Gamecocks Head to Rocky Top for Saturday Showdown
Carolina - Tennessee Set for 4 pm Kick Saturday, Oct. 26
QUICKLY: The South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4, 2-3 SEC) are back on the road this week as they travel to Knoxville for an Oct. 26 date with the Tennessee Volunteers (2-5, 1-3 SEC). Game time is set for 4 pm ET at Neyland Stadium (102,455). SEC Network will televise the game with Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb in the booth and Alyssa Lang working the sidelines.
THE HISTORY: 2019 marks the 126th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 113th-consecutive year in which South 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 611-583-44, a .511 winning percentage.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: The 2019 season marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 South Carolina squad that won the Atlantic Coast Conference title with a perfect 6-0 mark under Paul Dietzel. That team was rewarded with a trip to the Peach Bowl. 2019 also marks the 25th anniversary of the 1994 South Carolina team that went 7-5 including the school’s first bowl victory – a 24-21 win over West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.
IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2019 season marks South Carolina’s 28th year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the league prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned their lone SEC Eastern Division title in 2010. The Gamecocks are 96-124-1 (.437) all-time in SEC regular-season play, but are 41-36 (.532) in conference action since the start of the 2010 season.
CAROLINA VS. TENNESSEE: This is the 38th gridiron meeting between the Gamecocks and Volunteers in a series that dates back to 1903. Tennessee leads the all-time series, 25-10-2, including a 16-3 advantage in Knoxville and a 9-7-2 mark in Columbia. The teams have met every year since Carolina joined the SEC for the 1992 season, with the Volunteers winning 18 of the 27 meetings as conference rivals. The Gamecocks defeated Tennessee just three times in a 105-year period from 1903-2007, but have won seven times in the last 11 contests from 2008-2018, including the last three in a row.
IT FIGURES TO BE CLOSE: Each of the last seven contests has been decided six points or less, and by a total of 23 points, with Carolina winning four games by 3, 3, 6 and 3 points and Tennessee winning three times by 2-, 3- and 3-point margins. Six of the last seven games has been decided by three points or less.
LET’S KEEP IT TO 60 MINUTES: South Carolina has played seven overtime games in its history, logging a 3-4 mark in those contests that needed more than 60 minutes to decide. Tennessee has been the opponent in three of the seven overtime games and accounted for three of the Gamecocks’ four overtime losses, all decided by a field goal.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Jake Bentley threw for 152 yards and a touchdown, Rico Dowdle rushed for 140 yards and a score, and the Carolina defense stopped Tennessee on downs twice in the final quarter as the Gamecocks rallied from a 12-point deficit for a 27-24 win in Columbia on Oct. 27, 2018. Parker White‘s 25-yard field goal with 5:52 remaining proved to be the difference.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Parker White connected on all three of his field goal attempts, including a tie-breaking 21-yarder with 5:17 remaining, and South Carolina produced a goal-line stand in the closing seconds of a 15-9 win over Tennessee in Knoxville on Oct. 14, 2017. Both teams struggled on offense all day with the Gamecocks producing 323 yards of offense to just 253 for the Volunteers. The Carolina defense logged seven sacks while holding Tennessee out of the endzone.
THEY CALL IT A STREAK: The Gamecocks have won three in a row over Tennessee, matching the 2010-12 stretch for Carolina’s longest winning streak over the Vols. The two three-game winning streaks bookend a frustrating three-game losing streak to Tennessee in which the Vols posted a trio of wins by a total of just eight points.
GOOD OLE ROCKY TOP: Will Muschamp owns a perfect 7-0 record against Tennessee as a head coach. He was 4-0 as the head coach at Florida, posting wins by scores of 33-23, 37-20, 31-17 and 10-6. He is 3-0 with the Gamecocks, leading Carolina wins of 24-21, 15-9 and 27-24 over Tennessee. The seven wins represents Coach Muschamp’s high against any opponent.
IT JUST MEANS MORE: South Carolina’s redshirt junior offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson hails from Huntingdon, Tenn., located about 300 miles west of Knoxville. True freshmen Keveon Mullins (Memphis) and Joseph Anderson (Murfreesboro) also come from the Volunteer state. Gamecocks’ assistant strength & conditioning coach Corey Miller played at Tennessee from 2010-13. Tennessee assistant coach Chris Rumph played at Carolina in the early ’90s, while director of strength & conditioning Craig Fitzgerald was on Steve Spurrier’s staff at South Carolina from 2009-11. Former Gamecocks Byron Jerideau and Shaq Wilson are also on the Vols’ strength staff.
