Oct. 2, 2015

The South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) return to SEC action this week when they travel to Columbia, Mo. to take on the Missouri Tigers (3-1, 0-1 SEC). The Eastern Division showdown is set for a noon ET kick (11 a.m. local) and will be televised on the SEC Network. Tom Hart and Andre Ware will be in the booth with Laura Rutledge working the sidelines for the network.

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 585-555-44. 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 (86-47).

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 44-38 (.537) in conference play since Coach Spurrier took the reins, including a 21-13 mark since the start of the 2011 season.

CAROLINA VS. MIZZOU: The Missouri Tigers hold a slim three games to two advantage over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the all-time series between these two schools that claim Columbia as its home. The first two contests were held at bowl sites, with Missouri posting a 24-14 win in the 1979 Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, and a 38-31 come-from-behind win in the 2005 Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Since Mizzou joined the SEC, the Gamecocks have taken two of three meetings. South Carolina won the first SEC Eastern Division battle between the two schools with a 31-10 win in Columbia, S.C. in 2012, then pulled out an improbable 27-24 double-overtime win in Columbia, Mo. in 2013. The Tigers overcame a 13-point deficit in the final seven minutes to squeeze out a 21-20 victory last season at Williams-Brice Stadium.

THE HBC VS. THE TIGERS: Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier is 2-2 in his career against Missouri, with Gary Pinkel working on the Tigers’ sidelines in all four contests. Mizzou posted a 38-31 win in Shreveport in the 2005 Independence Bowl, the final game of Coach Spurrier’s first season with the Gamecocks. Carolina returned the favor with a 31-10 win in Columbia, S.C. in 2012, then rallied for a 27-24 double-overtime win at Missouri in 2013, before falling last season at Williams-Brice Stadium by a 21-20 score.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Missouri scored twice in the final seven minutes to pull out a 21-20 victory in Williams-Brice Stadium on September 27, 2014. South Carolina appeared to have things in hand when Pharoh Cooper scored on a 23-yard pass from Dylan Thompson with just 7:25 left in the contest to put the Gamecocks on top 20-7. But the Tigers responded with a pair of Russell Hansbrough one-yard runs, his second and third TDs of the game, with the final tally coming with just 1:36 on the clock. The Gamecocks outgained the Tigers in a defensive struggle, 338-280. Thompson completed 21-of-37 passes for 219 yards, while Mike Davis rushed 22 times for 104 yards to lead Carolina. Missouri punted 10 times in the turnover-free contest, one more than Carolina.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: In one of the more memorable games in recent history of South Carolina football, the No. 20/20 Gamecocks rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to shock No. 5/7 Missouri, 27-24 in double-overtime on October 26, 2013 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Mizzou opened up a 17-0 lead before senior quarterback Connor Shaw came off the bench in the third quarter to lead the comeback. Shaw connected on 20-of-29 passes for 201 yards. He hit Nick Jones with a 2-yard scoring pass with 42 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, then found Bruce Ellington in the endzone on 4th-and-15 to force the game into a second OT. Elliott Fry hit from 40-yards out to put Carolina on top before Andrew Baggett’s attempt from 24-yards away caromed off the left upright, ending the contest.

RECRUITING THE SHOW-ME STATE: The lone Gamecock from the Show-Me State is freshman tight end Kyle Markway is a 6-4, 254-pounder who graduated from St. John Vianney in St. Louis. Markway has seen limited action in his first season for the Garnet & Black, primarily on special teams.

HOKE RETURNS: Co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke served as the defensive backs coach for Missouri from 1994-98.

THE LAST TIME OUT: The Lorenzo Nuñez Era got underway in earnest last week in Columbia, S.C. when the freshman quarterback made his first career start. He responded by rushing for 123 yards and passing for 184 more with a pair of touchdown strikes to lead South Carolina to a 31-14 non-conference win over UCF. T.J. Holloman, who was also making his first start of the season, picked off two passes, leading to a pair of third-quarter scores and helping the Gamecocks overcome a 14-8 halftime deficit. A Carolina defense that had been ranked near the bottom in the SEC in just about every category, held the Knights to just 230 yards of offense on 61 plays, including 26 rushing yards on 23 carries. Elliott Fry connected on three-of-four field goal attempts, including a career-long 52-yarder.

DON’T TREAD ON ME: The Carolina defense, which had surrendered over 220 yards rushing per game entering the contest, limited UCF to just 26 yards on the ground on 23 carries, an average of 1.1 yard per carry. It marked the second-best run defense game in the Steve Spurrier Era, topped only when the Gamecocks held Vanderbilt to four yards rushing on September 24, 2011.

