Gamecocks Travel to Music City Saturday

The South Carolina Gamecocks (0-2) are on the road for a second-straight week as they travel to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commodores (0-2) on Saturday, Oct. 10. Game time is set for noon ET (11 am local) and the contest will be televised on SEC Network.
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES: Dave Neal will serve as the play-by-play voice for SEC Network with DJ Shockley providing the analysis. Dawn Davenport will handle the sideline reporting. The familiar voices of Gamecock Greats Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network with Jamar Nesbit on the sidelines.
 
A LITTLE HISTORY: 2020 marks the 127th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 114th-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 612-589-44, a .509 winning percentage.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2020 season marks South Carolina’s 29th year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the league prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned the SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. The Gamecocks are 97-128-1 (.431) all-time in SEC regular-season play, but are 42-40 (.512) in conference action since the start of the 2010 season.
 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: The 2020 season marks the 10th anniversary of the 2010 squad that captured the SEC Eastern Division title and went on to appear in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta against eventual national champion Auburn. It’s the Gamecocks only division title since joining the Southeastern Conference.
 
CAROLINA VS. VANDY: This is the 30th all-time meeting between South Carolina and Vanderbilt, with the Gamecocks holding a commanding 25-4 advantage, including a 13-2 record when the games have been played in Nashville and a 12-2 mark when the teams have met in Columbia. The teams met just once (1961) before they became SEC Eastern Division rivals beginning in 1992, and have met every year since.
 
IN DOMINATING FASHION: The Gamecocks have won each of the last 11 games between the two squads, their longest winning streak in the series, and 18 of the last 20 meetings between these two SEC Eastern Division rivals. Of the Division I FBS opponents against whom the Gamecocks have at least 10 all-time meetings, Carolina has its best winning percentage against Vanderbilt at .862. In the previous 29 outings, Vanderbilt has tallied more than 17 points just six times (24 in 2003, 28 in 2005, 24 in 2008, 25 in 2013, a record-high 34 in 2014 and 27 in 2017).
 
THE OUTLIERS: Vanderbilt’s four wins in the series have come in back-to-back fashion on two occasions – first in 1998 and ’99, then again in 2007 and ’08. Those four wins have been by a combined total of 22 points (17-14, 11-10, 17-6 and 24-17).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Bryan Edwards caught a school record-tying 14 passes for a career-best 139 yards to lead the Gamecocks to a 24-7 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 2, 2019 in Columbia. 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. Freshman Deshaun Fenwick got his first action of 2019, running 18 times for 102 yards. The Commodores 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 LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Jake Bentley threw for 261 yards and Carolina outscored Vanderbilt 17-0 in the second half in a 37-14 win on Sept. 22, 2018 in Nashville. Rico Dowdle rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown and Shi Smith logged 119 receiving yards on just five catches, as the Gamecocks outgained the Dores 273-92 on the ground and 534-284 overall. Parker White was a perfect 3-for-3 in field goal tries.
 
IMPOSING HIS WILL: Will Muschamp is 7-1 in eight games as a head coach against the Commodores. He was a 26-21 winner in 2011 in “The Swamp,” posted a 31-17 win in Nashville in 2012, dropped a 34-17 decision at Gainesville in 2013, then won by a 34-10 count in Nashville in 2014, all as the head coach at Florida. He survived a 13-10 decision to open the 2016 campaign in his Carolina debut, then won in 34-27 in Columbia in 2017, before running his record in Nashville to 4-0 with a 37-14 rout in 2018. Carolina won last year in Columbia by a 24-7 score.
 
MASON IN THE JAR: Vandy head coach Derek Mason is winless in six tries against the Gamecocks.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: Carolina lists three players who hail from the state of Tennessee, including redshirt senior Sadarius Hutcherson (Huntingdon), and redshirt freshmen Keveon Mullins (Memphis) and Joseph Anderson (Murfreesboro).
 
ABOUT LAST WEEK: South Carolina ventured into the Swamp last Saturday afternoon and dropped a 38-24 decision to the No. 3/3 Florida Gators. Statistically, the game was closer than the final score indicates, as the Gators gained just 19 more total yards (348-329), while the Gamecocks had more first downs (25-18) and ran 30 more plays (83-53) while controlling the clock for 36:23.
 
