Sept. 2, 2015

The 2015 South Carolina football season gets underway Thursday, September 3, when the Gamecocks travel to a neutral site at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium to play the North Carolina Tar Heels. The 6 p.m. ET game will be televised nationally by ESPN with Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack in the booth and Kaylee Hartung on 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. Touchdown Radio has the national radio broadcast with Taylor Zarzour handling the play-by-play and Gino Torretta providing the color commentary.

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 30 games over the .500 mark with an all-time record of 583-553-44. The Gamecocks were nine games under .500 until head coach Steve Spurrier took the reins in 2005, but are 39 games over since that time (84-45).

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 44-36 (.550) in conference play since Coach Spurrier took the reins, including a 21-11 mark over the last four years.

BATTLE OF THE CAROLINAS: South Carolina and North Carolina renew their series on Thursday, September 3 in the season opener for both squads. This will mark the 57th meeting on the gridiron between these two schools. North Carolina holds a 34-18-4 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-0 mark when the game has been played at a neutral site. South Carolina has won each of the last two meetings (21-15 in Chapel Hill in 2007 and 27-10 in Columbia in 2013) and five of the last six overall.

SPURRIER AND THE TAR HEELS: South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier is 5-0 in his career against North Carolina. His first three wins came in the regular season finale from 1987-89 while he was coaching at Duke. He posted consecutive wins of 25-10, 35-29 and 41-0. He is 2-0 as the Gamecocks’ head coach, winning in Chapel Hill in 2007 by a 21-15 score, then posting a 27-10 win in Columbia to open the 2013 campaign.

FEDORA AND THE GAMECOCKS: North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora is 0-2 in his career against South Carolina. He was the head coach at Southern Miss when he brought the Golden Eagles into Columbia in the 2010 season opener and went back to Hattiesburg after a 41-13 setback. He was the man in charge in Chapel Hill in 2013 when the Gamecocks posted a 27-10 win in Columbia in that year’s season opener.

NORTH CAROLINA TIES: The Gamecocks roster features seven players who played high school ball in North Carolina. They include Isaiah Johnson (Cary), Larenz Bryant (Charlotte), Abu Lamin (Fayetteville), Devin Potter (Granite Falls), Clayton Stadnik (Greensboro), Pharoh Cooper (Havelock), and Connor Mitch (Raleigh). In addition, defensive line coach Deke Adams coached at UNC in 2012.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: The No. 6/7 Gamecocks put up 17 first-quarter points, including a 65-yard scoring pass from Connor Shaw to Shaq Roland just 1:19 into the contest, and cruised to a 27-10 win over the Tar Heels in Columbia on August 29, 2013. Mike Davis added 115 yards on 12 carries, including a 75-yard burst midway through the third quarter to put the game away. The Gamecock defense limited the Tar Heels to just 293 yards of total offense. For more on that game, please turn to page 10.

THE LAST MEETING IN THE TAR HEEL STATE: Chris Smelley threw a career-high three touchdown passes in the first half and No. 7 South Carolina withstood a late rally to beat North Carolina, 21-15, in Chapel Hill on October 13, 2007. The redshirt freshman improved to 4-0 as a starter, helping South Carolina build a 21-3 lead through three quarters. The win improved the Gamecocks record to 6-1 on the season and vaulted them to a No. 6 ranking in the national polls. That squad lost at home to Vanderbilt the following week and went on to lose its last five games to finish the season 6-6.

