Gamecocks Host Akron in Regular Season Finale

YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE: The University of South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5, 4-4 SEC) wrap up their 2018 regular season schedule on Saturday, Dec. 1, when they host the Akron Zips (4-7, 2-6 MAC) out of the Mid-American Conference. Game time is set for noon ET from Columbia’s Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250).
 
TELEVISION RIGHTS: SEC Network Alternate channel has the telecast for this week’s game. Taylor Zarzour will handle the play-by-play with Cole Cubelic serving as the analyst and Dawn Davenport working the sidelines. To access the SEC Network Alternate channel, here are the channel numbers for various providers:
DirecTV:  611-1
DISH (National):  596-597
DISH (Hopper):  404.1, 404.2
Spectrum:  385
AT&T Uverse:  608/1608 HD and 609/1609 HD
Verizon FiOS:  332 / 832 HD
 
A HISTORY LESSON: 2018 marks the 125th season of intercollegiate football at South Carolina. It is the 112th-consecutive year in which Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 607-578-44.
 
GAMECOCKS VS. ZIPS: This is the first gridiron battle between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Akron Zips, out of the Mid-American Conference. This game was added to the schedule after both teams had early season contests called off due to weather. The Gamecocks were slated to host Marshall on Sept. 15, but that game was canceled due to Hurricane Florence. The Zips were scheduled to play at Nebraska on Sept. 1, however that game was canceled due to lightning.
 
WHAT IS A ZIP?: The team was established in 1891 when the school was known as Buchtel College and later became the University of Akron in 1913. In 1926, the athletic teams were named the Zippers after rubber boots manufactured by the B.F. Goodrich Company, which was headquartered in Akron at the time. The name was shortened to “Zips” in 1950.
 
FAMILIAR NAME: The Zips are led by Terry Bowden. Coach Bowden owns a 34-50 mark in seven seasons at Akron. He previously was the head coach at Auburn from 1993-98, where he logged a 2-0 record against South Carolina. His 1996 team was a 28-24 winner in Auburn, while his ’97 squad posted a 23-6 win in Columbia. Bowden is the son of the legendary Bobby Bowden, who was the head coach at Florida State from 1976-2009, and the brother of Tommy Bowden, who was the head coach at Clemson from 1999-2008.
 
MAC ATTACK: The Mid-American Conference is currently composed of a dozen schools, split into two six-team divisions. The Gamecocks are 8-3 against teams that currently comprise the MAC, but have not faced a MAC opponent since the 2000 season. Ten of the 11 previous matchups with MAC opponents were held at Williams-Brice Stadium, with the exception being the 1975 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando against Miami (O).
 
HOW THEY HAVE FARED: After dropping three of their first four, with all three losses coming to Miami (O), the Gamecocks have won seven-straight games against MAC opponents in a series of games contested between 1977 and 2000.
 
PROTECT THIS HOUSE: Carolina has won 29 of its last 32 home games against non-conference foes. The Gamecocks had won a school-record 22-straight home games against non-conference opponents before dropping the final two games of the 2015 regular season to The Citadel and Clemson. They are 2-0 against non-conference opponents at Williams-Brice Stadium this season, with wins over Coastal Carolina and UTC.
 
THE POWER OF FIVE: Since the turn of the century, the Gamecocks have a 44-3 mark against teams not currently in a Power 5 conference. The only three losses in that stretch came to UConn in the 2010 Papajohns.com Bowl, to The Citadel in 2015 and to South Florida in the 2016 Birmingham Bowl. It should be noted that UConn was in the Big East, which was a BCS automatic qualifier during the 2009 season.
 