GOOD START: The Gamecocks have taken the opening kick in each of the first two games and have put together 75-yard scoring drives both times. Carolina used 11 plays and 5:01 in the opening drive against Tennessee, culminating with a Kevin Harris 3-yard run. Harris went the final two yards to paydirt, the 12th play of an opening drive at Florida that took 6:56 off the clock.
 
A HUNDRED FOR HARRIS: Sophomore running back Kevin Harris reached the 100-yard rushing mark on 22 carries in the loss at Florida. It was his second career-100-yard rushing game, having gone for 147 against Charleston Southern in 2019.

SHI LIGHTS – HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?: Senior wide receiver Shi Smith is off to a great start this season. In the season opener against Tennessee, the senior wide out caught 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. It matched the second-best season opener for a Gamecock wide receiver and was the best effort in an opener since 1984. He followed that up with a career-best 12 receptions for 85 yards and a score at Florida. For the season, he has 22 catches for 225 yards and two scores. He leads the nation with 11.0 catches per game.
 
MAKING HISTORY: Shi Smith is the first player in South Carolina history to record back-to-back games with double figures in pass receptions after catching 10 passes against Tennessee and 12 at Florida. The 22 receptions over a two-game stretch is one shy of the school record of 23 receptions in consecutive games, set by Bryan Edwards last season, when he had 14 against Vanderbilt and followed that up with nine against Appalachian State. Edwards also holds the school record for receptions over a three-game stretch with 31 in 2019 (8 vs. Tennessee, 14 vs. Vanderbilt, 9 vs. Appalachian State).
 
MR. CONSISTENT: Placekicker Parker White has picked up right where he left off last season, connecting on field goal attempts of 35- and 45-yards  against Tennessee and drilling another 45-yarder at Florida. White has connected on each of his last 13 field goal attempts, dating back to the Georgia game in 2019. The school record for consecutive field goals made is 15, set by Collin Mackie from 1987-88. White owns the fifth-longest current consecutive streak of field goals made in the NCAA:
Consecutive Field Goals Made (active)
Rk.      Player                      School             Number
   1.     Hunter Duplessis  UTSA                     18
   2.     Brian Johnson       Virginia Tech        16
   3.     Brian Delaney        Virginia                 15
   4.     Christopher Dunn NC State               14
   5.     Parker White         South Carolina   13
 
THIRD DOWN IS OUR DOWN: The Gamecocks have held their opponents to just 5-of-20 on third-down conversions this season (25 percent), including 1-of-11 against Tennessee. It was a point of emphasis for Carolina, as they allowed opponents to convert 38 percent of third-down opportunities last season. The Gamecocks are tied with Oklahoma for sixth in the nation in third-down percentage defense early in 2020:
Third-Down Defense
Rk.      School                         Conv.      Att.        Pct.
   1.     Oklahoma State             7           43         .163
   2.     Notre Dame                   6           30         .200
   3.     BYU                                  9           39         .231
   4.     UTEP                               10         41         .244
   5.     Pittsburgh                      14         57         .246
   6.     Oklahoma                       8           32         .250
           South Carolina              5          20        .250
 
 BALL CONTROL: The Gamecocks have dominated the time of possession in each of their first two games. They held the ball for 34:40 against Tennessee, then logged 36:23 of possession time at Florida, the second-highest mark of a Will Muschamp-led Carolina team. Last season, Carolina averaged just 27:01 in TOP. The 36:23 at Florida marked the high mark for a Gamecock team since they notched 37:36 in TOP against Missouri in 2017. The Gamecocks rank third in the nation in time of possession:
Time of Possession
Rk.      School                         Gms.      TOT       TOP
   1.     BYU                                  3       109:48    36:36
   2.     Kentucky                        2        72:34     36:17
   3.     South Carolina              2       71:13    35:36
 
TURNOVERS THE KEY: The Gamecocks have split the turnover battle in the first two games, losing that statistic by a 2-0 margin against Tennessee, then holding a 2-1 advantage in the loss at Florida. Carolina is 18-4 under Will Muschamp when winning the turnover margin but are 6-13 when losing the turnover battle under Coach Muschamp.
 