YOU WONNUM, YOU GOT ‘EM: D.J. Wonnum earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his performance against Tennessee in 2017 and again in 2018, posting a pair of sacks in each contest. Younger brother, Dylan Wonnum, was named the SEC Freshman of the Week against the Volunteers last season.
ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Gamecocks were looking to knock off their second top-10 team in as many weeks, but fell short in a 38-27 setback to No. 9/9 Florida on a rain-soaked Saturday in Columbia. The Gamecocks clung to a 20-17 lead heading into the final stanza, but the Gators outscored Carolina by a 21-7 margin in the final 10 minutes for the win. Carolina outgained Florida 387-354 and won the time of possession by four minutes, but weren’t able to overcome Kyle Trask’s four touchdown passes.
ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR EDWARDS: Senior wide receiver Bryan Edwards caught seven passes for 78 yards against the Gators. In doing so, he became just the second player in school history to eclipse the 200-reception mark. With 203 career catches, Edwards trails school record holder Kenny McKinley by just four receptions. Edwards is third in school history with 2,733 receiving yards, just 48 behind McKinley for second.
NO FAMINE FOR FEASTER: When starting running back Rico Dowdle left the Florida game with a knee injury after just one carry, senior Tavien Feaster stepped in and put together the best game of his career, rushing 25 times for 175 yards and a touchdown. It was the most rushing yards for a Gamecock since Dowdle logged 226 yards against Western Carolina in 2016 and the most for a Carolina running back against an SEC opponent since Mike Davis went for 183 against Kentucky in 2014. Here are the top rushing performances by Carolina running backs against SEC defenses:
Date Name Opponent Yards
11/13/10 Marcus Lattimore Florida 212
10/12/96 Duce Staley Kentucky 193
10/30/10 Marcus Lattimore Tennessee 184
10/04/14 Mike Davis Kentucky 183
09/11/10 Marcus Lattimore Georgia 176
10/19/19 Tavien Feaster Florida 175
AMONG THE LEADERS: Several Gamecocks are listed in the SEC’s top-10 this week:
Passing Avg/Game – Ryan Hilinski – 6th – 199.7
Receptions/Game – Bryan Edwards -6th – 5.7
Receiving Yds/Game – Bryan Edwards – 9th – 72.0
Total Offense – Ryan Hilinski – 10th – 193.7
Scoring (Kick) – Parker White – 8th – 7.4
Kick Returns – Shi Smith – 5th – 22.5
Punting – Joseph Charlton – 2nd – 48.3
Field Goals – Parker White – t3rd – 1.57
Field Goal Pct. – Parker White – t4th – 73.3
PAT Kicking Pct. – Parker White – t1st – 100.0
Tackles – Ernest Jones – 5th – 7.9
Sacks – Javon Kinlaw – t3rd – 0.71
Sacks – D.J. Wonnum – 5th – 0.64
Sacks – Aaron Sterling – t7th -0.57
Tackles for loss – D.J. Wonnum – t4th – 1.07
Passes Defended – Israel Mukuamu – t5th – 1.14
Passes Defended – Jaycee Horn – t10th – 1.0
Interceptions – Israel Mukuamu – 2nd – 0.57
Fumbles Forced – Jaycee Horn – t2nd – 0.29
Fumbles Recovered – Javon Kinlaw – t1st – 0.29
COMMITTING TO THE RUN: After rushing 24 times for just 16 yards in the loss at Missouri, the Gamecocks have committed to the run. They rushed 46 times for 247 yards and three touchdowns against Kentucky, 36 times for 142 yards at Georgia and 43 times for 217 yards and two scores against Florida. For the season, the Gamecocks are averaging 196.9 yards per game on the ground, fourth in the SEC, with 15 rushing touchdowns. That is the highest single-season average since the 2013 team went for 198.5 rushing yards per game. Carolina had a school record 493 rushing yards against Charleston Southern earlier this year.