BLACK JACK: Will Muschamp has tied Steve Spurrier‘s record for most wins in his first three seasons as the Carolina head coach with 21.  Coach Spurrier posted a 21-16 record in his first three seasons (2005-07), guiding the Gamecocks to records of 7-5, 8-5, and 6-6, while Coach Muschamp is also 21-16 (6-7, 9-4, 6-5) with two games left on the slate. Muschamp also becomes the first coach in school history to take the team to bowl games in each of his first three seasons. Coach Spurrier’s third squad was bowl-eligible, but was not selected to play in a bowl game. Joe Morrison is the only coach to record 20 or more wins in his first three seasons at Carolina Morrison logged a 20-14 mark from 1983-85, going 5-6, 10-2, and 5-6.
 
FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME: Due to Hurricane Florence which cancelled South Carolina’s Sept. 15 contest with Marshall, this is the first time since 1990 that Carolina’s final regular season game is not against Clemson. After playing eight-consecutive SEC contests, the Gamecocks will end the 2018 regular season with three-straight non-conference tilts for the first time since joining the league prior to the 1992 season. It’s also the Gamecocks’ first regular-season game in the month of December since 1987.
 
NOT SEC WORTHY: The Gamecocks are 30-7 in their last 37 non-conference games. Carolina had its school-record 18-game non-conference winning streak snapped in the 2015 regular-season finale at Clemson. The Gamecocks are 2-1 against non-conference opponents this season.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT: The Gamecocks had one of their best offensive games in school history, collecting 600 yards against the second-ranked Clemson defense, but the Gamecocks fell short in a 56-35 loss to the second-ranked Tigers last Saturday night in Clemson. The teams combined for 91 points and 1,344 yards, both high-water marks in the 116-year rivalry.
 
INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS AT CLEMSON:
• Quarterback Jake Bentley had the best game of his career, completing 32-of-50 passes for a school record 510 yards with a career-high and school record-tying five touchdowns. He became the first Gamecock to throw for over 500 yards in a game, breaking the school record of 473, set by Steve Taneyhill against Mississippi State in 1995. The 32 completions matched his career high as the fourth-highest mark in a single game while the 50 attempts tied for the seventh-most in school history.
• Wide receiver Deebo Samuel had the best game of his career, logging 10 receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns. The 210 receiving yards tied Troy Williamson‘s mark against UCF in 2004 for the second-highest mark in school history behind only Pharoh Cooper‘s school record 233 vs. Tennessee in 2014.
• Wide receiver Shi Smith had a career-best nine receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.
• Tight end Kiel Pollard had his best game as a Gamecock, with two receptions for 94 yards, including a 67-yard TD reception.
 
THAT’S A FIRST: The Gamecock offense has rolled up 600 yards in each of the last two games, going for 602 against Chattanooga before collecting 600 at Clemson. It’s the first time in school history that Carolina has logged back-to-back 600-yard games.
 
A DANDY DOZEN: The Gamecocks have eclipsed the 600-yard mark a dozen times in school history, including each of the last two weeks. Here are those contests:
Rk.  Date          Opponent               Rush   Pass  Total
  1.  09/16/95   vs Louisiana Tech       270    409     679
  2.  10/20/01   vs Vanderbilt              356    300     656
  3.  10/14/95   at Mississippi State     162    490     652
  4.  10/08/11   vs Kentucky                288    351     639
       11/23/13   vs Coastal Carolina     352    287     639
  6.  08/31/85   vs The Citadel            440    196     636
  7.  09/18/93   vs Louisiana Tech       281    350     631
  8.  10/13/90   vs East Carolina          415    211     626
  9.  11/01/14   vs Tennessee               248    377     625
10.  11/22/75   vs Clemson                 458    158     616
11.  11/17/18   vs Chattanooga           238    364     602
12.  11/24/18   at Clemson                   90    510     600
 
IT’S RARELY EASY: The Gamecocks had a stretch earlier this season in which five-consecutive contests were decided by a total of 16 points. Carolina came out on top in three of those five games. The Gamecocks are 5-1 in games decided by three points or less in the three years under Will Muschamp, 12-5 in games decided by seven points or less and 14-6 in games decided by 10 points or less under Coach Muschamp.
 