FIRST START: Four players made their first career starts for the Gamecocks against Tennessee. The quartet included quarterback Collin Hill (who made 11 starts at Colorado State), wide receiver Dakereon Joyner, running back Kevin Harris and safety Shilo Sanders. Senior linebacker Damani Staley made his first career start at Florida.
 
NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY: The Gamecocks opened the season playing a pair of top-25 teams, including a road game at number 3 Florida. In fact, five of the Gamecocks’ 10 opponents were ranked in the preseason top-10 in the Associated Press poll, (No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Auburn and No. 10 Texas A&M), and two others appeared in the top-25 (No. 16 Tennessee and No. 23 Kentucky).
 
HE’S THE CHAMP: Will Muschamp is in his fifth season guiding the Carolina Football program. He has posted a 26-27 record as the Gamecocks’ head coach. The 26 wins ranks in a tie for ninth on the school’s all-time list with Sol Metzger, while his 53 games coached ranks 10th in school history. He needs three wins to move past Warren Giese (28 wins) into eighth place on the all-time wins list. Overall, Coach Muschamp is in his ninth season as a head coach, logging a 54-48 record, a .529 winning percentage, including a four-year stint at Florida (28-21, .571).
 
COACHING CAROUSEL: Head football coach Will Muschamp made several changes to his coaching staff in the off season. On offense, former Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo was brought in to serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Joe Cox takes over as the wide receivers coach and Des Kitchings will mentor the running backs. On the defensive side of the ball, veteran SEC coach Tracy Rocker will coach the defensive line with former Gamecock Rod Wilson taking over the linebackers. Kyle Krantz assumes the duties as the special teams coordinator along with serving as an assistant defensive backs coach.
 
THEY DO THE HEAVY LIFTING: The strength and conditioning staff has been overhauled, with Paul Jackson now in charge. Joining Jackson on the strength staff are Scott Salwasser, Julian Whitehead, Anthony Henderson and Jordan Sims.
 
BREAKING IT DOWN: The Gamecocks’ 112-man roster consists of two graduate transfers, 15 seniors, 22 juniors, 20 sophomores, 16 redshirt freshmen and 37 true freshmen. The Gamecocks welcomed 43 returning letterwinners to begin the 2020 season, 21 offensive players, 21 on defense and one special teams player. The Gamecocks listed 13 returning starters from the 2019 squad, six on offense, six on defense and one specialist.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Carolina returned 20 percent of its rushing yards, 95 percent of its passing yards and 43 percent of its receiving yards from 2019. Kevin Harris (179 yards) and Deshaun Fenwick (111 yards) are the top returning rushers, while Shi Smith (489 yards) and Josh Vann (171 yards) are the top returning receivers. The Gamecocks also return their top passer in Ryan Hilinski (2,357 yards). Six of the squad’s top eight tacklers are back this season, including team-leader Ernest Jones (97 tackles) and Jammie Robinson (62 tackles). Aaron Sterling returns after leading the team in tackles for loss (10.0) and sacks (6.0), while Israel Mukuamu paced the team with four INTs.
 
OPTING OUT: The Gamecocks have had three players opt out for the 2020 season, including wide receivers Randrecous Davis and OrTre Smith, along with  offensive lineman Mark Fox.
 
HE CHANGED HIS MIND: Offensive lineman Jordan Rhodes initially opted out for the 2020 season, but changed his mind and opted back in.
 
RECORDS WATCH:
* Shi Smith is 11th on the school’s all-time receptions list with 139. He needs three catches to tie Sidney Rice for 10th on the all-time list.
* Shi Smith has 1,711 career receiving yards. He needs 365 yards to match Deebo Samuel for 10th on the school’s all-time list.
* Parker White has made 13-consecutive field goals, just two shy of the school record of 15, set by Collin Mackie from 1987-88.
* Parker White is fourth on the school’s all-time list for career field goals made with 48 and fourth in career field goals attempted with 66. His next made field goal will tie him with Ryan Succop for third on the all-time list.
* Parker White is fifth on the school’s all-time list in extra points made (102), extra points attempted (103) and extra point percentage (.990). He could pass Ryan Succop (104-for-106) this week into fourth on the PATs made and attempted.
* Parker White is tied for fourth on the career scoring list with 246 points, matching Marcus Lattimore, five points behind Ryan Succop for third.