BY LAND OR BY AIR: True freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nuñez rushed for 123 yards and threw for 184 against UCF. It was the first time a Carolina player had both rushed and passed for more than 100 yards in a game since Connor Shaw did so against Clemson in 2011 (107 rush/210 pass).

NUÃ’EZ NOTABLES: • Lorenzo Nuñez became the first true freshman quarterback to start for Steve Spurrier since Jesse Palmer did so for Florida at Auburn in 1997.
• Lorenzo Nuñez became the first true freshman quarterback to start for South Carolina since Mikal Goodman during the 1999 season.
• Lorenzo Nuñez became the first true freshman quarterback to start and win a game for South Carolina since Steve Taneyhill in 1992.
• Lorenzo Nuñez became the third Carolina starting quarterback this season, joining Connor Mitch and Perry Orth. The last time South Carolina had three different quarterbacks start games during a single season was in 2008 when Tommy Beecher, Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia all made starts.

HOLLOMAN’S HEROICS: Junior linebacker T.J. Holloman earned his first start of the season against UCF and made the most of his opportunity. His two third-quarter interceptions set up a pair of South Carolina touchdowns as the Gamecocks overcame a 14-8 halftime deficit. The 6-2, 231-pound junior linebacker from Stone Mountain, Ga., added six tackles, including five solo stops, and was credited with one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.

BOUNCING BACK: After muffing a punt in the first half that led to a UCF touchdown, Pharoh Cooper more than made up for that error with a pair of second-half touchdowns. The first came on a 29-yard gallop on a broken play, aided by a downfield block from quarterback Lorenzo Nuñez. The second came on a 35-yard pass reception, beating double coverage. Cooper ended the day with four catches for 69 yards, three carries for 27 yards and two punt returns for 12 yards.

THE SAFETY DANCE: True freshman Boosie Whitlow knifed through the Knights’ offensive line and threw Taj McGowen for a two-yard loss and a safety in the second quarter. It was the Gamecocks’ first points on a safety since the 2009 game at Georgia.

THAT’S MORE LIKE IT: The Gamecocks forced three first-half punts against UCF. Carolina had not forced a first-half punt in the first three games of the season.

FRY GOES DEEP… AGAIN: Junior placekicker Elliott Fry connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal against UCF. That came on the heels of a then-career long 51-yarder at Georgia the previous week. Entering the 2015 season his long was 47 yards. The 52-yarder was the longest field goal by a Gamecock since Ryan Succop connected from 54-yards out against Arkansas in 2008 and tied for the sixth-longest in school history.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: The Gamecocks’ 31-14 win over UCF marked their 21st win in their last 22 non-conference games. The Gamecocks had won 18-straight non-conference games until losing to Clemson in the 2014 regular season finale. Prior to that, Carolina’s last non-conference loss came to Florida State in the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

ROAD WARRIORS: South Carolina is 0-1 on the road this season. The Gamecocks went 2-3 on the road in 2014, and are 14-9 in their last 23 true road contests. Seven of their nine road losses in that stretch came to teams ranked in the top-25 in the country, including six in the top-11: at No. 8 Arkansas in 2011, at No. 9 LSU and No. 3 Florida in 2012, at No. 11 Georgia in 2013, at No. 5 Auburn and at No. 23 Clemson in 2014; and at No. 7 Georgia this season.

BEATING THE EAST: The Gamecocks are 0-2 against SEC Eastern Division foes this season with losses to Kentucky and Georgia. They went 3-3 against the SEC East in 2014 and are 21-9 since the start of the 2010 season. In three of the past four seasons, Carolina has defeated the SEC Eastern Division champion (Georgia in 2011 and `12 and Missouri in 2013). Carolina had never won as many as four games in the division prior to Coach Spurrier’s arrival, but have done it five times since 2005.

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Thirteen Gamecocks have made their first career starts this season. Carlton Heard, Marquavius Lewis, Connor Mitch, Deebo Samuel and Taylor Stallworth did so in the season-opening win over North Carolina. Larenz Bryant earned the start for the first time in his career against Kentucky. Terry Googer and Perry Orth made their first career starts at Georgia. Those who earned their first start against UCF were Jacob August, Zack Bailey, D.J. Neal, Lorenzo Nuñez and Dante Sawyer. Bailey, Neal and Nuñez are all true freshmen.

IT AIN’T OVER `TIL IT’S OVER: The Gamecocks have trailed heading into halftime in all four games this season. They have rallied from behind to win two of those contests (UNC and UCF).

SECOND HALF SUCCESS: The Gamecock defense has pitched a shutout in the second half in three of the first four games this season. Only Georgia was able to dent the scoreboard after intermission against the Carolina defense. Despite being outscored by a 105-90 margin overall, the Gamecocks have outscored their opponents by a 52-30 margin after intermission.

