Sept. 11, 2015
The 2015 SEC slate gets underway when the South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0, 0-0 SEC) host the Kentucky Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 SEC) on Saturday, September 12, at Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250) in Columbia. Game time is set for 7:30 pm ET and the contest will be televised by the SEC Network. Brent Musburger has the call with Jesse Palmer providing color commentary and Maria Taylor patrolling the sidelines. The game can also be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game,” with Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs and Langston Moore handling the call. ESPN Radio is also on hand with Bill Rosinski and David Norrie in the booth and Joe Schad working the sidelines.
A HISTORY LESSON: 2015 marks the 122nd season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 109th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina is 31 games over the .500 mark with an all-time record of 584-553-44. The Gamecocks were nine games under .500 until head coach Steve Spurrier took the reins in 2005, but are 40 games over since that time (85-45).
SEC, SEC: 2015 marks South Carolina’s 24th year of football in the Southeastern Conference. Carolina and Arkansas joined the league prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned their first SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. Carolina was 37-66-1 (.361) in SEC action from 1992-2004, but are 45-36 (.556) in conference play since Coach Spurrier took the reins, including a 22-11 mark over the last five years.
CURING KIDS CANCER: When the University of South Carolina takes the field against Kentucky on September 12, their coaches and players will kick off the third annual Curing Kids Cancer awareness campaign.
This campaign highlights National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for children. Gold is the official color for childhood cancer awareness.
Gamecock players and coaches will both wear Curing Kids Cancer glow-in-the-dark wristbands while coaches will wear golf whistles and Curing Kids Cancer lanyards. Fans can support their teams by wearing the same stickers, wristbands and whistles, which can be purchased at curingkidscancer.org/blowthewhistle.
In honor of the support from the University of South Carolina, Curing Kids Cancer will make a donation to fund pediatric cancer research at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.
CAROLINA VS. KENTUCKY: This is the 27th meeting in a series that dates back to 1937 between the Gamecocks and Wildcats. Carolina leads the all-time series 17-8-1, including an 8-3-1 mark in Columbia and a 9-5 advantage in Lexington. South Carolina has its three-game winning streak in the series snapped last year in Lexington, when the Wildcats overcame a 14-point deficit to escape with a 45-38 win. The teams played just three times (1937, 1978 and 1981) before Carolina joined the SEC for the 1992 season. Since then, they have met every year. Since joining the league, the Gamecocks own a 16-7 record against UK, including wins in 13 of the 15 meetings in this century.
SPURRIER VS. KENTUCKY: South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier owns a 20-2 all-time record against Kentucky, including an 8-2 mark as head coach at South Carolina. The 20 wins matches his mark against Vanderbilt (20-2) as his most wins against any school. He also has double-digit wins against Georgia (16-6), Tennessee (14-10), LSU (11-4), Auburn (10-9) and South Carolina (10-1). Coach Spurrier’s offenses have scored 30+ points in 17 of 22 games against Kentucky, including 10 games of 40+ points.
21-GUN SALUTE: Head coach Steve Spurrier is looking for his 21st career victory against Kentucky. He is currently 20-2 all-time against the Wildcats. No current Division I coach has 21 wins against any one school.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Kentucky scored 21 points in the final 8:06 of the game to pull out a 45-38 come-from-behind victory over South Carolina in Lexington on October 4, 2014. In a seesaw battle, the Gamecocks opened up a 17-7 lead, fell behind 24-17, then rallied to take a 38-24 lead midway through the fourth period, but could not contain Jojo Kemp, who rushed 17 times for 131 yards and three scores. UK defensive end Alvin Dupree intercepted a pass and returned it six yards for the game-winning score with just 2:29 on the clock. Mike Davis had a big game for the Gamecocks, rushing 23 times for a game-high 183 yards and three scores. Dylan Thompson completed 23-of-37 passes for 218 yards as Carolina rolled up 500 yards of offense, but was picked off three times.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: The 13th-ranked Gamecocks opened up a 27-7 lead over Kentucky heading into the final stanza, but the Wildcats made it interesting with 21 fourth-quarter points before falling by a 35-28 count in Columbia on Oct. 5, 2013. Mike Davis rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Connor Shaw added 312 yards of total offense, including 262 through the air on 17-of-20 passing. Damiere Byrd had one of the top days of his career, catching five passes for 94 yards, including a 62-yard TD catch on the first drive of the game.