FAST STARTS: After struggling in the first quarter early in the season, the Gamecocks have hit a groove of late. Carolina put up 17 first-quarter points at Ole Miss, the most points they have scored in the first quarter of a road game since 2009 when they had 17 on the board after the first period at Georgia. They followed that up with 14 first-quarter points at Florida, scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions, added 14 more first-quarter points against Chattanooga and scored on their first drive at Clemson. That’s 52 first-quarter points in the last four games (13.0 per game) after scoring just 44 first-quarter points in the season’s first seven contests (6.3 per game).
 
CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL: Jake Bentley has connected on a bomb in each of the last five games with eight completions of 50 or more yards in that stretch after having just two passes cover 50-plus yards in the first six contests. Deebo Samuel has been on the receiving end of four of the passes of 50-plus yards, including a long one in each of the last three games. The Gamecocks have set a school record for most passes of 70 yards or more with four. The previous high of three was accomplished three previous times: 1975 with Jeff Grantz at quarterback, 2003 with Dondrial Pinkins at QB, and 2014 with Dylan Thompson as the signal-caller.
 
OUR QB IS A BENTLEY: Junior quarterback Jake Bentley has started 10 games this season, missing the Missouri contest with a knee injury, which snapped a streak of 24-consecutive starts. The 6-4, 224-pounder from Opelika, Ala., owns an 18-12 record as a starting signal-caller. For the season, he is 209-of-322 (64.9 percent) for 2,754 yards with 24 TDs and 10 INTs. He ranks second in the SEC in both passing yards per game at 275.4 and in total offense at 285.8. His 24 touchdown passes this season is tied for third on the school’s all-time single-season list, five shy of Steve Taneyhill’s record of 29. On the Carolina career charts, he ranks second in completion percentage, third in passing touchdowns, fourth in passing yards, fourth in pass completions, fourth in pass attempts and fifth in total offense.
 
ANOTHER MILESTONE IN SIGHT: Jake Bentley is just 32 yards shy from becoming the fourth quarterback in school history to eclipse the 7,000-yard passing mark for his career. With 6,968 passing yards, he trails only Todd Ellis (9,953), Steve Taneyhill (8,782) and Stephen Garcia (7,597) on Carolina’s all-time list.
 
BETTER OF LATE: Jake Bentley has been on fire over the last four games, tossing 13 TD passes with just two INTs while completing 73 percent of his attempts. Here’s a look at his season:
Games   Com   Att   Int   Yds.   TD   Com %  Avg. Yds
First 6     112   183    8    1303    11      61.2        217.2
Last 4      97    139    2    1451    13      70.0        362.8
Totals    209   322   10   2754   24      64.9       275.4
 
A SCAR IS BORN: Fifth-year senior Michael Scarnecchia made the first start of his career against Missouri in place of an injured Bentley, and made it a memorable one. The 6-3, 216-pounder from Fleming Island, Fla., completed 20-of-35 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers in the 37-35 win. He connected on touchdown passes of 5, 17 and 8 yards, and led the Gamecocks on a 9-play, 53-yard drive in just over a minute, setting up the game-winning field goal with just two seconds remaining in the contest.
 
BE LIKE MIKE: Prior to his heroics against Missouri, Michael Scarnecchia had seen limited duty in his career. He entered the season having appeared in just three games, completing his only pass attempt, a 9-yarder, back in 2015. He was 7-of-12 for 89 yards and a touchdown this season heading into the Missouri game. Scarnecchia, who earned a finance degree in May, was recognized as the 2017 Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete. He is on record naming Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Shakespeare as the three people he would most like to dine with.
 