BENTLEY IS IN THE GARAGE: Senior Jake Bentley triggered the offense from the middle of the 2016 season through the first game of the 2019 campaign. A 6-4, 220-pounder from Opelika, Ala., Bentley suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot on the last play against North Carolina and is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery during the second week of September. Bentley logged a 19-14 record as the starting signal-caller. He ranks near the top of many Carolina career statistical categories:
Pass Attempts – 1,002 (4th)
Pass Completions – 626 (3rd)
Completion Percentage – 62.5 (2nd)
Passing Yards – 7,527 (4th)
Passing Touchdowns – 55 (3rd)
Career Wins – 19 (6th)
Touchdowns Responsible For – 63 (t3rd)
NEXT MAN UP: True freshman Ryan Hilinski has taken the starting quarterback reins. Like Bentley, Hilinski, a highly-touted 6-3, 230-pound signal-caller from California, comes from a quarterbacking family. His brother Kelly played QB at Columbia and Weber State, while his brother, the late Tyler Hilinski, was a quarterback at Washington State. Hilinski joined the team in January and went through spring drills. He made his debut against Charleston Southern by hitting his first 12 passes and finished the day 24-of-30 for 282 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. His 259 yards in the first half is the most passing yards by a true freshman quarterback in a single half this season. He also had one rushing touchdown. He followed that up with a 36-for-57, 324-yard, two-touchdown performance against Alabama, earning SEC Freshman of the Week accolades. He is 3-3 as a starter, connecting on 120-of-199 passes (60.3 pct.) for 1,198 yards with seven TDs and three interceptions. His 199.7 passing yards per game is tops among SEC freshmen quarterbacks.
THE SIXTH MAN: When he got the call against Charleston Southern in week 2, Ryan Hilinki became just the sixth true freshman to start at quarterback for the Gamecocks since joining the SEC. Steve Taneyhill (1992), Mikal Goodman (1999), Lorenzo Nuñez (2015), Brandon McIlwain (2016) and Jake Bentley (2016) were the others. Here’s how they each fared in their first career start:
Quarterback Opp. W/L C A I Yds TD
S. Taneyhill Miss State W 7 14 1 183 2
M. Goodman Ole Miss L 8 15 0 147 0
L. Nuñez UCF W 12 22 0 184 2
B. McIlwain ECU W 16 28 0 195 0
J. Bentley UMass W 17 26 0 201 2
R. Hilinski Chas. So. W 24 30 1 282 2
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: Making just his second career start and his first against an FBS opponent, true freshman Ryan Hilinski completed 36-of-57 passes for 324 yards with two touchdowns against Alabama, earning SEC Freshman of the Week accolades. The 57 attempts were the second-most in a single-game in school history, topped only by the 58 that Steve Taneyhill threw against East Carolina in 1994, while the 36 completions ranks third in school history, topped only by Taneyhill on two occasions – 39 vs. ECU in ’94 and 38 vs. Mississippi State in 1995. Hilinski became just the second freshman in program history to throw for more than 300 yards against an SEC opponent, joining Todd Ellis, who threw for 342 yards against Georgia in 1986.
PASS ATTEMPTS – GAME
1. Steve Taneyhill vs. East Carolina (10/8/94)……. 58
2. Ryan Hilinski vs. Alabama (9/14/19)………….. 57
3. Todd Ellis vs. Virginia Tech (10/8/88)………….. 53
Stephen Garcia at Georgia (9/12/09)…………….. 53
5. 3 players tied……………………………………………… 51
PASS COMPLETIONS – GAME
1. Steve Taneyhill vs. East Carolina (10/8/94)……. 39
2. Steve Taneyhill vs. Mississippi St. (10/14/95)…. 38
3. Ryan Hilinski vs. Alabama (9/14/19)………….. 36
4. Steve Taneyhill vs. Georgia (9/2/95)……………… 34
DO IT ALL DAKEREON: Redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner began the season as the number 3 quarterback, moved to wide receiver, and has now returned to quarterback on a full-time basis. Joyner saw his first extended action at quarterback at Missouri, completing 6-of-11 passes for 89 yards. He was not available for the Kentucky game with a hamstring injury, then, despite not being 100 percent, was forced into action at Georgia after Hilinski was injured. He was 6-for-12 in that contest for 39 yards and rushed six times for 28 yards. For the season, he is 13-of-24 for 128 yards, and has rushed 16 times for 77 yards and a touchdown. If Hilinski and Joyner were unavailable, Jay Urich would be next in line.