THE LAST TIME OUT: South Carolina opened its 2015 season with a hard-fought 17-13 win over North Carolina in Charlotte on Thursday, September 3. Senior tailback Shon Carson broke a 48-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the season early in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference maker. Junior linebacker Skai Moore picked off a pass in the endzone with just over three minutes to play, his second interception in the endzone of the game, to preserve the victory. The Tar Heels outgained the Gamecocks 440-394, but South Carolina won the turnover battle by plus-3 and held over an 11-minute advantage in time of possession to secure the win.
BEATING THE ACC, AGAIN: When South Carolina defeated the Tar Heels last week, it marked the Gamecocks’ eighth victory in their last 10 games against ACC opponents, dating back to the start of the 2009 season. Since that time, South Carolina is 5-1 versus Clemson, 2-0 against North Carolina, 1-0 versus NC State and 0-1 against Florida State.
RISE UP DEFENSE: The Gamecock defense bent but did not break in the win over North Carolina, shutting out the Tar Heels over the final 30 minutes and holding a team that averaged 33 points a game a year ago to just two field goals over the final three periods.
SACK ATTACK IS BACK: The Gamecock defense, led by third-team defensive tackle Kelsey Griffin’s 1.5 sacks, recorded four sacks in the win over North Carolina. Both the 1.5 sacks by an individual and the four sacks by the team bettered the season marks of 2014, when the individual game high was 1.0 and the team high was three in the win over South Alabama. The Gamecocks totaled just 14 sacks in all of 2014.
SEEING RED: The Gamecock defense was especially strong in the redzone, limiting North Carolina to just one score in their three trips inside the Gamecock 20-yard line. Junior linebacker Skai Moore single-handedly stopped two drives with interceptions in the endzone.
TAKING OUR TIME: South Carolina controlled the ball for over 11 minutes more than their blue-clad opponents from north of the border in the season-opening win. The Gamecocks chewed up 35:38 of the clock while running 74 plays and held the fast-paced UNC attack to just 63 plays and 24:22 of the clock. The Gamecocks were able to rush for two first downs in the final 3:29 to put the game away.
THE GREAT EQUALIZER: South Carolina forced three UNC turnovers, all interceptions, and did not have a turnover themselves in the 17-13 win. The Gamecocks are 45-4 under Steve Spurrier when winning the turnover battle.
MR. AUTOMATIC: Junior placekicker Elliott Fry converted a pair of extra points in the win over UNC, extending his school record to 101 consecutive made PATs.
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Five Gamecocks made their first collegiate start in the win over UNC. They included Carlton Heard, Marquavius Lewis, Connor Mitch, Deebo Samuel and Taylor Stallworth. In addition, Kansas transfer Isaiah Johnson made his first start in the Garnet & Black.
HERE’S SHONNY: Senior Shon Carson waited patiently for his opportunity, and it finally came early in the fourth quarter when he took his first handoff of the season and raced 48 yards down the near sidelines to paydirt, giving the Gamecocks a 17-13 lead which they would not relinquish. Carson, a 5-8, 206-pounder from Scranton, S.C., finished the game with a team-high 75 yards rushing on just four carries.
MOORE FROM SKAI: Junior Skai Moore, shunned from most preseason All-SEC squads despite leading the Gamecocks in tackles in each of the past two seasons, showed why he’s an all-league candidate, as he logged a team-high 10 tackles and picked off two passes, both in the end zone, stopping a pair of Tar Heel drives. The 6-2, 218-pounder from Cooper City, Fla.’s final interception and the ninth of his career, came with just over three minutes remaining in the contest and sealed the victory. It was the third time he’s logged two interceptions in a game, also in the 2014 Capital One Bowl versus Wisconsin and in 2014 against South Alabama.