NFL TIES: Jaycee Horn is the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn. Damani Staley is the son of former Gamecock and NFL running back Duce Staley. Shilo Sanders is the son of former NFL and MLB standout Deion Sanders, a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dylan Wonnum is the younger brother of former Gamecock, D.J. Wonnum, who is with the Minnesota Vikings. Fabian Goodman is the son of former Gamecock Andre Goodman, who logged 10 seasons in the NFL. Elisha Brooks is the son of former Gamecock and NFL star Robert Brooks. Nick Muse‘s older brother, Tanner, is a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.
 
COACH SPEAK: The SEC Coaches tabbed OL Sadarius Hutcherson, DL Aaron Sterling and DB Israel Mukuamu to their preseason second-team All-SEC unit, while LB Ernest Jones and DB Jaycee Horn were selected to the preseason third-team unit by the league’s 14 coaches.
THE MEDIA OPINES: OL Sadarius Hutcherson and DB Israel Mukuamu were named to the preseason second-team All-SEC unit by the SEC media, while Aaron Sterling was a third-team selection. The Gamecocks were tabbed to finish fifth in the SEC East in the media’s preseason poll.
 
ATHLON SAYS: Athlon magazine listed six Gamecocks among its 2020 preseason All-SEC teams. OL Sadarius Hutcherson and DL Aaron Sterling were second team selections, LB Ernest Jones, CB Jaycee Horn and S Jammie Robinson were named to the third-team unit, while PK Parker White was a fourth-team selection.
 
PHIL STEELE REPORTS: Phil Steele Publications recognized seven Gamecocks on his preseason all-conference teams. OL Sadarius Hutcherson, DB Jaycee Horn and DB Israel Mukuamu all earned second-team All-SEC accolades, while LB Ernest Jones and TE Nick Muse were third team selections. WR Shi Smith and DL Kingsley Enagbare were named to the fourth-team unit.
 
YOUR MONEY’S NO GOOD HERE: Prior to the start of the season, head coach Will Muschamp placed senior defensive back Jaylan Foster on scholarship. Foster, who began his career at Gardner-Webb, is a regular on special teams.
 
TOTING THE SHEEPSKIN: Thirteen Gamecock football players already have their diplomas in hand. Those who have earned undergraduate degrees include: Slade Carroll, Spencer Eason-Riddle, Jabari Ellis, Chandler Farrell, Jaylan Foster, Collin Hill, Sadarius Hutcherson, Christian Kinsley, Sean McGonigal, Adam Prentice, Keir Thomas, M.J. Webb and Parker White.
 
ACADEMICALLY SPEAKING: The Gamecocks placed 47 players on the 2019 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Gamecock football student-athletes posted a combined 3.614 GPA in Spring 2020, the highest mark on record. The previous high was 3.084 in the spring of 2019. They fell just short of obtaining another combined GPA of 3.0 or better in the fall of 2019, coming in at 2.985, despite being in-season.
 
2019 IN REVIEW: South Carolina concluded its 126th season of intercollegiate football in 2019 with a record of 4-8, including a 3-5 mark in the SEC. The highlight of the season was a 20-17 double-overtime win at Georgia, a team that finished fourth in the final Associated Press poll. Four of the Gamecocks’ eight losses were to teams that finished the season in the top-20 in the A.P.’s final poll, including No. 2 Clemson, No. 6 Florida, No. 8 Alabama and No. 19 Appalachian State.
 
NO EXCUSES, BUT THAT WAS TOUGH: The Gamecocks faced the nation’s toughest regular-season schedule during the 2019 season. Gamecock opponents averaged 8.9 wins, the high-water mark for any school in 2019, and all nine of their opponents that appeared in bowl games, won a bowl game. South Carolina’s Division I opponents combined for a 101-44 record, a .697 winning percentage. Using the NCAA formula, the Gamecocks (99-46, .683) faced the toughest schedule in the country, just ahead of Auburn (107-50, .682).
 