FEARSOME FOURSOME: Running backs coach Thomas Brown has a quartet of seniors at his disposal in Rico Dowdle, graduate transfer Tavien Feaster, Mon Denson and A.J. Turner.
* Rico Dowdle (6-0, 215) has started every game this season, rushing 78 times for 457 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and four scores. He has two 100-yard rushing games in 2019 (Alabama and Kentucky), and eight in his career. He owns 2,126 yards, 15th on the school’s all-time list. He has scored 16 rushing TDs (three shy of breaking into the school’s top 10) in 36 games including 25 starts. He left the Florida game with a knee injury after just one carry, the 400th of his career.
* Tavien Feaster (6-0, 221) has been the Gamecocks’ top rusher three times this season, rushing for 72 yards in the season opener against North Carolina, for 107 yards in the win over Kentucky, and for a career-hgih 175 yards on 25 carries against Florida. For the season, he has carried 82 times for 492 yards, a 6.0-yard average, with four TDs. Feaster, who played at Clemson in each of the previous three seasons, has rushed 304 times for 1,822 yards with 19 touchdowns over 48 career games including 12 starts.
* Mon Denson (5-10, 215) has only carried the ball in three games this season, rushing nine times for a career-high 118 yards against Charleston Southern, including a 57-yard touchdown burst, his third-career 100-yard rushing game; 10 times for 41 yards versus Kentucky and 12 times for 58 yards against Florida. For the season, he is averaging 7.0 yards per carry, rushing 31 times for 217 yards. He has six rushing touchdowns in 28 games including a pair of starts, with three of his six TDs coming against Florida.
* With Dowdle being hampered by injuries over the last couple of weeks, A.J. Turner has returned to the offensive side of the ball, where he has played most of his career. He ranks 30th in school history with 1,322 rushing yards.
FOUR REACH THE CENTURY MARK: The Gamecocks have had four rushers reach the 100-yard mark this season, with Rico Dowdle and Tavien Feaster both eclipsing the mark twice, and Mon Denson and Kevin Harris doing so once. South Carolina is one of only seven schools in the country to have four different 100-yard rushers in a game this season, joining Air Force, Georgia Southern, Houston, Louisiana, Wake Forest and Wyoming.
CATCH IT IF YOU CAN:
* Bryan Edwards ranks among the best wide receivers in school history. He has caught a pass in all 45 games in which he has appeared, surpassing Kenny McKinley’s mark of 43 for a school record. After being limited to just one catch for seven yards against North Carolina, Edwards bounced back with a five-catch, 112-yard, two-TD performance against CSU, logged a career-high nine receptions for 79 yards against Alabama, posted a six-catch, 113-yard, one touchdown outing at Mizzou, his seventh career 100-yard receiving game, had a team-high six receptions versus Kentucky, caught six passes for 78 yards at Georgia with a touchdown and had seven receptions for 78 yards against Florida. He is second on the school’s career receptions list with 203, behind only Kenny McKinley’s school record 207 receptions. Edwards also ranks third on the school’s all-time receiving yards list with 2,733. He trails only Alshon Jeffery (3,042) and Kenny McKinley (2,781) on that list. Edwards owns 20 career TDs, third on the school’s all-time list, behind only Sidney Rice and Alshon Jeffery’s mark of 23.
* Junior Shi Smith (5-10, 190) is the No. 2 receiver. Smith was the top receiver against North Carolina, catching five passes for 55 yards, and logged six receptions for 90 yards and a score against Alabama. He is second on the team with 25 catches for 252 yards. His next catch will be the 100th of his career.
* Sophomore Josh Vann (2 starts) and veteran Chavis Dawkins (4 starts) work as the third and fourth receivers. Vann has 16 catches for 128 yards. After not having a reception in the first three games, Dawkins has six catches for 65 yards over the last four contests.
* Redshirt sophomore OrTre Smith did not dress for the opener, but has since returned to the field after missing most of last season following knee surgery and has contributed six catches for 49 yards with a touchdown against Florida.
REVAMPED TIGHT ENDS: Bobby Bentley took over as the tight ends coach and came into a room that had just seven career Division I receptions entering the 2019 campaign. He lost K.C. Crosby and Jacob August to graduation, then lost Kiel Pollard to a career-ending medical situation during fall camp, while Evan Hinson elected to pursue a basketball career at Austin Peay.
