Louisiana Saturday Night - Gamecocks Head to LSU

The South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2) are back on the road this week as they travel to the Bayou to face the defending national champion LSU Tigers (1-2) on Saturday, Oct. 24. Game time is set for 7 pm ET (6 pm in Baton Rouge) and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN.
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES: Bob Wischusen will serve as the play-by-play voice for ESPN with Dan Orlovsky providing the analysis. Quint Kessenich will handle the sideline reporting. The familiar voices of Gamecock Greats Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network.
 
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 614-589-44 (.510).
 
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 99-128-1 (.436) all-time in SEC regular-season play, but are 44-40 (.524) 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.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES: This is the 22nd all-time meeting between South Carolina and LSU, with the Tigers holding a commanding 18-2-1 advantage in the series. The Bayou Bengals own a 12-1 mark when the game is played in Baton Rouge, hold a 5-1-1 lead in games played in Columbia, and won the only neutral site contest, taking the 1987 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. LSU has won the last six meetings, including a 45-24 win at Tiger Stadium in 2015, the last time the schools played. South Carolina’s last win came by an 18-17 margin in Death Valley on Oct. 1, 1994. The Gamecocks only home win over the Tigers was back in 1930 in the first meeting between the two schools, a 7-6 victory.
 
AS SEC OPPONENTS: South Carolina and LSU have met eight times on the gridiron as SEC rivals, with five of those eight games contested in Louisiana. LSU holds a 6-1-1 advantage in the series since Carolina joined the Southeastern Conference.
 
THREE IN A ROW: This will be the third-straight time the two teams have met in Baton Rouge. The 2015 game was originally scheduled for Columbia, but was moved the week of the game due to massive flooding in the Midlands. The teams have not played in Columbia since 2008.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: In a game originally scheduled to be played in Columbia but moved to LSU’s Tiger Stadium  due to flooding, the No. 7/5 Bayou Bengals rolled to a 45-24 win over South Carolina on Oct. 10, 2015, in what would be Steve Spurrier’s last game as the Carolina head coach. LSU logged 396 yards on the ground in the game, led by Leonard Fournette’s 158 yards on 20 carries, as part of a 624-total yard performance. Perry Orth quarterbacked the Gamecocks, completing 14-of-25 passes for 200 yards, including seven to Pharoh Cooper for 105 yards. Rashad Fenton had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in that contest.
 
CAROLINA’S LAST WIN OVER LSU: South Carolina went into the Bayou on Oct. 1, 1994 and escaped with an 18-17 win. The Gamecocks trailed the entire contest until Stanley Pritchett plunged in from the one-yard line with 12:52 remaining in the game for the deciding points. Pritchett finished the day with 18 carries for 90 yards. LSU held a 14-12 lead at the intermission in front of 63,281 rain-soaked fans and built the lead to 17-12 entering the final stanza. Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill was 23-for-30 for 157 yards and a touchdown, as the Gamecocks rolled up 262 yards of offense compared to 209 for LSU. It was just the Gamecocks’ second win over LSU in school history, the first coming in the first meeting between the two schools, a 7-6 win on Oct. 11, 1930 in Columbia.
 
CHAMP WITH THE TIGERS: South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp is very familiar with the LSU program. Muschamp joined Nick Saban’s staff in Baton Rouge as the linebackers coach in 2001, before rising to become the LSU defensive coordinator in 2002, a position he held for three years. He helped the Tigers to the BCS National Championship by winning the 2004 Sugar Bowl over Oklahoma. That season, Muschamp’s defense led the nation in both scoring defense (11.0 points per game) and total defense (252.0 yards per game).
 
CHAMP AGAINST THE TIGERS: Will Muschamp owns a 1-3 mark as a head coach when facing LSU, with all four contests coming while serving as the head coach of the Florida Gators. He was on the short end of a 41-11 decision in 2011 in Baton Rouge, won by a 14-6 count in Gainesville in 2012, dropped a 17-6 verdict in the Bayou in 2013, then fell by a 30-27 count in Gainesville in 2014.
 
HOMECOMING OF SORTS: Gamecock junior defensive back Israel Mukuamu will be returning to Louisiana this week. Izzy played his senior year of high school ball at Parkway High in Bossier City.
 
ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Gamecocks forced three Bo Nix interceptions, including the first two of Jaycee Horn’s career, as Carolina upset the No. 15/14 Auburn Tigers, 30-22, in Columbia last Saturday afternoon. Auburn dominated the team statistics, rolling up 481 on 83 plays compared to just 297 yards on 67 plays for the Gamecocks, but the three picks and being plus-2 in the turnover battle, along with solid red zone defense, helped Carolina rally from an early 9-0 deficit.
 