KELLY’S A HERO: Making his Gamecock debut, Sean Kelly, a junior walk-on, punted five times for a 46.2-yard average, including a 60-yarder and two that were downed inside the 10-yard line, in the Gamecocks’ 17-13 win over North Carolina. It was the Gamecocks’ first punt of 60 yards or more since 2011 when Joey Scribner-Howard launched a 60-yarder at Mississippi State. The 5-10, 189-pounder from Oakland, Fla., who punted for FAU for two seasons, also ran 17 yards for a first down on a fake punt for South Carolina’s initial first down of the season, and made the tackle on the return of a field goal attempt that came up short, that may have kept points off the scoreboard.
CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The Gamecocks will have individual game captains through the first part of the season before electing permanent team captains.
UNC: Pharoh Cooper, Gerald Dixon Jr., T.J. Gurley, Brandon Shell
GOOD HOME COOKIN’: The Gamecocks are 22-3 in their last 25 home games and 38-6 (.864) in their last 44 home games. Carolina had its school-record 18-game home winning streak snapped in the 2014 season opener. The school’s previous longest home winning streak was 15 games, set from 1978-80. The only home losses since the start of the 2009 season have come to top-ranked Florida in 2009, to 17th-ranked Arkansas in 2010 and to defending national champion Auburn in 2011 before the 2014 home losses to Texas A&M, Missouri and Tennessee.
HOME CROWD ADVANTAGE: The Gamecocks have played in front of 12 sellouts in their last 14 home contests. The Gamecocks ranked 16th in the nation in home attendance in 2014 with an average of 81,381 per game, including a season-high 84,232 against Georgia, the fifth-largest crowd to attend a game in Columbia. Three of 2014’s home crowds figured in the top-30 all-time at Williams-Brice Stadium.
MITCH IS THE MAN: Redshirt sophomore Connor Mitch was named the starting quarterback a week prior to the start of the season. The 6-3, 211-pounder from Raleigh, N.C. made his first collegiate start against North Carolina. He completed 9-of-22 passes for 122 yards with his first career touchdown pass (a 9-yarder to Pharoh Cooper) and ran 10 times for 44 yards. Just as importantly, he did not commit a turnover. He had played in just two collegiate games prior to this season, both coming in 2014, connecting on 2-of-6 passes for 19 yards. The Wakefield (N.C.) product threw for over 12,000 yards in high school. He beat out junior Perry Orth, redshirt freshman Michael Scarnecchia and true freshman Lorenzo Nunez for the starting berth.
BACKFIELD TANDEM: The Gamecocks feature a pair of tailbacks that should get the bulk of the carries this season. Fifth-year senior Brandon Wilds (6-2, 220) and sophomore David Williams (6-1, 222) are both more than capable of providing a solid running attack. Wilds has totaled 1,328 yards on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns. He has logged four 100-yard rushing games in his career (at Tennessee, vs. Florida and vs. The Citadel as a true freshman in 2011 and vs. Tennessee in 2014). Williams has rushed for 298 yards but has averaged 5.4 yards a carry with a pair of scores. He has one 100-yard rushing game in his career (Furman in 2014).
1,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS: Brandon Wilds is ranked 28th on Carolina’s all-time list in career rushing with 1,328 yards.
No. (PLAYER YEARS) ATT. — YARDS – AVG.
