Gamecocks Wrap Up SEC Slate in College Station Saturday
Carolina Faces Texas A&M on SEC Network
The South Carolina Gamecocks (4-6, 3-4 SEC) wrap up the SEC portion of their 2019 schedule when they travel to College Station, Texas for a Nov. 16 battle with the Texas A&M Aggies (6-3, 3-2 SEC). Game time is set for 7:30 pm ET (6:30 pm CT) from Kyle Field (102,733). SEC Network will televise the game with Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers in the booth and Cole Cubelic working the sidelines. Compass Media Networks has the national radio broadcast with Gregg Daniels and Steve Beuerlein in the booth.
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 612-585-44, 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 97-125-1 (.437) all-time in SEC regular-season play, but are 42-37 (.532) in conference action since the start of the 2010 season.
THE SERIES: This is the sixth gridiron meeting between South Carolina and Texas A&M. The Gamecocks are still looking for their first win over their “permanent” SEC Western Division rival from College Station. The two schools met for the first time in 2014 in Columbia, with A&M posting a 52-28 win in the season opener for both teams. The Aggies owns a 3-0 record in Columbia and are 2-0 against the Gamecocks in College Station. Three of the last four games have been decided by seven points or less.
THE BONHAM TROPHY: Amateur Historian Richard Peterson, a USC Broadcasting Journalism graduate and previous resident of Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas, recommended “The Governor’s Trophy” to be named after James Butler Bonham, Hero of the Alamo and himself an Alum of The University of South Carolina. Peterson and Katon Dawson took the idea to then Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina and a new tradition was born. “The Bonham Trophy” is exchanged between the Governors of South Carolina and Texas with the winner taking possession of the Bonham Trophy of “Western Artwork,” created by renowned Texas sculptor Jeff Gottfried, and displayed at the victorious State Capital, University or any location the Governor may choose. Two weeks after the Game, The Bonham Trophy is returned for permanent display at The Alamo until the next USC / Texas A&M Football Game.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Kellen Mond threw for 353 yards and freshman Seth Small booted four field goals, as the 22nd-ranked Aggies came away with a 26-23 win in Columbia on Oct. 13, 2018. A&M opened up a 16-0 advantage before Carolina tied the contest with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and two-point conversions. Small put the Aggies back on top early in the fourth quarter, and Trayveon Williams sealed the victory with a touchdown in the final 100 seconds. Texas A&M held the ball for 41:29 of the contest, running 77 plays to Carolina’s 53.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Carolina opened up a 17-7 third quarter lead and led 17-10 heading into the final period before Keith Ford ran for two scores as the Aggies rallied for a 24-17 win in College Station on Sept. 30, 2017. Jake Bentley threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times in the contest. A&M outgained the Gamecocks by a 151-7 margin in the fourth quarter. Kellen Mond completed 19-of-27 passes for 159 yards and rushed 16 times for 95 yards for the Aggies.
FACING THE LONE STAR STATE TEAMS: Carolina is 3-9 all-time against teams from the Lone Star State, going 1-0 against Texas, 1-2 against both Baylor and Houston, and 0-5 against Texas A&M. This will be the Gamecocks’ third trip to College Station in the last five years. Prior to the 2015 meeting, South Carolina had not ventured into the state of Texas since dropping an 18-17 decision to Baylor in Waco on Oct. 2, 1976.
A TEXAS TRIO: Carolina features three players who list Texas as their home state. Senior linebacker Eldridge Thompson played his prep ball in Memphis, but his mother and sister now make their home in Houston. Graduate transfer safety J.T. Ibe played his high school ball in Mansfield and earned his undergraduate degree from Rice University in Houston. True freshman Shilo Sanders played his prep ball at Trinity Christian while making his home in Cedar Hill.
DEEP IN THE HEART: The Gamecocks own a 1-5 record when playing in Texas. Their only win came 62 years ago, Oct. 5, 1957, when they went into Austin and defeated the 20th-ranked Texas Longhorns by a 27-21 score. Carolina has lost twice at A&M, (2015 and ’17) twice at Baylor (1949 and ’76) and at Houston (1973 – the night after the Riggs-King Battle of the Sexes tennis match in the Astrodome).