IT HAD BEEN AWHILE: The Gamecocks knocked off Auburn for their first win over the Tigers since 1933. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak in the all-time series.
 
SOUNDS FAMILIAR: The Gamecocks defeated Auburn by a 30-22 score for its first win over the Tigers since 1933. In 2005, South Carolina topped Florida by the same 30-22 margin, which marked the Gamecocks’ first win over the Gators since 1939. Those are the only two 30-22 wins in school history.
 
BACK-TO-BACK: The Gamecocks have posted back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since knocking off Kentucky and Georgia in consecutive weeks last year (Sept. 28 and Oct. 12). The last time the Gamecocks won three SEC games in a row was in 2017 when they defeated Arkansas, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in consecutive games.
 
BEATING THE WEST: After defeating Auburn last week, the Gamecocks have a chance this week to record a second win over an SEC Western Division team. Carolina has not posted a pair of wins over Western Division foes since the 2013 season when it defeated Arkansas and Mississippi State.
 
30 FOR 30: The Gamecocks tallied 41 points at Vanderbilt before scoring 30 against Auburn. It’s the first time that Carolina has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back SEC games since 2018 when they scored 48 at Ole Miss before tallying 31 at Florida. They haven’t put up 30 or more in three-consecutive SEC games since the 2014 season when they scored 38 at Kentucky, 35 at Auburn and 42 vs. Tennessee, ironically all losses.
 
CAROLINA PICKERS: The Gamecocks intercepted Auburn’s Bo Nix three times, with all three leading to touchdowns. Jaycee Horn had the first pick at the Auburn 29 and five plays later, Kevin Harris reached paydirt on the three-yard run. After a Horn deflection led to a Jaylin Dickerson’s first career interception at the Auburn 49, the Gamecocks needed 11 plays to score, with Collin Hill pushing it in from the 1. Horn’s second pick was returned 34 yards to the Auburn eight, where Kevin Harris needed just one play to reach the end zone.
 
WALTER CAMP NOTICED: Junior cornerback Jaycee Horn was selected as the National Defensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Horn had two interceptions and deflected another which led to a pick, in the’ win over Auburn. In addition to the two interceptions, Horn was credited with four pass break ups and three tackles. Horn is the fifth South Carolina player to earn Walter Camp National FBS Player of the Week honors since 2004, and the first since Israel Mukuamu in 2019. The others were quarterback Stephen Garcia (2010), linebacker Melvin Ingram (2011) and safety D.J. Swearinger (2012).
 
GET OFF MY LAWN: The Gamecocks have held their opponents to just 13-of-47 on third-down conversions this season (27.7 percent), including 1-of-11 against both Tennessee and Vanderbilt. It was a point of emphasis for Carolina, as they allowed opponents to convert 38 percent of third-down opportunities last season. The Gamecocks lead the SEC and are eighth in the nation in third-down percentage defense. In addition, South Carolina has stopped all five of its opponents 4th-down attempts this year.
 
SEEING RED: The Gamecocks have been very effective in the red zone this season, scoring on 13 of 14 trips into the red zone (92.9 percent), second in the SEC and tied for 18th in the country. More importantly, the Gamecocks have scored touchdowns in 11 of their 14 trips (78.6 percent).
 
SEEING RED – THE SEQUEL: The Gamecock defense has been stingy in the red zone. Opponents have scored on 12-of-16 trips into the red zone (75.0 percent), but Carolina has surrendered a touchdown on just eight of those trips (50.0 percent).
 
HOLD ON TO WHAT WE GOT: The Gamecocks have dominated the time of possession in each of their first four 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. They held it for 31:27 at Vanderbilt and for 31:17 vs. Auburn. 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 ninth in the nation in time of possession at 33:29.
 
