Nov. 1, 2014

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

GENERAL NOTES

• South Carolina fell to Tennessee, 45-42, in overtime.
• For the fourth time in SC’s history, the Gamecocks went into overtime. It’s the first overtime game for the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. It’s the third South Carolina-Tennessee game to need more than 60 minutes to determine a winner (2003, 2007).
• Captains for South Carolina were senior quarterback Dylan Thompson, senior spur Sharrod Golightly, senior offensive guard A.J. Cann and senior defensive tackle J.T. Surratt.
• Attendance for today’s game at Williams-Brice Stadium: 81,891.
• Senior left guard A.J. Cann made his 47th career start today, tying him for second on the career starts list with Cliff Matthews (2007-10).

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• The Gamecocks posted 625 yards of total offense, the fourth time in a row the Gamecocks have topped 500 yards in that category, a school record. It’s the third-best total offense output in the Steve Spurrier era, behind the previous mark of 639 set against Coastal Carolina in 2013 and Kentucky in 2011.
• Senior quarterback Dylan Thompson threw for 347 yards in a 20-for-32 night. It’s the fifth 300-yard passing game of his career and third of the season.
• With tonight’s tally, Thompson now has 2,588 passing yards on the year, moving up to sixth on the single-season list at South Carolina. His two touchdown passes broke a four-way tie for third in a season, putting him two shy of Connor Shaw (24, 2013) in second.
• Junior tailback Brandon Wilds ran for 143 yards on eight carries. The 70-yard TD run in the fourth quarter is the longest of his career and matches the Gamecocks’ longest rush of the season.
• Sophomore Pharoh Cooper tallied a school-record 233 receiving yards on 11 catches, tops in his career. He ran for 23 yards on three carries while also throwing a touchdown pass of 30 yards, the longest completion of his career.
• The 256 all-purpose yards for Cooper is the most for a Gamecock this year, topping Mike Davis’ 191 at Kentucky. Cooper’s previous best was 189 against Vanderbilt.
• Cooper ran for a touchdown in the first, threw for a touchdown in the second and caught a TD pass in the third (and fourth), following Connor Shaw’s performance in the 2014 Capital One Bowl against Wisconsin in scoring a touchdown in all three ways on offense.
• Cooper also recovered the fourth-quarter onside kick attempt by Tennessee.
• The 85-yard TD pass from Thompson to Cooper ranks as the longest play for the Gamecocks this year.
• Junior tight end Jerell Adams made a career-high four catches for 41 yards.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• The first-quarter stop of Tennessee on 4th and goal was the first by the Gamecock defense of a fourth-down try this season. Opponents were 7-for-7 previous to that.
• Tennessee’s 625 yards of total offense is the second time the Gamecocks have allowed that many this year, joining the season opener against Texas A&M.
• For the second time this year, a Gamecock opponent had two players rush for 100 yards (also at Auburn). Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs (166) and Jalen Hurd (125) both broke the century mark on the ground.
• Sophomore linebacker Jonathan Walton made a career-high 11 tackles, eight of them solo.
• Sharrod Golightly and Jordan Diggs both tallied nine tackles, both topping their career bests.
• Also matching or topping their career best in tackles were Chaz Elder (6), Rico McWilliams (5), Bryson Allen-Williams (5) and Deon Green (2).
• McWilliams also had four pass break-ups, the most in his career.
• Marcquis Roberts had a season-best six tackles.
• Senior strong safety Brison Williams made his fifth career interception with his pick in the fourth quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• Sophomore placekicker Elliot Fry missed from 37 yards in the first half, snapping a streak of 12 straight field goals, three shy of the school record of 15 straight by Collin Mackie (1987-88).