1. George Rogers (1977-80) 954-5,204 – 5.5
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17. Bishop Strickland (1947-50) 381-1,965 – 5.2
18. Duce Staley (1995-96) 345-1,852 – 5.4
18. Andrew Pinnock (1999-02) 422-1,852 – 4.4
20. Rob DeBoer (1990-93) 386-1,810 – 4.7
21. Connor Shaw (2010-13) 452-1,683 – 3.7
22. Spencer Clark (1976-79) 319-1,652 – 5.2
23. Mike Dingle (1988-90) 389-1,634 – 4.2
24. Troy Hambrick (1996-98) 302-1,586 – 5.3
25. Jeff Grantz (1972-75) 405-1,577 – 3.9
26. Alex Hawkins (1956-58) 339-1,490 – 4.4
27. Kenny Miles (2009-12) 315-1,341 – 4.3
28. Brandon Wilds (2011-14) 270-1,328 — 4.9
PHAROH IS KING: One of the most versatile players in all of college football is junior wide receiver Pharoh Cooper. The 5-11, 207-pounder from Havelock, N.C. is the Gamecocks’ best bet to earn All-America accolades after a breakout season a year ago. His preseason accolades are many, but most notably, he earned three spots on the SEC Coaches’ first-team all-conference squad, as a wide receiver, an all-purpose back and a return specialist. He is a preseason candidate for the Maxwell, Hornung and Biletnikoff awards.
SOUTH CAROLINA PHAROH: Pharoh Cooper had a special season in 2014. He set the school record for receiving yards in a game with 233 against Tennessee and logged the third-highest single-season receiving yards total in school history with 1,136, a mark topped by only Alshon Jeffery and Sidney Rice.
AMONG THE BEST: With 75 career receptions, Pharoh Cooper has moved into the top-25 in South Carolina history for career receptions.
No. PLAYER (YEARS) REC.
1. Kenny McKinley (2005-08) 207
—————————————————————— 14. Philip Logan (1974-77) 105
15. Ace Sanders (2010-12) 99
16. Harold Green (1986-89) 94
17. Brian Scott (1998-01) 93
17. Nick Jones (2011-14) 93
19. Troy Williamson (2002-04) 91
20. Jim Mitchell (1969-71) 90
21. Ira Hillary (1981-84) 90
22. Toby Cates (1991-94) 89
23. Danny Smith (1984-87) 78
24. Eddie Miller (1988-91) 76
25. Monty Means (1992-95) 75
25. Pharoh Cooper (2013-14) 75
REACHING PAYDIRT: With a TD reception in the season opener, Pharoh Cooper is just two touchdown catches of moving into South Carolina’s top-10 for receiving touchdowns.
RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. Sidney Rice (2005-06) 23
Alshon Jeffery (2009-11) 23
3. Robert Brooks (1988-91) 19
Jermale Kelly (1997-00) 19
Kenny McKinley (2005-08) 19
6. Sterling Sharpe (1983-87) 17
Zola Davis (1995-98) 17
8. Bruce Ellington (2011-13) 16
9. Philip Logan (1974-77) 15
10. Toby Cates (1991-94) 13
Monty Means (1992-95) 13
Troy Williamson (2002-04) 13
Ace Sanders (2010-12) 13
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Pharoh Cooper (2013-15) 11
BETTER THAN AVERAGE: Now that he has reached the minimum number of receptions to qualify, Pharoh Cooper has vaulted into Carolina’s top-10 in career yards per reception, ranking seventh with a 16.5-yard average.
YARDS PER RECEPTION
(Min. 75 receptions)
1. Philip Logan (1974-77) 19.6
2. Eddie Miller (1988-91) 19.3
Troy Williamson (2002-04) 19.3
4. Ira Hillary (1981-84) 17.4
5. Danny Smith (1984-87) 17.1
6. Alshon Jeffery (2009-11) 16.6
7.Pharoh Cooper (2013-15) 16.5 8. Jim Mitchell (1969-71) 16.4
7. Brian Scott (1998-01) 16.2
10. Toby Cates (1991-94) 16.1
TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: Pharoh Cooper is not just a great pass catcher, but can also run and throw. He has averaged 8.3 yards per carry in his career, rushing 51 times for 422 yards with three touchdowns, and has completed 8-of-13 passes for 101 yards with three scores. He also returns punts for the Gamecocks with a career long of 36 yards.
STATISTICAL ODDITY: Pharoh Cooper was the only player in the Division I football to be his team’s top returning passer and receiver and is the only Division I player to be his team’s top returning passer and punt returner.