MITCH ON THE MEND: Connor Mitch, who was the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback in each of the first two games of the season, will be sidelined for a few more weeks after suffering a sprained right shoulder in the loss to Kentucky. He is also recovering from a hip pointer.

THE ORTH QUAKE: Former walk-on quarterback Perry Orth, who spent part of the summer working in a local grocery store stocking shelves, made his first career start at Georgia. Orth, who went on scholarship prior to the start of the season, had completed 3-of-5 passes in his career before being thrust into extensive duty in week 2 against Kentucky after Connor Mitch was injured. He responded by completing 13-of-20 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His 33-yard fourth-quarter TD pass to Jerell Adams was the first scoring pass of his career. In his first start at Georgia, he completed 6-of-17 passes for 66 yards with an interception.

MOVIN’ ON UP: True freshman Lorenzo Nuñez, who began the fall listed fourth on the depth chart, made his first start last week against UCF. The 6-3, 210-pounder, rushed for a game-high 123 yards and hit on 12-of-22 pass attempts for 184 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. The rookie signal-caller has seen action in three games this year, getting his first taste of Division I football against Kentucky, before seeing more extensive action at Georgia. Against the Wildcats, he rushed twice for 40 yards, including a 33-yard scramble as the first half expired. At Georgia, he rushing 10 times for a team-high 76 yards, including a pair of 17-yard scampers, and completed 4-for-5 passes for 18 yards. Despite limited duty, he is Carolina’s top rusher with 239 yards on 30 carries, an 8.0-yard average.

RUNNIN’ WILDS: Fifth-year senior Brandon Wilds hopes to return to duty this week after missing the UCF game with bruised ribs. The 6-2, 220-pounder rambled for 106 yards on 16 carries against Kentucky, his fifth-career 100-yard rushing game. He was limited to just five carries for 24 yards against Georgia before leaving with bruised ribs. Wilds is averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season and 5.0 for his career.

1,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS: Brandon Wilds is 27th on Carolina’s all-time list in career rushing with 1,458 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. Brandon Wilds 2011-15 291 1,458 5.0

HERE’S SHONNY: Senior Shon Carson waited patiently for his opportunity, and it finally came early in the fourth quarter in the season opener against North Carolina when he took his first handoff of the season and raced 48 yards 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. For the season, he is averaging 6.7 yards per carry, with 23 carries for 153 yards. Carson also is the Gamecock’s top kick returner with a 25.6-yard average, third in the SEC, including a career-long 51-yarder at Georgia.

100-100 CLUB: The Gamecocks recorded a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game for just the third time since the start of the 2011 season when Brandon Wilds carried 16 times for 106 yards and Pharoh Cooper caught nine passes for 100 yards against Kentucky. The same duo accomplished the feat last season against Tennessee when Wilds ran for 143 yards and Cooper logged a school-record 233 receiving yards.

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. He accounted for 13 touchdowns: 9 receiving, 2 rushing and 2 passing.

2015–THE YEAR OF PHAROH: Pharoh Cooper caught nine passes for 100 yards against Kentucky, the fifth-career 100-yard receiving game of his career. After four games, he ranks tied for ninth in the SEC with 4.3 receptions per game, 10th with 55.0 receiving yards per game and is seventh with a 10.0-yard punt return average.

TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: Pharoh Cooper is not just a great pass catcher, but can also run and throw. He has averaged 8.2 yards per carry in his career, rushing 59 times for 483 yards with four touchdowns, and has completed 8-of-13 passes for 101 yards with three scores. He also returns punts with a career long of 36 yards.

AMONG THE BEST: With 89 career receptions, Pharoh Cooper is closing in on the top-20 in South Carolina history for career receptions. He is also just 344 yards away from moving into the top-10 at Carolina for receiving yards in a career.
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
22. Pharoh Cooper (2013-15) 89

KING TUTT_CHDOWN: With his touchdown reception last week against UCF, his second of the season, Pharoh Cooper is just one TD catch from moving into South Carolina’s top-10 for receiving touchdowns in a career.
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) 12

WHO’S NEXT?: Pharoh Cooper is the odds-on-favorite to keep this streak alive — The Gamecocks have had a first-team All-America selection in six-straight seasons: Eric Norwood (2009), Alshon Jeffery (2010), Melvin Ingram (2011), Jadeveon Clowney (2012 and 2013), Kelcy Quarles (2013) and A.J. Cann (2014).