SEC LEADERS: Several Gamecocks dot the SEC’s statistical leaders after four games:
Kevin Harris……………………………………. Rushing ……………………… 3rd (102.2)
Kevin Harris…………………………………….. Scoring ………………………… 5th (10.5)
Kevin Harris…………………………….. Scoring (TDs)………………….. 4th (10.5)
Kevin Harris……………………………….. All-Purpose………………….. 9th (123.8)
Shi Smith……………………………… Receptions/Game…………….. 3rd (8.5)
Shi Smith……………………….. Receiving Yards/Game……… 8th (86.8)
Parker White………………………….. Scoring (Kick)…………………… 5th (8.0)
Parker White……………………………… Field Goals…………………….. 6th (1.50)
Parker White…………………………. Field Goal Pct……………….. T5th (85.7)
Parker White……………………….. PAT Kicking Pct…………….. T1st (100.0)
Ernest Jones…………………………………… Tackles………………………….. 10th (9.0)
Ernest Jones………………………… Tackles for Loss…………….. T10th (3.5)
Kingsley Enagbare………………………. Sacks……………………………… 1st (4.0)
Kingsley Enagbare…………. Tackles for Loss ………………. 6th (4.5)
Kingsley Enagbare………… Fumbles Forced…………… T2nd (0.50)
Keir Thomas……………………………………… Sacks……………………………. T3rd (3.0)
Jaycee Horn………………………. Passes Defended……………. T1st (2.00)
Jaycee Horn……………………………. Interceptions……………………. T3rd (2)
 
FOURTH QUARTER IS OUR QUARTER: The Gamecocks have outscored their opponents by a 30-10 margin in the fourth quarter this season, easily its best quarter. Last year, Carolina was outscored by a 107-64 margin in the fourth quarter, easily its worst quarter.
 
FIRST START: Nine players have made their first career starts this season, including four in the season opener 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. Sophomore defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and freshman offensive tackle Vershon Lee both made their first career starts at Vanderbilt. JUCO transfer offensive tackle Jazston Turnetine and freshman defensive end Tonka Hemingway made their first starts against Auburn.

THAT’S MY COACH: Will Muschamp is in his fifth season at Carolina. He has a 28-27 record as the Gamecocks’ head coach. The 28 wins ranks in a tie for eighth on the school’s all-time list with Warren Giese, five behind Lou Holtz, while his 55 games coached ranks in a tie for ninth in school history with Sparky Woods, one behind Brad Scott. Overall, Coach Muschamp is in his ninth season as a head coach, logging a 56-48 record, a .538 winning percentage, including a four-year stint at Florida (28-21, .571).
 
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. Freshman defensive end Tonka Hemingway is the younger brother of former Michigan standout and NFL wide receiver Junior Hemingway.
 
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.
 
YOUR MONEY’S NO GOOD HERE: Prior to the start of the season, Will Muschamp placed senior defensive back Jaylan Foster on scholarship. Foster began his career at Gardner-Webb.
 
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.
 
UP NEXT: Carolina will enjoy its lone scheduled bye week next week. The Gamecocks will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 7, when they host the Texas A&M Aggies. Game time is set for 7:30 pm ET from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
 
BOBO DIALS IT UP: Mike Bobo, who spent the past five years as the head coach at Colorado State, serves 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. He notched his first win as a Gamecock at Vandy when he completed 16-of-24 passes for 196 yards, and scored two rushing touchdowns, the first Carolina QB to do that since Jake Bentley in 2017. He was 15-of-24 for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Auburn. For the season, Hill is 2-2 as a starter, connecting on 84-of-134 passes (62.7 percent) for 842 yards with four touchdowns and two picks. He also has four rushing touchdowns.
 
QB2: For the second year in a row, sophomore Ryan Hilinski opened 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 campaign. 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 saw his first action this season in mop-up duty at Vanderbilt, but did not throw a pass.
 
HOP ON THE BUS: The Gamecocks opened the season with a “running back by committee” approach after losing highly-touted freshman running back MarShawn Lloyd, who suffered an ACL injury early in fall camp. However, true sophomore Kevin Harris quickly turned it into primarily a one-man band. Known by his teammates as “The Bus,” Harris had 13 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee, then went for 100 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown at Florida before putting up the best game of his career, a 21-carry, 171-yard outing at Vanderbilt, including an 88-yard run. He toted the pigskin a career-high 25 times for 83 yards and two scores in the win over Auburn. For the season, he is third in the SEC and 17th in the country with 102.2 rushing yards per game. After just four games he is over 60 percent of the way to Tavien Feaster’s team-high 672 yards rushing for the 2019 season. Harris has also scored seven of the Gamecocks’ 15 touchdowns and ranks fifth in the SEC with 10.5 points per game. He has scored in all four games this season.
 
HURRAH FOR HARRIS: Sophomore running back Kevin Harris reached the 100-yard rushing mark in back-to-back weeks, rushing for 100 yards at Florida before carrying 21 times for a career-high 171 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Vandy. He became the first Gamecock to reach the 100-yard rushing plateau in back-to-back games since Rico Dowdle accomplished the feat in 2016 versus Tennessee and Missouri.
 