EXTRA PREP TIME: Each of South Carolina’s final four opponents have extra time to prepare for the Gamecocks. Vandy was coming off a bye week before dropping a 24-7 decision in Columbia on Nov. 2. After playing on Thursday, Oct. 31, App State had nine days to prepare for South Carolina before posting a 20-15 win last Saturday. Carolina’s final two opponents, Texas A&M and Clemson, also have a bye week before meeting the Gamecocks, giving them two weeks to prepare.
SENIOR BOWL SELECTS: Wide receiver Bryan Edwards, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and defensive end D.J. Wonnum have accepted invitations to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Jan. 25 in Mobile, Ala.
ABOUT LAST WEEK: The South Carolina defense held Appalachian State to just 202 yards of total offense, but a late rally fell short in a 20-15 loss to the Mountaineers in Columbia last Saturday night. Carolina got three field goals from Parker White, including a career-long 50-yarder, but couldn’t put the ball in the end zone until in the final three minutes of the game. Carolina had one final opportunity, reaching the App State nine-yard line with just seconds to play, but were unable to come up with the winning score.
ANOTHER GAME, ANOTHER RECORD: Bryan Edwards caught nine passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, becoming South Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,045, surpassing the record of 3,042, held by Alshon Jeffery. Edwards is already the school’s all-time leader in career receptions with 234 and consecutive games with a reception (47), and is now just one touchdown shy of matching Sidney Rice and Jeffrey’s school-record 23 touchdown receptions.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN, BANG: Junior placekicker Parker White had a big day against App State, connecting on all three of his field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yarder. It was the Gamecocks’ first 50-yard field goal since Elliott Fry hit from 55-yards for the game-winner against Vanderbilt in the 2016 season opener.
SOLID D: Overshadowed in the loss to App State was the performance by the Gamecock defense. The unit allowed just 13 points, 11 first downs and 202 yards of offense. Both the first downs and yards allowed were the second-fewest surrendered by a Will Muschamp-led defense at Carolina.
AMONG THE LEADERS: Several Gamecocks are listed in the SEC’s top-10 this week:
Passing Avg/Game – Ryan Hilinski – 4th – 230.8
Receptions/Game – Bryan Edwards -1st – 7.1
Receiving Yds/Game – Bryan Edwards – 5th – 81.6
Total Offense – Ryan Hilinski – 5th – 225.3
Scoring (Kick) – Parker White – t6th – 7.0
Kick Returns – Shi Smith – 4th – 21.9
Punting – Joseph Charlton – 3rd – 48.3
Field Goals – Parker White – 3rd – 1.5
PAT Kicking Pct. – Parker White – t1st – 100.0
Sacks – Aaron Sterling – 5th – 6.0
Sacks – Javon Kinlaw – 6th – 5.5
Sacks – D.J. Wonnum – t10th – 4.5
Tackles for loss – Aaron Sterling – 1st – 10.0
Tackles for loss – D.J. Wonnum – 3rd – 9.5
Passes Defended – Israel Mukuamu – t6th – 1.00
Interceptions – Israel Mukuamu – t5th – 0.40
Fumbles Forced – Jaycee Horn – 10th – 0.20
Fumbles Recovered – Javon Kinlaw – t5th – 0.20
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. He followed that up with a 36-for-57, 324-yard, two-touchdown performance against Alabama, earning SEC Freshman of the Week accolades. He recorded his second 300-yard passing game at Tennessee, completing 28-of-51 for 319 yards. He logged his third 300-yard performance when he completed 30-of-57 passes for 325 yards against App State. The 57 passes and 325 yards were both career highs. He is 4-5 as a starter, connecting on 204-of-338 passes (60.4 pct.) for 2,077 yards with 11 TDs and four interceptions. His 230.8 passing yards per game is tops among SEC freshmen quarterbacks, fourth overall in the SEC and sixth among all freshmen quarterbacks in the country.
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
LEONIDAS APPROVES: True freshman Ryan Hilinski has already thrown for more than 300 yards in three games this season. Making just his second career start and his first against an FBS opponent, Hilinski completed 36-of-57 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. Hilinski then completed 28-of-51 passes for 319 yards at Tennessee, becoming the first Carolina true freshman to throw for over 300 yards twice. He set a career high with a 325-yard effort on 32-of-57 passing against Appalachian State. Todd Ellis had three 300-yard passing games as a redshirt freshman in 1986.