RUSHING BY COMMITTEE: The Gamecocks feature a stable of four junior running backs, each of whom has led the team in rushing at various times this season. Carolina is averaging 4.6 yards per carry after averaging just 3.9 yards a year ago. The Gamecocks are 19-4 when rushing for 100 yards or more under Will Muschamp, including a 14-1 mark when eclipsing the 150-yard barrier. They have gone over the 200-yard mark twice this season, rushing for 224 against Tennessee, the second-highest mark against a Power-5 foe, and 238 against Chattanooga, the fourth-highest single-game mark under Coach Muschamp.
• Rico Dowdle has started six games this season, but has been limited to just seven carries over the last four games after suffering an ankle injury early in the Ole Miss contest. He is the squad’s leading rusher this season with 547 yards and is tied for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns. He has gone over the 100-yard barrier three times this season (105 vs. Coastal, 112 at Vandy and 140 vs. Tennessee) and six times in his career, all Carolina wins. He has 1,562 career yards, ranking 27th in school history.
• Ty’Son Williams started back-to-back games against Tennessee and Ole Miss, but has not played in the last three games after breaking a bone in his hand against the Rebels. Williams, who spent one year at North Carolina, had his best game of the season in the opener against Coastal, rushing 11 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He is second on the squad in rushing with 319 yards, averages 4.8 yards per carry, and is tied for the team lead with 4 rushing TDs.
• A.J. Turner picked up the slack in Dowdle and Williams absence, rushing a dozen times for 81 yards at Florida, then collecting 65 yards on the ground and scoring three times (one rushing, two receiving) against UTC, but did not have any carries at Clemson last week while nursing a shoulder injury. He ranks 30th on Carolina’s all-time rushing list with 1,322 yards. He is averaging 6.4 yards per carry this season and is also one of the squad’s top special teams performers.
• Mon Denson was slowed early in the season by a hamstring injury, but has seen more action of late. He exploded at Ole Miss, carrying 12 times for a career-high 102 yards, including a 69-yard burst that set up the winning score, earning his first career start at Florida. He had the bulk of the carries last week at Clemson, rushing 17 times for 62 yards. Prior to the breakout game at Ole Miss, he had just 66 yards this season and 218 in his career.
 
WHO’S THE NEW GUY?: The plethora of injuries at the running back position, along with the new redshirt rule, gave true freshman Deshaun Fenwick an opportunity to see game action for the first time in his career against Chattanooga. He responded with 112 yards rushing on 17 carries, a 6.6-yard average, with a touchdown and a long of 37 yards, all in the second half. He became the first Gamecock to rush for over 100 yards in his debut since Derek Watson in 1999.
 
SAMUEL IS KING: One of the most electrifying players in college football is 6-0, 210-pound senior Deebo Samuel. Samuel earned numerous preseason All-America and All-SEC accolades as a wide receiver, kick returner and all-purpose performer. In 2016, Samuel had 1,320 all-purpose yards and became one of just six Power 5 players in the past five years to record a passing, rushing, receiving and kickoff-return touchdown in the same season. He scored six TDs in three games a year ago before suffering a season-ending leg injury. He has scored 25 career touchdowns (14 receiving, 7 rushing and 4 kickoff returns) moving into the school’s all-time top-10 list.
 
DEEBO IN 2018: Deebo Samuel has been the Gamecocks’ top receiver this season, catching 58 passes for 849 yards with nine touchdowns. He also has rushed eight times for 26 yards and has 22 kick returns for 542 yards. He has put together three-straight 100-yard receiving games, going for 120 yards including an 89-yarder at Florida, then logging 112 receiving yards including a 61-yard scoring strike against Chattanooga, before having the best game of his career with a 10-catch, 210-yard, 3-touchdown effort at Clemson. His 5.3 receptions per game ranks fifth in the SEC, his 77.2 receiving yards per game ranks sixth, his 128.8 all-purpose yards ranks second, while his 24.6-yard kickoff return average ranks fourth. He also ranks ninth in the league with 5.5 points per game.
 