THURSDAY SPECIAL: The Gamecocks are very familiar with Thursday night games. Since head coach Steve Spurrier took over in 2005, Carolina has played 12 Thursday night ESPN contests. Carolina is 9-3 in Thursday night tilts under Coach Spurrier, including a 6-2 record at home and a 3-1 record on the road. The Gamecocks are 7-1 in season openers on Thursdays under the Head Ball Coach. Carolina opened its 2005 season on a Thursday with a 24-15 win against UCF. In 2006, the Gamecocks opened at Mississippi State on a Thursday and pitched a 15-0 shutout. They also lost a mid-season Thursday night contest at home to Auburn. In 2007, they defeated eighth-ranked Kentucky on a Thursday by a 38-23 score. In 2008, they played the first two games of the season on Thursdays — defeating NC State 34-0 before falling at Vanderbilt, 24-17. In 2009 they opened the year with a Thursday night 7-3 win at NC State, then knocked off fourth-ranked Ole Miss on a Thursday at home by a 16-10 score. They opened the 2010 season with a convincing 41-13 win over Southern Miss on a Thursday in Columbia. In 2012, the Gamecocks edged Vanderbilt in Nashville by a 17-13 score. In 2013, the Gamecocks came out of the box with a 27-10 win over North Carolina. Texas A&M got the better of the Gamecocks last season in Columbia in the season opener on a Thursday night by a 52-28 score.

EARNING THEIR WAY: Four former walk-ons have been rewarded with scholarships since the end of the 2014-15 school year. Those having their school paid for the first time include junior quarterback Perry Orth, junior deep snapper Drew Williams, and tailbacks Rod Talley and Darius Paulk.

SCORING BIG IN CHARLOTTE OPENERS: South Carolina tied the school record for season openers by tallying 56 points in the 2011 clash against East Carolina in a 56-37 win in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, the only previous time the Gamecocks have played at this site. Carolina has scored 40 or more points in 12 season openers, including two of the past five seasons (also 41 vs. Southern Miss in 2010).

OPENING DAY HIGHLIGHTS: Here are the top opening day offensive performances in Carolina history:
100-yard Rushing Games In Season Openers
1. 187 Duce Staley, UCF (1996)
2. 160 Harold Green, Duke (1989)
3. 153 George Rogers, Pacific (1980)
4. 120 Brandon Bennett, Georgia (1994)
5. 118 Derek Watson, NC State (1999)
6. 115 Mike Davis, North Carolina (2013)
7. 114 Derek Watson, N. Mexico St. (2000)
8. 113 Mike Dingle, Duke (1990)
8. 113 Carl West, Pacific (1980)
10. 112 Marcus Lattimore, E. Carolina (2011)
11. 110 Marcus Lattimore, Vanderbilt (2012)
12. 104 Carl Brazell, Wofford (1955)
13. 103 Earl Clary, Duke (1931)
14. 102 Jeff Grantz, Georgia Tech (1973)
15. 101 Mike Davis,NC State (2008)
16. 100 Harold Green, NC State (1988)

200-yard Passing Games In Season Openers
1. 405 Steve Taneyhill, Georgia (1994)
2. 366 Dylan Thompson, Texas A&M (2014)
3. 330 Blake Mitchell, UCF (2005)
4. 329 Todd Ellis, Appalachian State (1987)
5. 318 Bill Troup, Virginia (1972)
6. 290 Todd Ellis, North Carolina (1988)
7. 238 Allen Mitchell, The Citadel (1984)
8. 236 Anthony Wright, UCF (1996)
9. 220 Phil Petty, Boise State (2001)

100-yard Receiving Games In Season Openers
1. 146 Ira Hillary, The Citadel (1984)
2. 140 Jackie Brown, Virginia (1972)
3. 134 Stanley Pritchett, Georgia (1995)
4. 120 Zola Davis, UCF (1997)
5. 113 Nick Jones, Texas A&M (2014)
6. 110 Mike Haggard, Virginia (1972)
7. 106 Alshon Jeffery, Southern Miss (2010)

WINS IN THE DECADE: The Carolina 2013 senior class was the winningest class in school history with 42 victories, closely followed by the 2014 class that logged 40 wins. Here are the winningest Division I FBS programs in this decade:
1. Oregon — 60
2. Alabama — 58
2. Florida State — 58
4. Northern Illinois — 57
5. Boise State — 55
6. Stanford — 54
7. Michigan State — 53
8. LSU — 52
9. Oklahoma — 51
10. Wisconsin — 50
11. South Carolina — 49

2014 IN REVIEW: South Carolina football concluded its 121st season of intercollegiate football in 2014 with a record of 7-6, including a 3-5 mark in the SEC. Five of the 13 games were decided by three points or less, while the difference in seven of the 13 contests was just one score. It marked the seventh-consecutive winning season for the Gamecocks, tying the school record set from 1928-34, and extending their school record to 11-straight seasons with at least a .500 record. The Gamecocks capped the season with a 24-21 win over Miami (Fla.) in the Duck Commander Independence Bowl. It marked the fourth-straight bowl victory for the Gamecocks.