* Fifth-year junior Kyle Markway (6-4, 250) is having a career year. Markway is tied for third on the team with 16 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns on the season after having just six catches coming into 2019. He had a career-high four receptions against CSU, then topped that with five catches for 46 yards against Alabama.
* Junior Nick Muse (6-3, 232), a transfer from William & Mary, got a waiver for immediate eligibility a day prior to the CSU game. He made an immediate impact with two catches for 22 yards in that contest and had four catches for 21 yards against Alabama. He added another two catches for 25 yards at Mizzou and three for a career-high 31 yards at Georgia. He has 12 receptions for 120 yards on the season. He hauled in 30 passes for 453 yards a season ago for the Tribe.
* Junior Chandler Farrell (6-3, 295), a former walk-on center, moved to tight end during fall camp to add depth. He is now wearing No. 31, rather than the 60 he has worn previously. Used primarily as a blocking tight end, Farrell is still looking for his first reception.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Senior tight end Kiel Pollard was forced to give up his playing career during fall camp. Pollard suffered a small fracture in his neck, which was to have sidelined him for 4-6 weeks. However, during an MRI, the doctors discovered a cyst on his spinal cord, which apparently has been there since he was a child. The severity of the situation and the possible long-term consequences from that medical condition forced him to retire as a player. Pollard, who will graduate in December, is helping as a student-assistant coach. He served as a team captain in the opener vs. UNC.
THE O-LINE SETTLES IN: The Gamecocks have what offensive line coach Eric Wolford considers his most athletic unit since rejoining the Carolina staff. He has two veterans in left tackle Sadarius Hutcherson and center Donell Stanley, but the other three spots are manned by first-year starters.
* Sixth-year senior Donell Stanley (6-3, 325) anchors the unit. Stanley worked at left guard in the season opener, but has since moved back to center. He worked primarily at center during the 2018 season and has made 20-consecutive starts.
* Redshirt junior Sadarius Hutcherson (6-4, 320) protects the quarterback’s blind side from the left tackle position. Hutcherson played guard in 2018, but is strong and athletic enough to handle the tackle position. He has made 21-consecutive starts and earned a spot on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks” list.
* Sophomore Dylan Wonnum (6-5, 310) started each of the first four games at right tackle before suffering an ankle injury in the Missouri game, which has kept him out of the the last three contests. Wonnum was a Freshman All-American last season as a true freshman.
* The Gamecocks started a new pair of guards against Charleston Southern, with redshirt sophomore Jordan Rhodes (6-4, 330) taking over at left guard and redshirt freshman Jovaughn Gwyn (6-2, 305) getting the nod at right guard. They both have now started six-straight games.
* True freshman Jaylen Nichols (6-5, 320) made his first career start against Kentucky at the right tackle position, replacing the injured Dylan Wonnum, and has now started three-straight contests.
THAT’S MORE LIKE IT: The Gamecock defense has played better over the last four games. They held the Missouri offense to 20 points, then surrendered just seven against Kentucky, while holding the Wildcats to just 212 total yards of offense, including 97 yards passing. It was the fewest yards surrendered by the Gamecocks since the 2012 season and the fewest first downs allowed (9) since holding Arkansas to seven in 2013. The Gamecock defense limited the high-powered Georgia offense to just 17 points, forcing four turnovers and collecting three sacks. In the two overtimes, South Carolina did not allow a first down while getting an interception and forcing a long field goal that went wide left. Florida managed just 354 yards of offense against Carolina after averaging 432.0 yards entering the contest.
THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE: This is easily the best defensive front in both depth and talent assembled at South Carolina since the days of Jadeveon Clowney and company raised havoc throughout the SEC.
* Most of the accolades have gone to Javon Kinlaw (6-6, 310), who some NFL experts have labeled a first-round NFL draft pick. He has filled up the stat line with 22 tackles including 5.0 sacks, third in the SEC, three quarterback hurries, a pair of fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. He was the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance at Georgia, and was a midseason All-American by both the AP (first team) and The Athletic (second team).