IN THE OPENER: Pharoh Cooper seemed to do nearly everything in the season opening win over North Carolina. He caught three passes for 45 yards, including a touchdown, rushed four times for 20 yards and completed 1-of-2 passes for -6 yards.
DEEBO IS HIS NAME-O: Redshirt freshman wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been tabbed “Most Likely to Succeed” of the young group of wide receivers that dot the Gamecocks’ three-deep depth chart. Samuel, a 6-0, 202-pounder from Inman, S.C. was recognized with the Big Plays award for the offense in the spring. Samuel suffered a hamstring injury in the opener and is questionable for the Kentucky contest.
ADAMS’ WAY: Senior tight end Jerell Adams is poised for a breakout season in his final campaign for the Garnet & Black. The 6-6, 231-pounder from Pinewood, S.C. caught two passes for 18 yards in the season opener. He has 40 career catches for 574 yards, a 14.4-yard average with four touchdowns. Adams has also produced in the classroom, as he is a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and was named the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Representative of the University of South Carolina at the 2015 Garnet & Black Spring Game.
DIAMONDS AREN’T FOREVER: 22-year-old walk-on freshman tight end Hayden Hurst came in this summer and quickly worked his way up the depth chart. Hurst was originally committed to attend Florida State on a baseball scholarship, before electing to turn pro and signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was drafted as a pitcher and eventually was moved to first base before giving up the game for good. He was encouraged to walk-on at South Carolina by Perry Orth, who he has known for years.
THE SHELL GAME: The Gamecocks feature an experienced first unit up front, headlined by fifth-year senior left tackle Brandon Shell. Shell, a 6-6, 328-pounder from Goose Creek, S.C. who has been tabbed to some preseason All-SEC units, made the move from right tackle to left tackle this season, a position where he made his first career start (at Vanderbilt in 2012), before moving to the right side where he made 35 consecutive starts entering the season. His 37 career starts is more than any other two players on the squad combined.
MAGIC MIKE: Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Mike Matulis, who was penciled in as the starting right guard a year ago, but suffered a left knee injury midway through fall camp and only saw limited time during the season before undergoing surgery, returns for his final campaign. The 6-5, 293-pounder from Boynton Beach, Fla., was a first-team Freshman All-American in 2011, and gives the Gamecocks veteran leadership up front. He has started 11 games in his career, the first 10 at tackle, while battling a slew of shoulder and knee injuries.
KNOTT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION: Sophomore Alan Knott returns to handle the center position for the Gamecocks. The 6-4, 270-pounder from Tyrone, Ga., started eight games a year ago and earned a spot on the Rimington Watch List. He had an excellent spring in which he not only was named the Most Improved Offensive Lineman but also garnered the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring honors.
UNDER PRESSURE: The Gamecocks, under new co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, has to find ways to get more pressure on the quarterback this season. Last year, the first year without Jadeveon Clowney since 2010, the Gamecocks recorded just 14 sacks all season. Clowney alone registered 24 sacks during his three-year stint in Columbia. With a few holdovers and a bevy of newcomers, the early returns were encouraging, as the Gamecocks notched four sacks in the season opener. Kelsey Griffin led the way with 1.5, while Phillip Dukes and Dante Sawyer each notched his first career sack.
THE SKAI’S THE LIMIT: The Gamecocks top linebacker each of the past two seasons has been Skai Moore. Moore, now a junior, has led the team in tackles in each of the past two years, becoming the first player to do so since Emanuel Cook (2007-08). The last to do it three years in a row was Tony Watkins (1992-94). The 6-2, 218-pounder who garnered Defensive MVP honors in the 2014 Independence Bowl, picked up right where he left off, with a team-high 10 tackles and a pair of interceptions in the season opening win over North Carolina. Moore now owns 159 career tackles and nine interceptions.