THE BEAT GOES ON: The Gamecocks are coming off their fourth bowl win in as many seasons, something that had never been accomplished previously. Carolina defeated Nebraska, 30-13, in the 2012 Capital One Bowl, slipped past Michigan, 33-28, in the 2013 Outback Bowl, then outscored Wisconsin, 34-24, in the 2014 Capital One Bowl before defeating Miami (Fla.), 24-21, in the Duck Commander Independence Bowl following the 2014 season. The Gamecocks are one of just four FBS schools, joining Michigan State, Texas A&M and Louisiana-Lafayette, to have a bowl victory in each of the last four years. Carolina’s overall bowl record stands at 8-12. The Gamecocks dropped their first eight bowl games from 1946-88, but have won eight of the last 12.

GOOD HOME COOKIN’: The Gamecocks are 22-3 in their last 25 games at Williams-Brice Stadium and 38-6 (.864) in their last 44 home games. The Gamecocks had their 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.

ROAD WARRIORS: South Carolina went 2-3 on the road in 2014, and are 14-8 in their last 22 true road contests. Five of the eight road losses in that stretch came to teams ranked in the top 11 in the country: at No. 8 Arkansas in 2011, at No. 9 LSU and No. 3 Florida in 2012, at No. 11 Georgia in 2013, and at No. 5 Auburn in 2014. They also lost at No. 23 Clemson in 2014.

NEUTRAL SITE WINS: The Gamecocks have won their last five contests when playing at a neutral site. They defeated East Carolina in Charlotte to open the 2011 campaign, then have won each of their last four bowl games, topping Nebraska in Orlando, Michigan in Tampa, Wisconsin in Orlando and Miami (Fla.) in Shreveport, La. The last neutral site loss came against Florida State in Atlanta in the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

NON-CONFERENCE WINS: South Carolina has won 19 of its last 20 non-conference games. The Gamecocks had their 18-game non-conference winning streak snapped in the 2014 regular season finale at Clemson. Prior to that loss, Carolina’s last non-conference loss came to Florida State in the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Their four non-conference games for 2015 include dates with North Carolina in Charlotte and three home games versus Central Florida, The Citadel and Clemson.

THE HEAD BALL COACH: Steve Spurrier begins his 11th season directing the Carolina football program. He has logged a 84-45 mark (.651) in Columbia. The Head Ball Coach is the school’s winningest coach and is second in games coached behind Rex Enright (140). Coach Spurrier owns a 226-85-2 mark (.725) in 25 seasons as a college head coach.

STAFF CHANGE: The Gamecocks made one change to their coaching staff during the offseason, hiring Jon Hoke to serve as a co-defensive coordinator along with Lorenzo Ward. Hoke will focus on the passing game, while Ward will concentrate on the running game. Grady Brown moved into a quality control position.

THEY’RE BACK: The Gamecocks welcomed 43 returning letterwinners to begin the 2015 fall camp. The 43 lettermen consist of 16 offensive players, 24 defensive players and three special teams players. The Gamecocks lost 26 lettermen, including 14 on offense and nine on defense and three special teams performers.

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME: The Gamecocks return 54 percent of their rushing yards, three percent of their passing yards and 47 percent of their receiving yards from a year ago. Eight of the squad’s top 10 tacklers return for the 2015 season.

RETURNING STARTERS: The Gamecocks list 13 returning starters from the 2014 squad (four on offense, eight on defense and one specialist). The returning offensive starters are WR Pharoh Cooper, OC Alan Knott, OT Brandon Shell and RG Will Sport. The returning defensive starters include DE Gerald Dixon, DT Gerald Dixon Jr., DE Darius English, SS T.J. Gurley, CB Chris Lammons, FS Chris Moody, LB Skai Moore and LB Jonathan Walton. The returning specialist is PK Elliott Fry.