300-YARD PASSING GAMES – CAREER
QUARTERBACK YEARS STARTS 300+
1. Todd Ellis…………… 1985-89……….. 43……….. 10
2. Steve Taneyhill…….. 1992-95……….. 40………… 8
3. Stephen Garcia…….. 2007-11……….. 34………… 6
4. Jake Bentley…………. 2016-19……….. 33………… 5
Blake Mitchell……… 2003-07……….. 23………… 5
Dylan Thompson…. 2010-14……….. 16………… 5
7. Ryan Hilinski……….. 2019………….. 9…………. 3
Connor Shaw………. 2010-13……….. 32………… 3
Tommy Suggs……… 1967-70……… N/A……….. 3
PASS ATTEMPTS – GAME
1. Steve Taneyhill vs. East Carolina (10/8/94)……. 58
2. Ryan Hilinski vs. Alabama (9/14/19)………….. 57
Ryan Hilinski vs. Appalachian St. (11/9/19)… 57
3. Todd Ellis vs. Virginia Tech (10/8/88)………….. 53
Stephen Garcia at Georgia (9/12/09)…………….. 53
5. 4 players tied, last: Hilinski at Tenn. (10/26/19)… 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
PROTECT THE BALL: Between throwing pick-sixes at Missouri and again versus Appalachian State, Ryan Hilinski threw a school record 180 passes without an interception, breaking the previous record of 177, held by Connor Shaw.
SOUTH CAROLINA CONSECUTIVE PASSES WITHOUT AN INT
1. Ryan Hilinski (2019)……………………………. 180
2. Connor Shaw (2012-13)………………………… 177
3. Steve Taneyhill (1995)…………………………… 163
BUT HE’S SO YOUNG: Ryan Hilinski holds the school record for a true freshman quarterback in pass completions (204), pass attempts (338), yards passing (2,077) and touchdowns thrown (11).
DO IT ALL DAKEREON: Redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner began the season as the number 3 quarterback, moved to wide receiver, returned to quarterback on a full-time basis and is now splitting time between QB and WR. 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. He sat out the two games while continuing to allow the hamstring to heal, before returning against Vanderbilt. He played both quarterback and wide receiver against App State. For the season, he is 13-of-24 for 128 yards, has rushed 25 times for 100 yards and a touchdown, and has six receptions for 46 yards. If Hilinski and Joyner were unavailable, Jay Urich, who also has been used as a wide receiver this season, would be next in line.
TAILBACK BY AVAILABILITY: Running backs coach Thomas Brown has had a trio of senior running backs at his disposal in Rico Dowdle, graduate transfer Tavien Feaster and Mon Denson but, due to a various injuries, has also dipped in to the deep stable to use a pair of freshmen in Deshaun Fenwick and Kevin Harris.
FIVE REACH THE CENTURY MARK: The Gamecocks have had five running backs reach the 100-yard mark this season, with Rico Dowdle and Tavien Feaster both eclipsing the mark twice, and Mon Denson, Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick each doing so once. South Carolina is one of only three schools in the country to have five different 100-yard rushers in a game this season, joining Georgia Southern (6) and Houston (5) and the only school to have five running backs reach that plateau.
DOWDLE DOES IT: Rico Dowdle (6-0, 215) has started eight of 10 games, missing a pair of with knee injury. He has rushed 92 times for 466 yards (5.1 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 2,135 career rushing 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 37 games including 26 starts.
FEASTER STEPS IN: Tavien Feaster (6-0, 221) leads the team with 112 carries, 625 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season, going for 107 in the win over Kentucky and for a career-high 175 yards on 25 carries against Florida. However, he sat out last week’s game against App State with a groin injury. Feaster, who played at Clemson in each of the previous three seasons, has rushed 334 times for 1,955 yards with 20 touchdowns over 50 career games including 14 starts.
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
HE’S THE MON: Mon Denson (5-10, 215) has carried the ball in five games this season, including nine times for a career-high 118 yards against Charleston Southern, highlighted by a 57-yard touchdown burst, his third-career 100-yard rushing game. For the season, he is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, rushing 39 times for 232 yards. He has seven rushing touchdowns in 31 games including a pair of starts. He did not play against App State due to injury.
