Aug 30, 2013

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2

GENERAL

• The Gamecocks are 80-36-4 in 120 season openers. South Carolina has won 14 consecutive season-opening games dating back to the 2000 season.
• The Gamecocks are 9-2 in Thursday night tilts under Spurrier, including a clean 7-0 slate in Thursday night season openers.
• Head coach Steve Spurrier is 23-1 all-time in season openers as a collegiate head coach. Spurrier is now 5-0 in his career against North Carolina after winning three-consecutive season finales as head coach at Duke and the 2007 meeting in Chapel Hill at the helm of the Gamecocks.
• After South Carolina’s win in the 56th all-time meeting, North Carolina still holds the advantage in the series at 34-18-4.
• The crowd of 81,572 is the highest attendance for a home opener since Georgia in 2006 (82,513).
• The game was delayed in the fourth quarter due to lightening in the area for one hour, 44 minutes. Play resumed with the Gamecocks leading 27-10. South Carolina had possession of the ball second and five on the its own 23 with 8:20 on the clock.

OFFENSE

• The strike from senior quarterback Connor Shaw to sophomore wide receiver Shaq Roland just 1:19 into the season is the fastest score in a season opener by the Gamecocks in the SEC era (since 1992). The 65-yard reception was the longest of Roland’s career and his second-career touchdown.
• The touchdown pass from junior quarterback Dylan Thompson to sophomore wide receiver Kane Whitehurst gave the Gamecocks a 17-0 lead. The 17 points were the most in the first quarter of a season opener since the Gamecocks tallied 23 in 1996 against Central Florida.
• The 75-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Mike Davis in the third quarter is the longest run from scrimmage by a Gamecock since Bobby Wallace went for 88 yards against Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 18, 2006. Davis ended the game with 115 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career.
• Both Shaw and Thompson connected for touchdowns on their first passing attempts of the season.
• Junior wide receiver Nick Jones and Roland matched their career high receptions with four and two, respectively.

DEFENSE

• Junior spur linebacker Sharrod Golightly recorded a career-high six tackles. His one tackle for loss matches a career-high set against Florida in 2011.
• Senior defensive end Chaz Sutton notched two tackles for loss, matching a career high set against Missouri last season.
• Sophomore defensive tackle Gerald Dixon Jr. recorded his first career sack.
• Sophomore safety T.J. Gurley’s nine tackles eclipsed his previous career high of five tackles set against East Carolina last season.
• Sophomore cornerback Ahmad Christian added three tackles, tying a career high.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Freshman placekicker Elliott Fry posted a perfect night in his collegiate debut, hitting two field goals, including a 39-yard shot, and three extra points.
• Junior Victor Hampton returned two kickoffs for a total of 39 yards, an average of 19.5 yards. Hampton also had three punt-return chances, accumulating a total of 22 yards, an average of 7.3 yards.