THE  LONG RUN: Kevin Harris burst up the middle and raced 88 yards untouched to paydirt in the win over Vandy. It tied for the fourth-longest run from scrimmage in school history and is the longest run in FBS play this season. Harris also has a 75-yard run in his career, accounting for two of the 17 runs of 75-yards or longer in school history. Harris and Mike Davis (2013) are the only two players with two 75+ yard runs as a Gamecock.
 
NEXT MAN UP: Redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick is 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 is second on the squad with 159 yards on 29 carries this season, and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
 
CHECK DOWN: The Gamecock running back duo of Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick has proved to be capable receivers this season as well. Harris and Fenwick rank third and fourth on the squad with 11 and nine catches, respectively.
 
HE’S SHI, BUT KNOW HIS NAME: Senior wide receiver Shi Smith is 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 caught eight passes last week versus Auburn. He is third in the SEC with 32 receptions (8.5 per game) and is eighth with 86.8 receiving yards per game). He has 151 career receptions for 1,918 yards. He is eighth on the school’s all-time list of receptions.
 
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. He became the first player in South Carolina history to record back-to-back games with double figures in pass receptions.
 
AMONG THE BEST: Shi Smith ranks sixth in the nation with an average of 8.5 receptions per game. Here are the NCAA leaders:
Rk.         Player                                 School                   GM        Rec    Rec/Gm
       1.       Marlon Williams   UCF                               4             45            11.3
       2.       Elijah Moore               Ole Miss                 4             42            10.5
       3.       DeVonta Smith         Alabama                4             38              9.5
       4.       Jaelon Darden         North Texas      5             46              9.2
       5.       Billy Kemp                     Virginia                    4             36              9.0
      6.       Shi Smith                        S. Carolina          4             34             8.5
 
THE X FACTOR: Sophomore Xavier Legette is considered the Gamecocks’ second-best wide receiver. He has seven catches for 113 yards this season, a team-leading 16.1-yards per catch. Legette was a quarterback in his school and is still learning the nuances of the position, but is athletic and has a high ceiling.
 
THROW IT TO THE TIGHT END: Senior Nick Muse, the latest in a long line of standout Gamecock tight ends, is second on the team with 13 receptions for 185 yards, an average of 14.2 yards per catch. Muse, who was named to the preseason John Mackey Award watch list which recognizes the nation’s top tight end, joined the Gamecocks at the start of fall camp in 2019 following a transfer from William & Mary.
 
A TALE OF ONE CITY: Tight end Nick Muse has had the best of times and the worst of times in his two games against Vanderbilt. In 2019, Muse suffered a season-ending ACL injury against the Commodores. This year, the senior had his best game as a Gamecock, catching five passes for 85 yards.
 
IN THE TRENCHES: The Gamecocks have probably their deepest and most experienced offensive line under head coach Will Muschamp. Four players – Sadarius Hutcherson, Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn and Dylan Wonnum have started each of the four games.
     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 33 career starts, most on the squad, including 30-consecutive starts. He was recognized as the SEC’s Offensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts at Vanderbilt when he graded out at 88 percent with seven knockdowns and no missed assignments.
     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 started each of the first three games at left tackle, but returned to right tackle against Auburn, his primary position over the past two years. A Freshman All-American in 2018, he is on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and a member of SAAC.
     Junior Eric Douglas has earned the starting nod at center this season. He has appeared in 25 games during his career.
    Redshirt sophomore Jovaughn Gwyn, who is considered one of the strongest players on the squad, starts at right guard. He has started 15-consecutive games.
     The final spot, a tackle position, has been in flux. Redshirt freshman Jakai Moore 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. True freshman Vershon Lee made the start at right tackle at Vanderbilt. JUCO transfer Jazston Turnetine earned the start at left tackle against Auburn, his first career start. Sophomore Jaylen Nichols and junior Jordan Rhodes have also been starters in their Carolina careers.

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.
 
KINGSLEY HAS BEEN DY-NO-MITE: Regarded as the Gamecocks’ top pass rusher, Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare has gotten off to an excellent start this season. In the opener against Tennessee, he recorded a career-high nine tackles, including a pair of sacks, and forced a fumble while making his debut at the BUCK position. He also notched sacks at Vanderbilt and versus Auburn. After four games he leads the SEC with 4.0 sacks. His 1.0 sacks per game is tied for 15th in the nation. His 4.5 tackles for loss rank sixth in the league.
 