DESHAUN DE MAN: Redshirt freshman Deshaun Fenwick had not had a carry all season and had not seen the field since the season opener against North Carolina when his number was called against Vanderbilt. He responded with an 18-carry, 102-yard performance in the 24-7 win. The situation was not completely unfamiliar for Fenwick, as he watched the first nine games of the 2018 season from the bench before making his collegiate debut against Chattanooga, and responded with a 17-carry, 112-yard effort in that contest. He has carried 43 times for 226 yards in five games in his career.
WHO’S THE NEW GUY? True freshman Kevin Harris made his Gamecock debut a memorable one against Charleston Southern. He rushed six times for 147 yards with three touchdowns. The three rushing TDs tied the school record and he became the first true freshman to score three rushing touchdowns since Marcus Lattimore in 2010. Harris scored from 1-, 45- and 75-yards out. He became the third true freshman to rush for 100 yards in his debut in the last 20 years, joining Derek Watson (118 vs. NC State in 1999) and Deshaun Fenwick (112 vs. Chattanooga in 2018). Harris was sidelined with a sports hernia for what was originally thought to be a season-ender, but has made a speedy recovery and returned to the active roster, logging 10 carries for 20 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt. Harris is averaging 9.9 yards per carry in his limited duty.
THIS GUY IS ON FIRE: Senior wide receiver Bryan Edwards is having a tremendous final campaign, as he continues to make his mark among the top wide receivers in school history. He has caught a pass in all 48 games in which he has appeared, surpassing Kenny McKinley’s mark of 43 for a school record. He is the school record holder with 234 career receptions, breaking Kenny McKinley’s mark of 207 and in career receiving yards with 3,045, breaking Alshon Jeffery’s mark of 3,042. Edwards owns 22 career TD receptions, third on the school’s all-time list, just one behind Sidney Rice and Alshon Jeffery’s mark of 23. He has eight career 100-yard receiving games, including three this season.
MR. CONSISTENT: After being limited to just one catch for seven yards against North Carolina, Edwards has been “Mr. Consistent,” catching at least five passes in every game since, while putting together consecutive games of 5 catches, 112 yards vs Charleston Southern, 9-for-79 vs. Alabama, 6-for-113 at Mizzou, 6-for-37 vs. Kentucky, 6-for-78 yards at Georgia, 7-for-78 vs. Florida, 8-for-83 at Tennessee, a career-best 14-for-139 against Vanderbilt, and a 9-for-90 effort against App State. He leads the SEC in receptions per game (7.1) and is fifth in receiving yards per game (81.6).
PASS RECEPTIONS – SEASON
1. Alshon Jeffery (2010)………………………………….. 88
2. Kenny McKinley (2007)……………………………… 77
3. Sterling Sharpe (1986)………………………………… 74
4. Sidney Rice (2006)…………………………………….. 72
5. Bryan Edwards (2019)………………………………. 71
TAKING AIM ON THE SEC: Bryan Edwards is also climbing the charts among the SEC all-time receivers. He is tied for third in career receptions and is fourth in career receiving yards.
AND NATIONALLY: Bryan Edwards ranks first among all current Power 5 receivers with 234 receptions and is third among active Division I players, trailing only James Proche of SMU and Ty Lee of Middle Tennessee State. He also is first among Power 5 receivers in receiving yards and is third among active Division I players, trailing only Proche and Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden.
SECOND FIDDLE: Junior Shi Smith (5-10, 190) is the Gamecocks’ 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 had the best game of his career at Tennessee, catching 11 passes (tying for the ninth-best single game total in school history) for 156 yards (the most by a Gamecock this season), including a career-long 75-yard TD reception. He is second on the team with 36 catches for 408 yards, despite sitting out the last two games with a hamstring injury.
OTHERS IN THE MIX: The Gamecocks have used a slew of other wide receivers this season, as OrTre Smith has been slowed while coming back from a knee injury, Chavis Dawkins has been slowed of late with a hamstring injury and Josh Vann is out for the rest of the season with a broken hand. True freshman Xavier Legette has started each of the last two games and has responded with eight catches in those two contests, including his firs tcareer touchdown.
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.
MARKWAY A MARKED MAN: Fifth-year junior Kyle Markway (6-4, 250) is having a career year. Markway is third on the team with 23 catches for 263 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 and five catches for 43 yards versus App State.
