South Carolina Beats Vandy 24-7 With Edwards' Career Game

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With one of their key playmakers out injured, South Carolina again turned to dependable “old man” Bryan Edwards.

Edwards caught a school record 14 passes for a career best 139 yards to lead the Gamecocks (4-5, 3-4 Southeastern) to a 24-7 win that keeps South Carolina’s season from skidding into a ditch for now.

The senior shouldered the offensive load for the Gamecocks after receiver Shi Smith tweaked his hamstring this week and did not play.

“He competes every down like it is his last down,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said. “I’ve seen that for four years now.”

Ryan Hilinski was 24-for-31 for 235 yards for the Gamecocks, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Edwards midway through the fourth quarter that sealed the win.

“He was hard to tackle,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said. “At times we knew the football was coming to him and we still had a hard time getting him down.”

Edwards’ teammates call him “old man,” in part because he is one of the few seniors on the offense and in part because he is a mature, calming presence in the locker room. That’s been especially important in an up-and-down year that included an upset of No. 8 Georgia and second half collapses in losses to No. 6 Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“Everybody calls me ‘old man.’ I haven’t turned 21 yet,” said Edwards, who also had a 38-yard punt return late in the third quarter that flipped the field a defensive struggle.

Freshman Deshaun Fenwick got his first action of 2019, running 18 times for 102 yards.

Muschamp said Fenwick came to him to discuss a transfer after he didn’t play the first two months of the season.

“He stuck it out,” Muschamp said. “He’s a great example of a guy who handled adversity and fought it a little bit.”

The Commodores (2-6, 1-4) lost starting quarterback Riley Neal to injury after the first drive and, with Mo Hasan not playing, turned to third string Deuce Wallace. The junior was 8-for-17 for 30 yards and two interceptions.

The SEC’s third leading rusher, Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn, ran 20 times for 87 yards.

The Gamecocks have won 11 straight over Vanderbilt. South Carolina is the only SEC East team that the Commodores never beat this decade.

GAME CHANGER

Kevin Harris scored from one yard out with 1:38 left in the first half, giving the Gamecocks a 14-7 lead that it would never relinquish. Carolina added 10 points in the fourth quarter for the 24-7 victory.

KEY STAT

139 – Bryan Edwards set a career-best in catches and receiving yards in a game on Saturday, making 14 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. It was part of 440 yards of total offense in the game for the Gamecocks.

UP NEXT

The Gamecocks return to Williams-Brice Stadium next Saturday night (Nov. 9) to host Appalachian State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.