIlwain (9 of 15, 34 yards, one interception) at the A&M 23 in the first quarter.

"How about that? Great play," Sumlin said of Watts' interception. "He's creating his own turnovers. He's playing at a high level consistently this year."

In the second period, McIlwain ran 27 yards to the Aggies' 9, but a holding penalty wiped out the run and shuttered the drive.

Four times in the second half, South Carolina had drives stall in scoring territory. Elliott Fry hit two 43-yard field goals, but he also missed from 44 and 43 yards.

Texas A&M grabbed the lead for good on the opening possession of the second half. Williams broke through the middle of the line and ran 49 yards for a score, hurdling a defender at the goal line.

Prior to that scoring run, Williams had just 26 yards on seven carries. In fact, the Aggies -- who entering the contest leading the SEC with 269 yards rushing per game -- mustered just 65 in the first half. Texas A&M finished with its usual balance, posting 216 yards on the ground and 206 through the air.

"We felt like we could do some things in the running game in the second half," Sumlin said. "We were able to establish that."

Leading 14-7 in the third quarter, Texas A&M turned the ball over on successive possessions. Darius English forced Knight to fumble, and Chris Moody returned it 20 yards to the Aggies' 28. South Carolina couldn't move, and Fry's first 43-yard field goal trimmed the score to 14-10 with 3:14 left in the third.

Gamecocks cornerback Chris Lammons then picked off Knight at the South Carolina 11, but the Aggies forced a punt.

Following that punt, Texas A&M drove 52 yards for a touchdown. Knight was 3 of 3 passing on the drive. James White capped the possession with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 21-10 lead with 11:40 remaining.

"Credit SC," Knight said. "They came to play today. Made the plays needed to make us sputter. But we stopped ourselves a lot. Have to correct that."

South Carolina turned to senior quarterback Perry Orth at that point. He rallied the Gamecocks on a long drive that reached the Aggies' 14, but an 11-yard sack stopped the threat. Fry missed a field goal.

Orth brought the Gamecocks back once more and this time Fry converted on a 43-yard field goal with 4:23 left.

South Carolina forced Texas A&M to punt, but Jamarcus King fumbled the kick. Cullen Gillaspia recovered for the Aggies at the Gamecocks' 30. Daniel LaCamera booted a 35-yard field goal for the final 24-13 score.

NOTES: Aggies QB Trevor Knight attempted 40 passes, 29 of them in the first half. ... WR Christian Kirk caught 12 of those passes for 61 yards. ... In his limited action, Gamecocks QB Orth completed 11 of 18 passes for 138 yards. ... South Carolina's longest pass play of the day came from P Sean Kelly. His connected with TE Hayden Hurst for 36 yards on a fake punt in the third quarter. That extended the drive, but Fry missed a field goal. ... Texas A&M will host Tennessee Saturday in a battle of unbeaten teams while South Carolina will host Georgia.