NO SECOND FIDDLE: While Samuel received much of the preseason accolades, and rightly so, junior Bryan Edwards has better career numbers. Just a junior, Edwards already ranks among the top wide receivers in school history. He has two 100-yard receiving games this season (111 vs. Georgia and 109 at Ole Miss) and four in his career. He is second on the squad with six TDs and has caught a pass in every game in which he has appeared, tying Alshon Jeffery for second on the all-time list. He ranks 10th in the SEC with 63.6 receiving yards and with 4.3 receptions per game. He also owns a 7.4-yard punt return average.
 
TWO GRAND TIMES TWO: Bryan Edwards eclipsed the 2,000-yard receiving mark for his career in the win over UTC. Deebo Samuel reached the same plateau last week at Clemson. The tandem rank ninth and 11th in school history with 2,083 and 2,043 yards, respectively.
 
HE’S NOT SHY: Shi Smith is the third wideout for the Gamecocks. The sophomore has hauled in 39 passes for 597 yards this season, a team-best 15.3-yard average, with four touchdowns. He went for 119 yards and a score on five receptions vs. Vanderbilt, then caught a career-high nine passes for 109 yards and a score at Clemson.
 
NEXT MAN UP: The Carolina offense has four upperclassmen filling the tight end vacancy created when All-SEC performer Hayden Hurst went to the NFL as a first-round pick. Seniors K.C. Crosby and Jacob August, and juniors Kyle Markway and Kiel Pollard all play extensively. Crosby was limited this season after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger, Both August and Markway hauled in TD passes at Florida while Pollard had 94 yards and a score at Clemson.
 
O-LINE EXPERIENCE: The Gamecocks front line boasts a wealth of experience with 126 combined starts. Senior left guard Zack Bailey owns the most starts on the team with 37 and has been given some preseason All-SEC recognition. Fifth-year junior Donell Stanley moved to center this season where he is a Rimington Award candidate. He has made 24 career starts. Senior left tackle Dennis Daley, a former junior college transfer, moved into the starting lineup early in the 2017 season and made 18-straight starts until that streak was snapped at Ole Miss due to an ankle injury. Highly-regarded redshirt sophomore right guard Sadarius Hutcherson has made 15 starts, True freshman Dylan Wonnum has started each of the last five games at right tackle, replacing Blake Camper, who has made 10 starts. Senior Malik Young, who replaced Daley at left tackle at Ole Miss, has made 14 career starts.
 
CLAP FOR THE WOLF, MAN: Offensive line coach Eric Wolford was nominated for the Frank Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year honors. Wolford’s front line has been the Gamecocks’ most consistent group all season.
 
THE YOUNGER WONNUM: True freshman Dylan Wonnum made his first career start against Tennessee and was recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Week. Wonnum became the first true freshman to start on the offensive line since Mike Matulis in 2011. With Dylan starting at right tackle and D.J. Wonnum starting at Buck, they became the first set of brothers to start for Carolina since the 2014 season when Gerald Dixon and Gerald Dixon Jr. were starters along the defensive line.
 
THE BROTHERS WONNUM: When junior defensive end D.J. Wonnum was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and younger brother Dylan Wonnum was the SEC’s Freshman of the Week against Tennessee, it marked the first time in SEC history that brothers garnered Player-of-the-Week recognition in the same week.
 
THE LONG ARM OF KINLAW: Junior defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is a force in the middle of the line. Down to around 305 pounds after coming in a year ago at about 340, Kinlaw has been credited with 35 tackles, He leads the team with two forced fumbles, is second with 3.5 sacks, and third with 9.0 tackles for loss. He was the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his outstanding performance in the win at Vanderbilt.
 
BRUNSON BRINGS IT: Junior linebacker T.J. Brunson is the Gamecocks’ top tackler. He leads the team with 88 tackles on the season, ranking in a tie for eighth in the SEC, including 51 solo stops. He has filled up the stat sheet lately, collecting 14 tackles vs. Tennessee, logging 15 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks at Ole Miss, then matching his career high with a season-best 16 stops at Florida including 3.0 tackles for loss with a pair of sacks. Brunson, who was the first player that Coach Muschamp recruited upon his hire, was second on the squad with 88 tackles a year ago. He earned a spot on the AP’s All-Bowl team following his 13-tackle, two-sack performance in the Outback Bowl win over Michigan.
 