* D.J. Wonnum (6-5, 260) is back after missing eight games a year ago with an ankle injury. Wonnum was named a team captain in 2017 after logging 13.0 tackles for loss including 6.0 sacks. He logged three tackles for loss in the season opener against North Carolina and registered 11 tackles overall. He had his first career interception at Missouri. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Kentucky when he registered a career-high 3.0 sacks among his five tackles and forced a fumble. He has been recognized as an SEC weekly award winner four times in his career, including twice against Tennessee. He has 25 tackles on the season including a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He has tied Rashad Faison for 10th on the school’s all-time list in tackles for loss with 27.5 and, with 14.0 career sacks, is one sack away from tying four others for ninth on the school’s all-time list.
* Kobe Smith (6-2, 300) is a “glue guy” in the middle of the line and has recorded 18 tackles. He gets extra mention in the notes after serving as a summer marketing intern for Gamecock Athletics.
* The Gamecocks have been getting better play from junior defensive end Aaron Sterling (6-1, 250). For the season, Sterling has registered 23 tackles, is second on the squad in tackles for loss (6.0) and is third in sacks (4.0). He also is tied for the team lead with three QB hurries, has forced a fumble and has recovered a fumble.
GETTING IN THE SACK: Through seven games, Carolina has logged 17 sacks, with Javon Kinlaw leading the way with 5.0, while D.J. Wonnum (4.5) and Aaron Sterling (4.0) are right behind. The Gamecocks have three of the top 10 SEC sack leaders and are the only SEC school to have at least three players with 4.0 or more sacks this season.
SACKS 2019 CAREER
D.J. Wonnum 4.5 14.0
Javon Kinlaw 5.0 9.5
Aaron Sterling 4.0 7.0
T.J. Brunson 0.0 6.0
Kier Thomas 0.0 5.5
Daniel Fennell 0.0 4.0
Brad Johnson 0.0 3.5
Jaycee Horn 1.0 3.0
Kingsley Enagbare 1.0 2.0
Kobe Smith 0.5 2.0
R.J. Roderick 1.0 1.0
Jabari Ellis 0.0 1.0
Rick Sandidge 0.0 0.5
BACKING UP THE LINE: What was a very thin unit that saw T.J. Brunson and Sherrod Greene each play over 900 snaps a year ago, the Gamecock linebacking corps is much deeper this season.
* T.J. Brunson (6-1, 230) is the veteran leader of the group. The first player that Coach Muschamp recruiting at Carolina, Brunson has logged 256 career tackles, including 106 last season alone. A 2018 team captain, he opened the 2019 season with nine stops against UNC, had a season-high 12 tackles at Missouri, had 10 stops at Georgia and is currently second on the team with 50 stops.
* Sophomore Ernest Jones (6-2, 235) earned the starting spot at the MIKE position, allowing Brunson to move back to WILL. An excellent communicator, Jones starred in his first start against UNC, registering a team-high 12 tackles, along with a pair of pass breakups. He also logged a team-high 12 tackles at Georgia. He leads the team and is fifth in the SEC with 55 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. He logged his first career interception against Kentucky.
* Sherrod Greene (6-1, 230) started every game last season but began this season in a reserve role. He has been coming on of late, starting each of the last four games as Carolina has opened with a 4-3 look, and is playing his best football.
EASON-RIDDLE AT YOUR SERVICE: Junior linebacker Spencer Eason-Riddle is one of 22 student-athletes selected for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. The 22 players stood out for their leadership in local communities and overall commitment to giving back. Eason-Riddle has been a regular at both the Dorn VA Medical Center and at the oncology center of the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. He founded and developed the “Sandstorm Buddies Program” which matches USC student-athletes with patients and their families, where they can serve in a mentor capacity with cancer patients.
RECONFIGURED SECONDARY: Defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson has a talented, but young group in his meeting room.
* J.T. Ibe (5-10, 195), a sixth-year graduate transfer, is the veteran in the secondary. Ibe missed the opener with a pec injury, something he dealt with at Rice as well, but has since returned to the starting lineup. He has 27 tackles in six games, including a team-high eight stops against Florida.
* Jaycee Horn (6-1, 200), who is considered the top cover corner, logged a sack and forced a pair of fumbles in the season opener, had two PBUs vs. Alabama and logged seven tackles at Georgia. He has 23 tackles on the season with a team-high seven PBUs and a team-high two forced fumbles.
* Israel Mukuamu (6-4, 205), who ranks third on the team with 42 tackles while playing both corner and safety, logged seven tackles against UNC, a pick against CSU and registered eight tackles against Alabama before having a career game at Georgia with a career-high 11 tackles and three interceptions. He is one of only three players in the country with three picks in a game this season and leads the SEC and is tied for fourth in the country with four interceptions.