MUSE WILL BE MISSED: 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 had a career-high 31 receiving yards at Georgia and matched his career high with four receptions at Tennessee. He has 17 receptions for 158 yards on the season, but left the Vanderbilt game with a torn ACL after being hurt on a 15-yard 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.
ATHLETIC O-LINE: 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.
STANLEY SET THE TONE: 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 23 consecutive starts.
CAN’T MOVE THIS HUTCH: 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 24-consecutive starts and earned a spot on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks” list.
LIL’ BRO: 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 next five contests. He returned to the starting lineup against App State. Wonnum, who is the younger brother of Gamecock defensive end D.J. Wonnum, was a Freshman All-American last season as a true freshman.
REVOLVING DOOR AT RIGHT TACKLE: When Dylan Wonnum was unable to answer the bell, true freshman Jaylen Nichols (6-5, 320) made his first career start against Kentucky at the right tackle position and started four-straight contests. Nichols suffered an ankle injury himself in the Tennessee game, so true freshman Jakai Moore (6-5, 295) made his first collegiate start against Vanderbilt.
THE NEW GUARDS SETTLE IN: 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 nine-straight games.
A LITTLE MISLEADING: The Gamecocks have allowed an average of 24.5 points per game this season, but it’s a little unfair to chalk that all up to the defense. The Gamecocks have surrendered five touchdowns, or 35 points, when the defense was not on the field. Taking those points away, the Carolina defense is allowing 21.0 points per game. The Gamecocks have held three opponents to 10 points or less this season.
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.
JAVON LAYS DOWN THE LAW: Most of the accolades on the defensive side 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 27 tackles including 5.5 sacks, sixth in the SEC, three quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, a pair of fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. He was the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance at Georgia, was a midseason All-American by both the AP (first team) and The Athletic (second team), and is a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.
BIG BRO: The older of the Wonnum brothers, 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 is on the Mayo Clinic list for Comeback Player of the Year this season. 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. He has 33 tackles on the season including 9.5 tackles for loss, tied for second in the SEC, and 4.5 sacks with three hurries. He has moved into ninth on the school’s all-time list in tackles for loss with 29.5 and, with 14.0 career sacks, is one sack away from tying four others for ninth on the school’s all-time list.
THE GLUE GUY: Kobe Smith (6-2, 300) is a “glue guy” in the middle of the line and has recorded 27 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss. He gets extra mention in the notes after serving as a summer marketing intern for Gamecock Athletics.
A STERLING EFFORT: The Gamecocks have been getting stellar play from junior defensive end Aaron Sterling (6-1, 250). For the season, Sterling has registered 35 tackles, while leading the SEC with 10.0 tackles for loss and is tied for second with 6.0 sacks. 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: Carolina has logged 21 sacks, with Aaron Sterling leading the way with 6.0. Javon Kinlaw (5.0) and D.J. Wonnum (4.5) are right behind. The Gamecocks are the only SEC school to have at least three players with 4.0 or more sacks this season.
BRUNSON BRINGS IT: Senior linebacker T.J. Brunson (6-1, 230) is the veteran leader of the defense. The first player that Coach Muschamp recruiting at Carolina, Brunson has logged 277 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 at Tennessee, and is currently second the team with 71 stops, 14th in the SEC. He had his first career interception late in the Vandy game.
ERNEST GOES TO TOWN: 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 tied for 11th in the SEC with 75 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss. He logged his first career interception against Kentucky and had his second vs. App State.
GREENE SEES THE FIELD: Sherrod Greene (6-1, 230) started every game last season but began this season in a reserve role. He has been coming on as the season has progressed, starting each of the last seven games as Carolina has opened with a 4-3 look, and is playing his best football. He has 33 stops including 6.5 tackles for loss, with three coming against App State.
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.
TOP COVER CORNER: Jaycee Horn (6-1, 200), who is considered the top cover corner, lhas 31 tackles on the season with a team-high eight PBUs and a team-high two forced fumbles.
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.
MORE ON MUK: Israel Mukuamu (6-4, 205), who ranks third on the team with 53 tackles while playing cornerback, He is one of only four players in the country with three picks in a game this season. He is tied for the SEC lead and is tied for seventh in the country with four interceptions.
SAFETY FIRST: 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 39 tackles, including a team-high eight stops against Florida. Sophomore R.J. Roderick (6-0, 205) is fourth on the team with 47 tackles and has two interceptions.