NEW FACES IN THE SECONDARY: The Gamecocks have been battered with injuries in the secondary. Seniors J.T. Ibe and Nick Harvey have not played for several weeks, while Jamyest Williams and Javon Charleston were injured in the Ole Miss game and are out for the season. Jaylin Dickerson, who missed all of last season with an injury, suffered a hamstring injury at Florida and has not played in the last two games. Jaycee Horn was not able to answer the bell last week at Clemson after suffering an ankle injury on the first play of the Chattanooga game. True freshman R.J. Roderick and Israel Mukuamu, are now both seeing significant playing time in the secondary. Redshirt senior walk-on Jason Senn made his Gamecock debut on Senior Day against the Mocs, playing extensively at safety.
 
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME:  True freshman defensive back Jaycee Horn became just the seventh true freshman to start for the Gamecocks in the season opener since the 2009 season joining Stephon Gilmore (2009), Marcus Lattimore (2010), Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Bryson Allen-Williams (2014), Al Harris Jr. (2014) and Bryan Edwards (2016).
 
DON’T MESS WITH THE BULL: Jaycee Horn was recognized on the 247Sports midseason true freshman All-America team. Horn, the son of former NFL standout wide receiver Joe Horn, has 39 tackles with a team-high eight pass breakups. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his efforts in the win over Mizzou when he was credited with four pass breakups. He also logged three tackles, including a key diving trip, forcing Damari Crockett to step out of bounds on the 11-yard line instead of taking it in for a touchdown. The Tigers ended up not scoring on that drive, which was a key turning point in the game.
 
SAFETY FIRST: True freshman safety R.J. Roderick stepped up in the Ole Miss win after injuries sidelined Jamyest Williams and Javon Charleston. He responded with 13 tackles after having just 11 through the first seven games. It was the most tackles for a freshman at South Carolina since James Seawright logged 17 in 1981 against Kentucky. He earned his first start at Florida and collected nine more tackles, then had a team-high 10 stops at Clemson. He now has 47 tackles on the year, with 38 coming in the last four games.
 
FENTON ISLAND: Senior cornerback Rashad Fenton has half of the team’s six interceptions this season, giving him five in his career, the most among active players. He had interceptions in three consecutive games, picking off Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur and Kentucky’s Terry Wilson. He is tied for third in the SEC with his three picks.
 
KICKING IT WITH PARKER: Redshirt sophomore Parker White has been successful on 54-of-57 attempts this season, going 13-for-15 on field goal attempts (including a career-high tying 3-for-3 at Vanderbilt and vs. Missouri) and 41-for-42 on extra points. For his career, he is 27-of-40 (67.5 percent) on field goal attempts, including 21-of-23 (91.3 percent) from inside 40 yards, and 67-for-68 on extra points.
 
SEC RECOGNITION: Parker White earned co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for his performance in the win over Missouri. The sophomore hit on all three of his field goal attempts, connecting from a season-long 42 yards on two occasions, and a 33-yard game-winner with just two seconds remaining. All three of his field goals came in the second half when the field conditions were soggy due to a rainstorm, and gave Carolina the lead (24-23, 34-32 and 37-35).
 
ICE ICE BABY: Parker White has three fourth-quarter game-winning field goals in his career, including two this season. He hit from 33-yards out in the final seconds to defeat Missouri and connected from 25 yards for the difference-maker with about six minutes remaining in the win over Tennessee. Last season, he connected from 31-yards out in the final seconds against Louisiana Tech to lift Carolina to victory.
 