* Sophomore R.J. Roderick has worked his way into the starting lineup, seeing action at both nickel and safety. He is fourth on the team with 35 tackles and logged his first career sack against Alabama.
* True freshmen Jammie Robinson (5-11, 200) and John Dixon (6-0, 190) both started vs. UNC. They became the eighth and ninth true freshman to start a season opener for the Gamecocks since the 2009 season, joining Stephon Gilmore (2009), Marcus Lattimore (2010), Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Bryson Allen-Williams (2014), Al Harris Jr. (2014), Bryan Edwards (2016) and Jaycee Horn (2018). Dixon had a pick against CSU, while Robinson picked off his first pass against Florida.
SIMPLY THE BEST: Sophomore cornerback Israel Mukuamu had a memorable game in the win at Georgia. He logged a career-high 11 tackles and intercepted Jake Fromm three times, returning one 53 yards for a score. Fromm had entered the game without an INT this season. He became the first Gamecock to record three picks in a game since Patrick Hinton vs. NC State in 1988. Mukuamu was recognized as the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Chuck Bednarik Award National Player of the Week, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week, the CollegeSportsMadness.com SEC and National Defensive Player of the Week, and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
PICK THIS: After logging just six interceptions in 2018, the Gamecocks already have nine picks this season, tied for 11th in the country, including three picks against Charleston Southern, the most in a game since the Vanderbilt win in 2015, and three more at Georgia (all by Israel Mukuamu).
INTERCEPTIONS 2019 Career
Israel Mukuamu 4 5
R.J. Roderick 1 1
John Dixon 1 1
Sherrod Greene 0 1
Ernest Jones 1 1
Jammie Robinson 1 1
D.J. Wonnum 1 1
KICKING IT WITH PARKER: Redshirt junior Parker White is in his third season handling the extra point and field goal attempts. White is 11-for-15 in field goals this season (73.3 pct.) with three of his four misses coming from 50 yards and beyond. He hit a then career-long 48-yarder vs. Alabama and topped that with a 49-yarder at Georgia and had another 49-yarder vs. Florida. He is 38-of-56 (67.9 percent) in career field goal attempts, including 27-of-30 (90.0 percent) from inside 40 yards. He is 90-for-91 on extra point attempts, including 19-for-19 this season.
CAREER POINTS SCORED
1. Elliott Fry (2013-16)………………………………. 359
2. Collin Mackie (1987-90)…………………………. 330
3. Ryan Succop (2005-08)…………………………… 251
4. Marcus Lattimore (2010-12)…………………….. 246
5. Parker White (2017-19)…………………………. 204
CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90)…………………………… 72
2. Elliott Fry (2013-16)………………………………… 66
3. Ryan Succop (2005-08)…………………………….. 49
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83)………………………… 39
Reed Morton (1993-96)……………………………. 39
6. Parker White (2017-19)…………………………… 38
CAREER FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90)…………………………… 98
2. Elliott Fry (2013-16)………………………………… 88
3. Ryan Succop (2005-08)…………………………….. 69
4. Parker White (2017-19)…………………………… 56
5. Reed Morton (1993-96)……………………………. 54
CAREER PATs MADE
1. Elliott Fry (2013-16)………………………………. 161
2. Scott Hagler (1983-86)……………………………. 117
3. Collin Mackie (1987-90)…………………………. 114
4. Ryan Succop (2005-08)…………………………… 104
5. Parker White (2017-19)…………………………… 90
WINNER, WINNER: Parker White owns five fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning field goals in his career. He provided the deciding points in wins over Louisiana Tech (2017), Tennessee (2017), Missouri (2018), Tennessee (2018) and Georgia (2019).
AS GOOD AS IT GETS: Parker White is a perfect 5-for-5 in field goal attempts against Tennessee in his career. Three of the field goals have come in the fourth quarter, producing two game-winners.
I’M CHARLTON YOUR PUNTER: Senior Joseph Charlton handles the punting chores for the Gamecocks and is an All-American candidate. He ranks second in the country in punting average at 48.3 yards, while the Gamecocks are ranked second in the country in net punting at 44.5 yards. He punted nine times for a 51.2-yard average against Kentucky with a season-best 65-yarder, earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades. For the season, 16 of his 38 punts have traveled at least 50 yards, while 20 have been marked inside the 20 with three touchbacks. He is a four-time “Ray’s 8” weekly watch list member.