BOTKIN’S BODIES: Linebackers coach Kirk Botkin has a group of linebackers that are both young and experienced. Junior Skai Moore leads the way from the MIKE position, but is not the only capable linebacker. Junior Jonathan Walton came on strong last season and is the expected starter at WILL linebacker. Maybe the hardest hitter on the team, Walton was named the Most Improved Linebacker in the spring. Junior T.J. Holloman is listed as the backup at MIKE, but can play either spot. He has played in 26 games over the past two seasons, making seven starts. Bryson Allen-Williams earned a start in his first game as a true freshman a year ago before moving around some, but has settled in to the WILL position. When playing a traditional 4-3 scheme, Larenz Bryant and Ernest Hawkins are the candidates to play the SAM position.
WAVING THE WHEAT GOODBYE: Senior safety Isaiah Johnson graduated from the University of Kansas, came to Carolina late in the summer, and quickly moved into a starting role. The Cary, N.C. product picked off six passes in the last two seasons for the Jayhawks. The 6-0, 206-pounder was voted the Big 12 Coaches’ Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2013.
THE FRISCO KID: Elliott Fry, a 6-0, 164-pound junior placekicker from Frisco, Texas was 1-for-2 in the season opener, hitting from 25-yards out before coming up short from 57. Fry is on the 2015 Groza candidate, was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, was a second-team preseason All-SEC selection by the media and a third-team choice by the league’s 14 coaches. Last season, he was a Groza Award semifinalist, connected on 18-of-25 field goals, ranked third in the SEC with 105 points, the third-highest single-season mark in school history, and was fifth in the SEC in points per game at 8.1. He has hit on 34-of-45 career field goal attempts (75.6 percent) and on 107-of-108 extra points, including his last 101 in a row, a school record. His field goal percentage increases to 82.9 when he attempts from under 54-yards out (34-of-41). A member of the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, Fry’s career long is a 47-yard field goal, but he connected from 52 yards out in the team’s final fall scrimmage. He is moving up the charts in several career categories:
FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 72
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 49
3. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 39
Reed Morton (1993-96) 39
5. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) 34
5. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 34
FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 98
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 69
3. Reed Morton (1993-96) 54
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 53
5. Daniel Weaver (2000-03) 48
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Elliott Fry (2013-15) 45
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
1. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) .773 (34 of 44)
2. Elliott Fry (2013-15) .756 (34 of 45)
3. Josh Brown (2003-05) .741 (20 of 27)
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) .736 (39 of 53)
5. Collin Mackie (1987-90) .735 (72 of 98)
PATs MADE
1. Scott Hagler (1983-86) 117
2. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 114
3. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 107
4. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 104
5. Daniel Weaver (2000-03) 88
PATs ATTEMPTED
1. Scott Hagler (1983-86) 118
2. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 115
3. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 108
4. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 106
5. Daniel Weaver (2000-03) 94
PAT PERCENTAGE (Min. 40 Made)
1. Adam Yates (2008-12) 1.000 (49 of 49)
2. Scott Hagler (1983-86) .992 (117 of 118)
3. Collin Mackie (1987-90) .991 (114 of 115)
Elliott Fry (2013-15) .991 (107 of 108)
5. Ryan Succop (2005-08) .981 (104 of 106)
CONSECUTIVE PATs
1. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 101
2. Scott Hagler (1984-86) 82
POINTS SCORED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 330
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 251
3. Marcus Lattimore (2010-12) 246
4. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 209
5. George Rogers (1977-80) 202
6. Reed Morton (1993-96) 201
TURNING OWLS INTO GAMECOCKS: Junior Sean Kelly, who was the starting punter for Florida Atlantic in 2012 and 2013, joined the Carolina squad in January and has earned the starting punter duties. Kelly averaged 41.3 yards per punt in his two seasons with the Owls with a long of 68 yards. He got off to a great start in the Garnet & Black, averaging 46.2 yards on five punts, including a 60-yarder, the longest for a Gamecock since 2011. He also ran 17 yards for a first down on a fake punt and made a tackle on a returned field goal attempt.
UP NEXT: South Carolina has its first true road test of the season when they travel to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs in another SEC Eastern Division showdown on Saturday, September 19. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 47-18-2, including a 27-8 advantage in Athens, but South Carolina has won four of the last five meetings, including a 38-35 win in Columbia last season.