FRESHMEN DB’S: 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 and had nine tackles at Tennessee.
PICK THIS: After logging just six interceptions in 2018, the Gamecocks have 12 picks this season, including three against Charleston Southern, the most in a game since the Vanderbilt win in 2015, and three more at Georgia (all by Israel Mukuamu). The 12 interceptions ties for ninth in the country.
INTERCEPTIONS 2019 Career
Israel Mukuamu 4 5
Ernest Jones 2 2
R.J. Roderick 2 2
T.J. Brunson 1 1
John Dixon 1 1
Sherrod Greene 0 1
Jammie Robinson 1 1
D.J. Wonnum 1 1
KICKING IT WITH PARKER: Three-year starter Parker White is 15-for-19 in field goals this season (78.9 pct.) with three of his four misses coming from 50 yards and beyond. He hit a then career-long 48-yarder vs. Alabama, topped that with a 49-yarder at Georgia, had another 49-yarder vs. Florida and boomed a career-long 50-yarder against App State. He is 42-of-60 (70.0 percent) in career field goal tries, including 29-of-32 (90.6 percent) from inside 40 yards. He is 96-for-97 on extra point attempts, including 25-for-25 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)…………………………. 222
CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90)…………………………… 72
2. Elliott Fry (2013-16)………………………………… 66
3. Ryan Succop (2005-08)…………………………….. 49
4. Parker White (2017-19)…………………………… 42
5. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83)………………………… 39
Reed Morton (1993-96)……………………………. 39
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)…………………………… 60
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)…………………………… 96
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).
I’M CHARLTON YOUR PUNTER: Senior Joseph Charlton handles the punting chores for the Gamecocks and is an All-American candidate. He ranks fourth in the country in punting average at 48.3 yards. He punted nine times for a 51.2-yard average against Kentucky with a 65-yarder, earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades. He boomed a season-best 66-yarder at Tennessee. For the season, 23 of his 53 punts have traveled at least 50 yards, while 24 have been marked inside the 20 with five 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 9 35 1715 49.0
2. Max Duffy Kentucky 9 41 1992 48.6
3. Oscar Bradburn Virginia Tech 8 36 1749 48.6
4. Joseph Charlton S. Carolina 10 53 2562 48.3
5. Trenton Gill NC State 9 45 2145 47.7
CHARLTON THE G.O.A.T.: Joseph Charlton is currently the school record holder for career punting average at 45.5-yards per punt. Charlton currently ranks third among Division I punters in career average, behind only Colorado State’s Ryan Stonehouse (47.1) and Kentucky’s Max Duffy (46.3).
CAREER PUNTING AVERAGE (Min. 75 Punts)
1. Joseph Charlton (2015-19)… 45.5 (156 for 7104)
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)
DROP AND GIVE ME 50: Joseph Charlton is the nation’s leader in punts of 50 yards or more this season. The senior All-America candidate has boomed 23 punts of 50-plus yards this season. Here are the leaders:
NAME, SCHOOL 50+ Yd
1. Joseph Charlton, South Carolina……………… 23
2. Trenton Gill, NC State…………………………….. 21
3. Braden Mann, Texas A&M……………………….. 20
Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse……………………… 20
5. Max Duffy, Kentucky……………………………….. 19
PINNING THEM DEEP: Joseph Charlton has 24 of his punts land inside the 20-yard line. That is nearing the mark for the most inside the 20 punts since 1999 when inside the 20 stats were kept. Only Sean Kelly recorded more in a season, notching 25 in both 2015 and 2016.
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. He was added to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List for the nations’ top long snapper.
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: Cornerback Jaycee Horn is the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, linebacker Damani Staley is the son of former Gamecock and NFL running back Duce Staley, while safety Shilo Sanders is the son of former NFL and MLB standout Deion Sanders.
TOUGH SLATE: The Gamecocks have four teams on its 2019 schedule that are currently ranked in the top-12 in the country. The Gamecocks lost to No. 4 Alabama and No. 11 Florida at home, defeated No. 5 Georgia in Athens, and still has No. 3 Clemson at home on Nov. 30. Their Division I opponents have combined for a 68-34 record, a .667 winning percentage.
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.
UP NEXT: The Gamecocks will enjoy their second bye week of the season next week before hosting Clemson in the regular season finale.