AMONG THE NATION’S BEST: Here are the top five punters in the nation:
NAME SCHOOL G NO YDS AVG
1. Braden Mann Texas A&M 7 29 1428 49.2
2. Joseph Charlton S. Carolina 7 38 1834 48.3
3. Oscar Bradburn Virginia Tech 7 32 1544 48.3
4. Max Duffy Kentucky 7 33 1591 48.2
5. Ryan Stonehouse Colorado St. 7 32 1513 47.3
NOTHING BUT NET: With Joseph Charlton challenging for All-America honors, the Gamecocks are among the leaders in net punting:
SCHOOL G NO YDS RET NET
1. Kentucky 7 33 1,591 37 45.27
2. South Carolina 7 38 1,834 83 44.50
3. Colorado State 7 32 1,513 51 44.44
4. Houston 7 31 1,465 88 44.42
5. Syracuse 7 44 1,991 14 44.02
CHARLTON THE G.O.A.T.: Joseph Charlton is currently the school record holder for career punting average at 45.2-yards per punt.
CAREER PUNTING AVERAGE (Min. 75 Punts)
1. Joseph Charlton (2015-19)… 45.2 (141 for 6376)
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)
REPLACING DEEBO: It’s tough to replace the school’s record-holder in kickoff return average, but Shi Smith is doing his best to make people forget Deebo Samuel. Smith returned three kicks for 100 yards, including a 60-yarder that set up a third-quarter touchdown against North Carolina. He is averaging 22.5 yards, fifth in the SEC.
SNAPPING BACK: Graduate transfer Matt Oliveira handles the short and deep snapping duties. Oliveira has experience, having been the long snapper each of the last two seasons for Maryland.
WATCH ME NOW: The Gamecocks had 11 players on the Senior Bowl preseason watch list, the third-highest total in the country. The list includes Jake Bentley, T.J. Brunson, Joseph Charlton, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards, Tavien Feaster, Javon Kinlaw, Kyle Markway, Donell Stanley, Keir Thomas and D.J. Wonnum.
OLD-TIMERS GAME: The Gamecocks have four players – Caleb Kinlaw, J.T. Ibe, Donell Stanley and Eldridge Thompson – who are in their sixth-year of eligibility. Their first collegiate season was in 2014. South Carolina and Akron are the only Division I schools with four sixth-year players on the roster.
YOUR MONEY’S NO GOOD HERE: Just prior to the start of the 2019 academic year, walk-on linebacker Spencer Eason-Riddle was rewarded with a scholarship.
FAMILY TIES: Sophomore defensive back Jaycee Horn is the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, junior linebacker Damani Staley is the son of former Gamecock and NFL running back Duce Staley, while 2019 signee Shilo Sanders is the son of former NFL and MLB standout Deion Sanders.
TOTING THE SHEEPSKIN: Thirteen Gamecocks already have their undergraduate degree in hand including: Joseph Charlton, Mon Denson, Spencer Eason-Riddle, Chandler Farrell, Tavien Feaster, Daniel Fennell, Bailey Hart, J.T. Ibe, Caleb Kinlaw, Kyle Markway, Matt Oliveira, Donell Stanley and Eldridge Thompson.
THE CAP AND GOWN AWAITS: Fourteen Gamecocks are on track to graduate in December. The list includes: Michael Almond, Jake Bentley, T.J. Brunson, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards, Daniel Fennell (Master’s), Sadarius Hutcherson, Javon Kinlaw, Kiel Pollard, Kobe Smith, Keir Thomas, Will Tommie, A.J. Turner, and Alexander Woznick.
LOVE US FOR OUR MINDS: Gamecock football student-athletes posted a combined 3.026 GPA in the fall semester of 2018, the best in school history, then topped that with a 3.084 team GPA in the spring of 2019. In the recently released graduation success rate, South Carolina’s Football GSR score (92) ranked second among SEC schools, tied for first among South Carolina
schools (Wofford) and tied for sixth among all FBS schools.
UP NEXT: The Gamecocks return home to host the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series by a 24-4 count, including an 11-2 mark in Columbia. Carolina has won the last 10 in a row, including last year’s game in Nashville by a 37-14 margin.
