Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina vs. Ole Miss
November 03, 2018
THE STATE
Thumbs up
The fight
In a shootout, a two-score lead can mean the end. USC went down by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter. Instead of folding, the Gamecocks responded with a touchdown and then four defensive stops to make sure the last score gave USC the 48-44 win it needed.
Jake Bentley through the air
The junior has oft been maligned this season. Against a defense that isn’t all that good, he was superb. He connected on 22-of-32 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran for the game-winning score. That included a throw to a covered Bryan Edwards who made a beautiful catch and went 75 yards.
Deebo’s spark
South Carolina receiver Deebo Samuel came into the year with a lot of hype, but had yet to fully produce the explosive plays that were his trademark in three games last season. He got his first kick return touchdown since Week 2 of 2017, the fourth of his career, and gave the Gamecocks the big-play start they’d need.
Air Ty’Son
Tailback Ty’Son Williams only played a half before coming out with an undisclosed injury. In that half, he caught three passes for 105 yards, with gains of 50, 31 and 24 yards and a rushing score.
Thumbs down
That defense
Even with four stops to end the game, USC got tagged for 6.3 yards per play and more than 600 total yards. Ole Miss can stretch a team, but the Gamecocks ended up giving up a lot of space, with 11 passes of 15 yards or more.
Staying healthy
Part of the defense’s struggles were the injuries. The Gamecocks lost a slew of safeties at various points, plus reserve defensive end Aaron Sterling. On offense, South Carolina played the second half down its top two running backs (Rico Dowdle and Williams), and was down to its third-string left tackle in Blake Camper.
Short-yardage running
Will Muschamp came out with an aggressive call facing fourth and inches, going for it on USC’s own 37. The coach said his offensive line got whipped as the run got stuffed.
A big, big drop
Shi Smith didn’t have a drop in nearly his first season and a half at USC. He had a big one Saturday, letting a perfectly thrown third-down fade ball slip through his mitts in the third quarter. At the time, South Carolina was aiming to go up two scores, or at least flip the field, and instead Ole Miss got good field position and soon took the lead.
November 03, 2018
THE STATE
Thumbs up
The fight
In a shootout, a two-score lead can mean the end. USC went down by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter. Instead of folding, the Gamecocks responded with a touchdown and then four defensive stops to make sure the last score gave USC the 48-44 win it needed.
Jake Bentley through the air
The junior has oft been maligned this season. Against a defense that isn’t all that good, he was superb. He connected on 22-of-32 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran for the game-winning score. That included a throw to a covered Bryan Edwards who made a beautiful catch and went 75 yards.
Deebo’s spark
South Carolina receiver Deebo Samuel came into the year with a lot of hype, but had yet to fully produce the explosive plays that were his trademark in three games last season. He got his first kick return touchdown since Week 2 of 2017, the fourth of his career, and gave the Gamecocks the big-play start they’d need.
Air Ty’Son
Tailback Ty’Son Williams only played a half before coming out with an undisclosed injury. In that half, he caught three passes for 105 yards, with gains of 50, 31 and 24 yards and a rushing score.
Thumbs down
That defense
Even with four stops to end the game, USC got tagged for 6.3 yards per play and more than 600 total yards. Ole Miss can stretch a team, but the Gamecocks ended up giving up a lot of space, with 11 passes of 15 yards or more.
Staying healthy
Part of the defense’s struggles were the injuries. The Gamecocks lost a slew of safeties at various points, plus reserve defensive end Aaron Sterling. On offense, South Carolina played the second half down its top two running backs (Rico Dowdle and Williams), and was down to its third-string left tackle in Blake Camper.
Short-yardage running
Will Muschamp came out with an aggressive call facing fourth and inches, going for it on USC’s own 37. The coach said his offensive line got whipped as the run got stuffed.
A big, big drop
Shi Smith didn’t have a drop in nearly his first season and a half at USC. He had a big one Saturday, letting a perfectly thrown third-down fade ball slip through his mitts in the third quarter. At the time, South Carolina was aiming to go up two scores, or at least flip the field, and instead Ole Miss got good field position and soon took the lead.