ADAMS’ WAY: Senior tight end Jerell Adams, a 6-6, 231-pounder from Pinewood, S.C., has nine receptions for 132 yards this season, including a 33-yard TD catch against Kentucky. He has 47 career catches for 688 yards, a 14.6-yard average with five 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 40 career starts is more than any other two players on the squad combined.

THE MIKE MAN: 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 Carolina veteran leadership up front. He has started 14 games in his career, the first 10 at tackle, while battling shoulder and knee injuries.

FRESH FISH: With injuries to the top two centers, Alan Knott (high ankle sprain) and Cody Waldrop (broken ankle), true freshman Zack Bailey was pressed into duty at Georgia as the snapper and responded admirably, earning his first career start against UCF. The 6-6, 330-pounder from Summerville, S.C. had never played center in his career prior to this season.

THE SKAI’S THE LIMIT: The Gamecocks top linebacker is Skai Moore. Moore, a junior from Cooper City, Fla., 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), and is well on his way to leading the team for a third-straight year. 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, tallied a team-high 11 tackles and a pair of interceptions in the season opening win over North Carolina, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week accolades. 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. He is third in the SEC averaging 10.0 tackles per game and is tied for the SEC lead with three interceptions. Moore now owns 189 career tackles and 10 interceptions.

PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’: South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore has 10 career interceptions, including three this season, two in the opener against North Carolina and one against Kentucky. He is among the school’s all-time leader in career interceptions:
CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
1. Bo Davies (1969-71) 14
2. Dick Harris (1969-71) 12
3. Henry Laws (1973-75) 11
Robert Perlotte (1979-81) 11
Pat Bowen (1979-82) 11
Bryant Gillard (1982-84) 11
Robert Robinson (1985-88) 11
8. 8 players tied 10
Most recent: Skai Moore (2013-15) 10

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, 209-pounder was voted the Big 12 Coaches’ Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2013. He is second on the squad with 23 tackles or 5.8 tackles per game.

THE FRISCO KID: Elliott Fry, a 6-0, 164-pound junior kicker from Frisco, Texas is 9-for-12 this season with a career long of 52 yards, missing from 57-, 42- and 49-yards out. His 2.25 field goals made per game is tied for first in the SEC and tied for sixth in the country. He is 10th in the league overall and fifth among kickers, averaging 8.5 points per game. Fry is a 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 42-of-55 career field goal attempts (76.4 percent) and on 112-of-113 extra points, including his last 106 in a row, a school record. His field goal percentage increases to 82.4 when he attempts from under 54-yards out (42-of-51). A member of the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, Fry 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. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 42
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 39
Reed Morton (1993-96) 39

FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 98
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 69
3. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 55
4. Reed Morton (1993-96) 54
5. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 53

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
1. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) .773 (34 of 44)
2. Elliott Fry (2013-15) .764 (42 of 55)
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) 112
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) 113
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 (112 of 113)
5. Ryan Succop (2005-08) .981 (104 of 106)

CONSECUTIVE PATs
1. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 106
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) 238
5. George Rogers (1977-80) 202

MR. AUTOMATIC: Elliott Fry has extended his school record to 106-straight made PATs. He ranks fifth among active kickers in that category.

KELLY’S A HERO: Sean Kelly has proven to be a valuable addition. The former FAU Owl ranks eighth in the SEC in punting with a 43.4-yard average. The junior walk-on got off to a fast start in the season opener against North Carolina, punting five times for a 46.2-yard average, including a 60-yarder and two that were downed inside the 10-yard line. 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. For the season, he has punted 17 times with three over 50 yards and eight inside the 20.

CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: South Carolina has individual game captains early in the season before electing permanent team captains.
UNC: Pharoh Cooper, Gerald Dixon Jr., T.J. Gurley, Brandon Shell.
UK: Isaiah Johnson, Mike Matulis, Skai Moore, Brandon Wilds.
UGA: Jerell Adams, Isaiah Johnson, Skai Moore, Perry Orth.
UCF: Pharoh Cooper, T.J. Gurley, Skai Moore, Will Sport.

THE HEAD BALL COACH: Steve Spurrier is in his 11th season directing the Carolina football program. He has logged an 86-47 mark (.647) 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 228-87-2 mark (.722) in 26 seasons as a college head coach.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Gamecocks return home next week to host the LSU Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. LSU has won 17 of the 20 meetings between the two schools with Carolina winning twice and the other game ending in a tie. LSU has won each of the last five contests. Both of South Carolina’s wins have been one-point decisions. The first was by a 7-6 when the teams first met on the gridiron in 1930 in Columbia, then by an 18-17 count in Baton Rouge in 1994. The 1995 game ended in a 20-20 tie. LSU owns a 5-1-1 mark when they’ve ventured into Columbia.