UP NEXT: Carolina returns home next week to face the Auburn Tigers. Auburn owns a commanding 10-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, with the Gamecocks only win coming in 1933. The teams last met in the 2014 season, a 42-35 win for the Tigers in Auburn. The last time the two programs got together in Columbia came in 2011, a 16-13 Auburn victory.
 
BOBO DIALS IT UP: Mike Bobo, who spent the past five years as the head coach at Colorado State, takes over as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at South Carolina. Bobo is well-versed with the SEC, as he spent 14 years as an assistant at Georgia, his alma mater. A 2012 Broyles Award finalist, he has coached on five SEC East and two SEC championship teams.
 
QB1: Collin Hill, a graduate transfer who played for Mike Bobo at Colorado State University, edged out sophomore incumbent Ryan Hilinski for the starting nod at quarterback. The 6-4, 222-pounder from Moore, S.C., appeared in 18 games including 11 starts at Colorado State while battling through three ACL injuries. While playing quarterback for the Rams, he completed 263-of-433 passes (60.7 pct.) for 3,323 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, including five career 300-yard passing games.
 
MORE ON HILL: Collin Hill logged a 3-8 record as a starter at CSU. He was 2-2 in four starts as a true freshman in 2016; was redshirted in 2017; was winless in four starts in 2018; and 1-2 in three starts in 2019. His last appearance came in a start against Arkansas on Sept. 14, 2019. All three of his seasons ended prematurely with an ACL injury.
 
HILL AS GAMECOCK: Collin Hill, who grew up in Moore, S.C. and prepped at Dorman High School, made his first collegiate start in the Palmetto State in the season opener against Tennessee. He responded with a 25-for-39, 290-yard effort with one touchdown and one interception. He had another solid outing at Florida completing 28-of-47 passes for 212 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. For the season, Hill is 53-of-86 (61.6 percent) for 502 yards with three touchdowns and one pick. He ranks seventh in the SEC in passing yards per game at 251.0.
 
QB2: For the second year in a row, sophomore Ryan Hilinski opens the season as the Gamecocks’ backup quarterback. Hilinski was forced into a starting role in the second game of the 2019 season following a season-ending injury to starter Jake Bentley, and started the final 11 games of the season. He is 4-7 as a starting signal-caller. He set school freshmen records for pass completions and attempts in 2019, and set a school record with 180 consecutive passes without an interception. He has not taken a snap yet this season.
 
THE RUNNING BACK ROOM: The Gamecocks opened the season with a “committee” handling the carries. The Gamecocks are without the services of highly-touted freshman running back MarShawn Lloyd, who suffered an ACL injury early in fall camp and will miss the entire season.
     Sophomore Kevin Harris has started both games and has led the team in rushing each time. He had 13 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee, then logged his second-career 100-yard rushing game, going for exactly 100 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown at Florida. He was slowed by injuries and playing behind three senior running backs as a true freshman, but tied a school record when he scored three rushing touchdowns in the Charleston Southern game in 2019 while racking up 147 yards on just six carries. He played in six games last season, carrying 21 times for 179 yards, an 8.5-yard average, with four touchdowns.
     Redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick is now the “veteran” in the running backs’ room. He is a bigger back who logged a pair of 100-yard games despite playing in just seven games and carrying the pigskin in just four contests in his first two seasons for the Garnet & Black. He rushed for 102 yards versus Vandy in 2019. He carried six times for 33 yards against Tennessee in the opener, a team-best 5.2 yards per tote, and added four receptions for 45 yards. He had six carries for 32 yards and a career-high five catches for 24 yards at Florida. He is second on the squad with nine receptions.
     ZaQuandre White is a JUCO transfer who began his career at Florida State. He was slowed by a hamstring injury during fall camp, but showed flashes that made him one of the nation’s top running back recruits coming out of high school. He had seven carries for 19 yards against the Vols. He did not get into the Florida game.
 
HARRIS BY THE NUMBERS: Buoyed by the 100-yard performance at Florida (the first for a Gamecock in the Swamp since Marcus Lattimore in 2010), Kevin Harris ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing at 77.5 yards per game. He is also tied for sixth in the league in scoring at 9.0 points per game.
 