JOE’S GOT THE TOE: Junior Joseph Charlton handles the punting chores for the Gamecocks and is an All-SEC candidate. He has booted 37 punts this season for a 45.9-yard average, second in the SEC, with a long of 66. 22 of the 37 have been fair catches, with just two resulting in touchbacks, and 13 traveling over 50 yards. He was named the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week for his performance against Texas A&M when he punted six times for a 50.7-yard average.

RECORD PACE: Joseph Charlton is on pace for the Gamecocks’ single-season record for punting average. Here’s where he currently stands:
PUNTING AVERAGE
   1.   Joseph Charlton (2018)……. 45.9 (37 for 1698)
   2.   Daren Parker (1989)………….. 44.3 (49 for 2170)
        Sean Kelly (2015)………………. 44.3 (55 for 2434)
   4.   Spencer Lanning (2010)……… 44.1 (54 for 2383)
   5.   Ryan Succop (2006)…………… 43.7 (29 for 1267)
        Tom O’Connor (1985)………. 43.7 (52 for 2270)
 
THE G.O.A.T? Joseph Charlton owns a career punting average of 44.2 yards. He ranks atop the Carolina all-time punting average list for punters with at least 75 attempts.
PUNTING AVERAGE (Min. 75 Punts)
   1.   Joseph Charlton (2017-18).. 44.4 (92 for 4088)
   2.   Sean Kelly (2015-16)………… 43.3 (127 for 5496)
   3.   Spencer Lanning (2007-10).. 42.6 (171 for 7292)
   4.   Ryan Succop (2005-08)…….. 42.3   (85 for 3597)
   5.   Tom O’Connor (1984-85)… 41.8 (118 for 4934)
 
RAISING THE NET: The Gamecocks rank second in the SEC and fourth in the nation in net punting with a 42.08 average. Here are the leaders:
Rk.       Team                             Punts           Net Yds
  1.        Texas A&M                     47                44.96
  2.        Cincinnati                        54                44.52
  3.        Georgia State                    51                42.76
  4.        South Carolina                38                42.08
  5.        Troy                                 52                41.83
 
DEEBO TO THE HOUSE: Deebo Samuel notched his fourth career kickoff return for a touchdown at Ole Miss. The 90-yard return extended his school record for kickoff returns for touchdowns and tied the SEC record. He finished with 178 yards on five returns, earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the third time in his career. He is the school’s all-time leader with a 29.0-yard kick return average. His 24.6-yard average in 2018 ranks fourth in the SEC.
 
BEST IN THE BUSINESS: Deebo Samuel has tied the SEC career record with four kickoff returns for touchdowns. He has accomplished the feat while needing significantly fewer attempts than the other five players who are tied with four:
Player                  School                 Years             KOR
Deebo Samuel      S. Carolina       (2014-18)       41 att.
Evan Berry           Tennessee        (2014-17)        53 att.
Felix Jones            Arkansas          (2005-07)        62 att.
Willie Gault          Tennessee        (1979-82)        78 att.
Andre DuBose      Florida             (2009-14)        79 att.
Brandon Boykin   Georgia            (2008-11)      110 att.
 
HAPPY, HAPPY, JOY, JOY: Two former walk-ons, redshirt senior long snapper Ben Asbury and redshirt sophomore center Chandler Farrell, were rewarded for their hard work and dedication by being placed on scholarship prior to the 2018 season.
 
TOTING THE SHEEPSKIN: Six Gamecocks earned their undergraduate degree in May, including Bryson Allen-Williams, Ben Asbury, Jacob August, Javon Charleston, K.C. Crosby and Michael Scarnecchia. Malik Young earned his degree in August. Additionally, Nick Harvey (Texas A&M) and J.T. Ibe (Rice) joined the team as graduate transfers. Another 13 players are slated to finish up their bachelor’s degree in December, including Zack Bailey, Dennis Daley, Javion Duncan, Daniel Fennell, Danny Gordon, Caleb Kinlaw, Javon Kinlaw, Steven Montac, Christian Pellage, Deebo Samuel, Donell Stanley, Eldridge Thompson and Ty’Son Williams.