EVERY TIME OUT: The Gamecocks had five players start every game in 2014. On offense, LT Corey Robinson, LG A.J. Cann, RT Brandon Shell and QB Dylan Thompson made every start. On defense, DB Brison Williams was a starter in each contest. Shell has a streak of 35 consecutive starts made entering the 2015 season.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: The Gamecocks said goodbye to 26 lettermen from last year’s roster including 11 starters. The departing starters include TE Rory Anderson, WR Damiere Byrd, TB Mike Davis, OG A.J. Cann, Spur Sharrod Golightly, P Tyler Hull, WR Nick Jones, OT Corey Robinson, DT J.T. Surratt, QB Dylan Thompson and S Brison Williams.

IN THE CLASSROOM: The Gamecocks placed 35 players on the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Among those who made the SEC Honor Roll include returnees Jerell Adams, Landon Ard, Pharoh Cooper, Jordan Diggs, Gerald Dixon Jr., Elliott Fry, Garrison Gist, Kelsey Griffin, Ali Groves, T.J. Gurley, T.J. Holloman, Rico McWilliams, Devin Potter, Jasper Sasser, Brandon Shell, Will Sport, Cody Waldrop and Drew Williams.

TOTING THE SHEEPSKIN: Eleven Gamecocks will have earned their degree prior to the start of the 2015 season, including: Landon Ard, Cedrick Cooper, Gerald Dixon, Gerald Dixon Jr., Phillip Dukes, Garrison Gist, Shamier Jeffery, Isaiah Johnson, Mike Matulis, Brandon Shell and Will Sport. Only Virginia (13) has more graduated players on their roster in the FBS.

BIG SPRING: The Gamecocks put up a big number in the classroom this spring, logging a Spring 2015 team GPA of 2.938, the highest on record. Gamecock student-athletes have posted a 3.0 GPA in 17-consecutive semesters.

WHO’S NEXT?: The Gamecocks have had a first-team All-America selection in each of the last six seasons. Eric Norwood (2009) got things started, followed by Alshon Jeffery (2010), Melvin Ingram (2011), Jadeveon Clowney (2012 and 2013), Kelcy Quarles (2013) and A.J. Cann (2014).

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. will be making his first career start. He has played in just two collegiate games, both coming last season, connecting on 2-of-6 passes for 19 yards. He was 2-for-4 for 19 yards against Furman, then missed on both of his pass attempts against South Alabama. 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. Williams has totaled 1,277 yards on the ground, averaging 5.0 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 rushed for 256 yards in limited duty a year ago but averaged 5.7 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 enters the 2015 season ranked 28th on Carolina’s all-time list for career rushing yards with 1,277.

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) 256-1,277 – 5.0

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.

TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: Pharoh Cooper is not just a great pass catcher, but can also run and throw. He has averaged 8.6 yards per carry in his career, rushing 47 times for 402 yards with three touchdowns, and has completed 7-of-11 passes for 107 yards with three scores. He also returns punts for the Gamecocks with a career long of 36 yards.

STATISTICAL ODDITY: Pharoh Cooper is 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.

AMONG THE BEST: With 72 career receptions, Pharoh Cooper needs just three catches to move into the top-25 in South Carolina history for career receptions.
No. PLAYER (YEARS) REC.

1. Kenny McKinley (2005-08) 207
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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
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26. Pharoh Cooper (2013-14) 72

HELP I NEED SOMEBODY: The Gamecocks will need to find another receiver to take the pressure off of Pharoh Cooper. However, the entire wide receiver corps outside of Cooper has combined for just eight career receptions, and all of those have been collected by senior Shamier Jeffery for a total of 41 yards. Jeffery can boast that he and his older brother, Alshon, have combined for the most receptions by a pair of brothers at South Carolina with 191.

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.