HE’S SHI, BUT KNOW HIS NAME: Senior wide receiver Shi Smith becomes the No. 1 receiver for the Gamecocks after working in the shadows of Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards over the past three seasons and is the team’s top playmaker. He stepped up in the opener with a 10-catch, 140-yard performance against Tennessee and followed that up with a career-best 12 catches for 85 yards and a score at Florida. He leads the SEC with 22 catches and is fifth with 225 receiving yards. He has 127 career receptions for 1,711 yards. He passed Pharoh Cooper into 11th  on the school’s all-time list of receptions, just three behind Sidney Rice. Smith has played in 36 games with 28 starts, second among the returning players.
 
NATIONAL LEADER: Shi Smith leads the nation with an average of 11.0 receptions per game. Here are the NCAA leaders:
Rk.    Player                   School           Rec   Rec/Gm
   1.    Shi Smith             S. Carolina     22       11.0
   2.    Marlon Williams UCF                 32        10.7
   3.    Elijah Moore       Ole Miss         20        10.0
   4.    Billy Kemp           Virginia           17         8.5
   5.    Hunter Long       Boston Coll.    25         8.3
 
BACK-TO-BACK: Shi Smith has 22 receptions over the last two games, the second-highest two-game total in school history.
Player                  Year    Opponents           Recs
Bryan Edwards   2019    Vandy/App St     14/9=23
Shi Smith            2020  Tenn/Florida  10/12=22
Bryan Edwards   2019    Tenn/Vandy       8/14=22
Kenny McKinley 2007    Tenn/Arkansas   14/7=21
 
THE X FACTOR: Sophomore Xavier Legette is considered the Gamecocks’ second-best receiver. He hauled in four passes for 61 yards in the opener against Tennessee, including a 42-yard reception, then had a 22-yard catch at Florida. Legette was a quarterback in his school and is still learning the nuances of the position, but is athletic and has a high ceiling.
 
MUSE ON THE MACKEY: Senior Nick Muse, the latest in a long line of standout Gamecock tight ends, was named to the preseason John Mackey Award watch list, which recognizes the nation’s top tight end. The senior who joined the Gamecocks at the start of fall camp in 2019 following a transfer from William & Mary, is coming off an ACL injury. He is regarded as a good blocker who has shown ability after the catch.
 
THROW IT TO THE TIGHT END: Senior Nick Muse was on the receiving end of four passes for 50 yards in the season opener against Tennessee. He caught two passes for 21 yards at Florida. He ranks third on the squad with six receptions for 71 yards.
 
GETTING IN THE BOXSCORE: True freshman Rico Powers and redshirt freshman Keveon Mullins each logged their first career catch at Florida last week.
 
DEPTH AND EXPERIENCE: The Gamecocks have probably their deepest and most experienced offensive line under head coach Will Muschamp. The o-line should be one of the strengths of the offense this season.
     Fifth-year senior Sadarius Hutcherson, a preseason all-league selection and a member of the Outland Trophy Watch List, leads the unit. He has returned to his more natural guard position after playing left tackle last season. He has made 31 career starts, most on the squad, including 28-consecutive starts.
     Dylan Wonnum, a Freshman All-American two years ago, returns to man a tackle position after being hampered by an ankle injury for much of the 2019 campaign. He is capable of playing either the left or right tackle and opened the season as the left tackle. He is also on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and a member of SAAC.
     Redshirt sophomore Jovaughn Gwyn, who is considered one of the strongest players on the squad, starts at right guard. He has started 13-consecutive games.
     Junior Eric Douglas has earned the starting nod at center in the 2020 season opener. He started the season the season opener last year against North Carolina and has appeared in 23 games during his career.
     Redshirt freshman Jakai Moore has earned the start in each of the first two contests at right tackle. He played in three games last season, making a pair of starts.
     Others who have seen some playing time include true freshman Vershon Lee, sophomore Jaylen Nichols, junior Jordan Rhodes and JUCO transfer Jazston Turnetine. Moore, Nichols and Rhodes all having starting experience in the SEC.
 