NO DOUBTING THOMAS: Fifth-year senior Keir Thomas is putting together an excellent season. He is fourth on the team with 16 tackles, despite only playing in three games, and has 3.0 sacks, tying Enagbare for first in the SEC and 15th in the country at 1.0 sacks per game.
 
TALENT BEHIND THEM: The Gamecocks have a trio of highly-touted players right behind that veteran quartet up front. Sophomore Zacch Pickens is becoming a force in the middle of the line, Jordan Burch is a freshman BUCK who is the second-highest ranked recruit to sign with Carolina behind only Jadeveon Clowney, and freshman defensive end Tonka Hemingway earned his first start in the win over Auburn. Pickens, who made his first start at Vanderbilt, has recorded eight tackles this season, Burch has 10 stops, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery, and Hemingway has a pair of pass breakups, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble on his resume.
 
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 before matching his career high with 13 tackles at Vanderbilt, including a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss. He leads the team with 36 tackles, an average of 9.0 per game, 10th in the SEC, and is tied for 10th in the league with 3.5 tackles for loss.
 
GETTING IN THE SACK: The Gamecocks have recorded 10 sacks (2.5 per game) through four games. Kingsley Enagbare leads the team with 4.0, including a pair against Tennessee. Keir Thomas had 2.0 sacks against Auburn and is also averaging 1.0 per game. Carolina averaged 2.0 sacks per game a season ago.
 
TOOTING YOUR OWN HORN: Jaycee Horn is considered the best cover corner on the team. The junior rarely gets balls thrown his way, but Auburn challenged him last week and he was up to the task, intercepting two passes and breaking up four others, earning Walter Camp National Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He is tied for second in the nation with 2.0 pass breakups per game.
 
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 at Florida. The junior preseason All-SEC defensive back owns six career interceptions, including one off Kyle Trask at Florida, and was listed on both the Thorpe and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists. He suffered a groin injury in the season opener against Tennessee and has been limited since then. He did not play last week against Auburn.
 
HERE’S TO YOU, JAMMIE ROBINSON: Sophomore Jammie Robinson is one of the hardest hitters on the team. He is second on the team with 25 tackles, including 18 solo stops after four games. Robinson earned Freshman All-SEC and second-team Freshman All-America honors in 2019.
 
SHILO WAS PRIME TIME: Redshirt freshman Shilo Sanders came up big against Auburn. Making his second career start, Sanders recorded a team-high 10 tackles, including nine solo stops. He is third on the team with 20 tackles.
 
PICK THIS: The Gamecocks have five interceptions through four games this season after picking off a dozen passes a season ago, led by Israel Mukuamu’s four. Izzy got the team’s first one at Florida and Cam Smith recorded his first career pick at Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks picked off Auburn’s Bo Nix three times last week, including the first two of Jaycee Horn’s career.
 
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 51-of-70 field goals in his career, 72.9 percent, including 34-of-37 (91.9 pct.) from inside 40 yards. His 51 field goals made and 70 field goals attempted both rank third on the school’s all-time list. He also ranks third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 263 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 6-for-7 in field goal attempts this season, with his only miss coming from 53-yards out, which snapped a string of 14-consecutive field goals made, one shy of the school record of 15, set by Collin Mackie from 1987-88.
 
WELL THAT BITES: Parker White fell one shy of matching the school record for consecutive field goals made when his 53-yard attempt in the rainy conditions at Vandy missed wide left. The 53-yarder would have been a career long. He had connected on 14-straight prior to that miss, one shy of the school record of 15, set by Collin Mackie from 1987-88. He has connected on 16 of his last 17 attempts and ranks sixth among FBS kickers with 51 career field goals made.
 
KICKING WITH KROEGER: True freshman punter Kai Kroeger has punted 17 times this season for a 42.2-yard average with five inside the 20 and a long of 53 yards. After punting six times for just 211 yards, a 35.2-yard average in his debut against Tennessee, he has punted 11 times over the past three games for 506 yards, a 46.0-yard average.
 
SEC HONORS: Freshman punter Kai Kroeger was recognized as the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Auburn. He punted five times for a 48.4-yard average, including a career-best 53-yarder. Three of his five punts were downed inside the 20, at the 2, 7 and 19-yard lines. He had a net punting average of 44.4 yards in the contest after entering the game with just a net of 33.1 yards per punt this season.