Aug. 30, 2012

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery

GENERAL NOTES

• South Carolina is 79-36-4 in 119 season openers. The Gamecocks have won 13 consecutive season-opening games dating back to the 2000 season.
• South Carolina has won four straight season openers on the road – at Vanderbilt in 2004, at Mississippi State in 2006, at NC State in 2009 and at Vanderbilt in 2012.
• Head coach Steve Spurrier is 22-1 all-time in season openers as a collegiate head coach. His only season-opening loss, ironically, was a 27-21 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia on Sept. 2, 1989 while the head coach at Duke University.
• The Gamecocks have won nine straight games and 10 of their last 11 against SEC Eastern Division opponents.
• South Carolina is 18-4 all-time against Vanderbilt with wins in each of the last four games.
• The Gamecocks are 6-0 in season openers on Thursdays under head coach Steve Spurrier.
• The Gamecocks are now 6-1 all-time in games played in the month of August, the lone loss came on Aug. 30, 1986 vs. Miami (Fla.).

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Junior running back Marcus Lattimore’s 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter moved him into sole possession of third place in rushing touchdowns in South Carolina history. After his 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, he now has 29 career rushing touchdowns, two short of the school record of 31 set by George Rogers (1977-80) and Harold Green (1986-89). He also now has 32 career touchdowns, one short of the school record of 33 that both Rogers and Green hold as well.
• Lattimore carried 23 times for 110 yards. It marked the ninth time in Lattimore’s career that he has rushed for 100 or more yards. Lattimore now has 2,125 career rushing yards and moved past Derek Watson (1999-01; 2,078) for 13th all-time in career rushing at South Carolina.
• Junior quarterback Connor Shaw carried 14 times for 92 yards. It was the second highest rushing total for Shaw in his career at Carolina. His career-high is 109 yards on 20 carries on November 19, 2011 vs. The Citadel.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• Senior linebacker Shaq Wilson tallied eight tackles to lead the Gamecocks along with Kelcy Quarles, who finished with a career-high eight tackles. It is the most tackles for Wilson in a game since he had 11 at Arkansas on November 7, 2009. Wilson also had his third career interception, his first since October 17, 2009 at Alabama. Junior cornerback Jimmy Legree tallied a career-high seven tackles as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• Senior placekicker Adam Yates’ 20-yard field goal in the second quarter was his first career field goal on his first career attempt. Yates was also 2-for-2 on the night in point after attempts.
• Sophomore punter Tyler Hull made his first career appearance for the Gamecocks. He punted six times for 234 yards, an average of 39.0 yards per punt.