THE VETERANS UP FRONT: The Gamecock defensive line features three seniors and a junior in the starting lineup. Keir Thomas and Jabari Ellis work in the middle, while preseason All-SEC pick Aaron Sterling plays defensive end and junior Kingsley (JJ) Enagbare works at the BUCK. Sterling has logged the best numbers, entering the 2020 season with 16.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks.

A STERLING PERFORMER: Senior defensive end Aaron Sterling put together his best season a year ago when he led Carolina with 10.0 tackles for loss, including 6.0 sacks, matching first-round NFL draft pick Javon Kinlaw for the team lead. He was also credited with four quarterback hurries, tying for the team lead, and a pair of pass breakups. He recorded a half-sack last week at Florida.
 
KINGSLEY WITH A ROYAL EFFORT: Regarded as the Gamecocks’ top pass rusher, Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare got off to a good start against Tennessee, recording a career-high nine tackles, including a pair of sacks, and forced a fumble while making his debut at the BUCK position. After two games he is second on the team with a dozen tackles, is tied for third in the SEC with 1.0 sacks per game and tied for eighth in the league with 1.25 tackles for loss per game.
 
TALENT BEHIND THEM: The Gamecocks have a couple of highly-touted players right behind that veteran quartet up front. Sophomore Zacch Pickens is becoming a force in the middle of the line, while Jordan Burch is a freshman BUCK who is the second-highest ranked recruit to sign with Carolina behind only Jadeveon Clowney. Pickens has recorded six tackles this season, while Burch already has a pair of tackles for loss in limited duty.
 
KEEPING UP WITH JONESES: Junior linebacker Ernest Jones is the vocal leader of the defense from the MIKE position. A preseason All-SEC selection, Jones led the team in tackles as a sophomore with 97 stops, 20 more than anyone else on the squad.  He ranked fourth in the SEC with 8.1 tackles per game a year ago. He was the team leader again in the season opener against Tennessee with 11 stops and had five stops at Florida. He leads the team with 16 tackles after two contests, an average of 8.0 per game.
 
TOOTING YOUR OWN HORN: Jaycee Horn is considered the best cover corner on the team. the junior is still looking for his elusive first career interception but a deeper dive into the numbers shows that teams simply don’t complete many passes on the talented corner. According to PFF, Horn played 1,426 defensive snaps in his first two years with opponents targeting his receiver just 100 times for 57 completions. Horn allowed just two touchdowns, according to PFF.
 
DON’T PICK ON MUK: Israel Mukuamu has received his share of accolades after bursting on the national scene with a three-interception performance in the upset win at Georgia last season. At 6-4, Mukuamu has spent most of his time at cornerback, but started at safety last week at Florida. The junior preseason All-SEC defensive back owns six career interceptions, including one at Florida last week, and was listed on both the Thorpe and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists.
 
SAFETY FIRST: The Gamecocks have two hard-hitting safeties in junior R.J. Roderick and sophomore Jammie Robinson. Roderick had never played safety prior to his arrival on campus. He has appeared in all 27 games over the past three seasons, making 18 starts. He owns 118 career tackles with a pair of interceptions, including one last year against Vanderbilt. Robinson earned Freshman All-SEC and second-team Freshman All-America honors in 2019. He is third on the squad with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops.
 
WHITE ON THE MONEY: Senior placekicker Parker White has worked his way into being a very consistent and productive placekicker for the Gamecocks. He has converted 48-of-66 field goals in his career, 72.7 percent, including 33-of-36 (91.7 pct.) from inside 40 yards. His 48 field goals made and 66 field goals attempted both rank fourth on the school’s all-time list. He also ranks in a tie for fourth with Marcus Lattimore on the school’s all-time scoring list with 246 points. White owns a career long of 50 yards and has five fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning field goals in his career. He is 3-for-3 in field goal attempts this season, including two from 45-yards out. He has converted each of his last 13 field goal attempts, just two shy of the school record, set by Collin Mackie from 1987-88.
 
FRESH FISH: True freshman punter Kai Kroeger takes over for the record-setting Joseph Charlton, who is regarded as the best punter in school history and is now punting for the Carolina Panthers. Kroeger has punted 10 times this season for a 37.8-yard average with two inside the 20 and a long of 49 yards last week at Florida.