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. has 38 career catches for 556 yards, a 14.6 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, makes 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 has made 35 consecutive starts entering the season. His 36 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 10 games in his career, all at tackle, while battling 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.

MOORE FROM SKAI: 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). Moore owns 149 career tackles and seven 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 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2013 by the league’s coaches.

PICK THIS: The Gamecocks intercepted 11 passes a season ago, with Brison Williams (4) and Skai Moore (3) leading the way.

THE FRISCO KID: Elliott Fry, 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 in 2014. The 6-0, 164-pound junior from Frisco, Texas has hit on 33-of-43 career field goal attempts and on 105-of-106 extra points, including his last 99 in a row, a school record. Fry is on the 2015 Groza preseason watch list, 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. He was also a member of the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. While his career long is a 47-yard field goal, he connected from 52 yards out in the team’s final fall scrimmage. Fry is quickly moving up the charts in several different career categories:

FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 72
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 49
3. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 39
3. Reed Morton (1993-96) 39
5. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) 34
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Elliott Fry (2013-14) 33

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 (2013-14) 43

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
1. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) .773 (34 of 44)
2. Elliott Fry (2013-14) .767 (33 of 43)

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 (2013-14) 105

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. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 106
3. Elliott Fry (2013-14) 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)
3. Elliott Fry (2013-14) .991 (105 of 106)
5. Ryan Succop (2005-08) .981 (104 of 106)

CONSECUTIVE PATs
1. Elliott Fry (2013-14) 99
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 (2013-14) 204
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.

WORKING OVERTIME: The Gamecocks were 1-1 in overtime games in 2014 and 2-3 all-time in games decided in the extra session. They won their first overtime game in school history when they defeated Missouri, 27-24, in two overtimes on October 26, 2013 in Columbia, Mo., and won in “The Swamp” over Florida by a 23-20 count in 2014. All three overtime losses have come against Tennessee by a field goal: a 23-20 setback on September 27, 2003 in Knoxville, and a 27-24 loss in Knoxville on October 27, 2007 and a 45-42 loss in Columbia on November 1, 2014.

South Carolina opens SEC play on September 12 in Columbia with a 7:30 p.m. ET tilt against the Kentucky Wildcats. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. Kentucky overcame a 14-point fourth quarter deficit with 21 points in the final 8:06 to pull out a 45-38 win over the Gamecocks a year ago in Lexington, snapping the Gamecocks’ three-game winning streak in the series. Carolina leads the all-time series, 17-8-1 including an 8-3-1 mark in Columbia. Kentucky’s last win at Williams-Brice Stadium came in the 1999 season.

THIS `N THAT:
In 2015, the Gamecocks will play nine teams that appeared in bowl games following the 2014 season, including six teams that won its bowl game. This year’s 12 opponents combined for an 89-64 record a season ago, a .582 winning percentage.

Over last three seasons, only three SEC teams have winning records over teams in the final AP Top 25: South Carolina (10-5), Alabama (9-5) and Georgia (9-8).

Over the past five years, Carolina is 15-5 against their top rivals, going 4-1 versus Clemson, Florida and Georgia, and 3-2 against Tennessee.

Since Steve Spurrier’s arrival in Columbia, the Gamecocks are 21-19 against their top four rivals, going 6-4 versus Clemson, and 5-5 against Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. In the 10 years prior to Coach Spurrier’s arrival, the Gamecocks were a combined 5-35 against those same four schools, going 3-7 against Georgia, 2-8 versus Clemson, and winless in 10 tries against both Florida and Tennessee.

Head coach Steve Spurrier has had as many 11-win seasons in 10 years at South Carolina (3) as he had in his 12 years at Florida.

Former Gamecock great quarterback Tommy Suggs (1968-70) is in his 42nd year describing Gamecock football from the radio booth. Only Washington State’s Bob Robertson (49 years), Pitt’s Bill Hillgrove (46) and Indiana’s Don Fischer (43) have more years in the booth than Suggs and Colorado’s Larry Zimmer (42).

The Gamecocks scored 424 points in 2014, the second-highest mark in school history, behind only the 443 points scored in 2013.