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Gamecocks Host Georgia Saturday Night, Nov. 28
Football  . 

Gamecocks Host Georgia Saturday Night, Nov. 28

SEC Network to Televise 7:30 pm ET Kick

The South Carolina Gamecocks (2-6) wrap up the home portion of their 2020 season when they host the No. 13/10 Georgia Bulldogs (5-2) on Saturday, Nov. 28. Game time is set for 7:30 pm ET from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The contest will be televised on SEC Network.
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES: Taylor Zarzour will serve as the play-by-play voice for SEC Network with Matt Stinchcomb providing the analysis. Carolina alum Alyssa Lang will work as the sideline reporter for the second-straight week. Derek Scott sits in for Todd Ellis again this week as the play-by-play voice, working with analyst Tommy Suggs and sideline reporter Jamar Nesbit for the Gamecock Radio Network. ESPN Radio has a national broadcast with Sean Kelley and Barrett Jones on the call.
 
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 614-593-44 (.508).
 
SEC, SEC: 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 99-132-1 (.429) all-time in SEC regular-season play, but are 44-44 (.500) 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.
 
SENIOR SALUTE: Twelve seniors will take part in pregame Senior Day festivities. They include Slade Carroll, Chandler Farrell, Sadarius Hutcherson, Christian Kinsley, Nick Muse, Adam Prentice, Will Register, Shi Smith, Keir Thomas, Jay Urich, Noah Vincent and Parker White.
 
CAROLINA VS. GEORGIA: This is the 73rd meeting between these two bordering flagship state universities. Georgia leads the all-time series by a 51-19-2 margin, including a 21-10-2 advantage in Columbia. Since becoming SEC Eastern Division rivals in 1992, the Bulldogs own an 18-10 advantage in the series, including a 9-5 mark in Columbia.
 
EVEN IN THE DECADE: The series is knotted at five wins apiece in games played during the 2010s. Carolina won three-straight from 2010-12, its longest winning streak in the series, and won again in 2014 and 2019. Georgia countered with a win in 2013 and four-straight from 2015-18.
 
IT’S GETTING LATE: This is the latest the two teams have ever met on the calendar and just the fifth time they’ve met in the month of November. The previous “latest game” took place during the 1939 season, with that year’s game coming on Nov. 18. Traditionally, this is one of the earlier matches in the SEC, generally played in early September. 
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: In the high point of the 2019 season for Carolina, the Gamecocks went into Athens on Oct. 12 and knocked off the No. 3/3 Bulldogs by a 20-17 mark in double-overtime. Israel Mukuamu was the star of the game, intercepting three Jake Fromm passes, including a 53-yard pick-six in the upset win. Parker White connected on a 24-yard field in the second overtime, before Rodrigo Blankenship missed from 42, providing the winning score. Georgia outgained Carolina 468-297 on the afternoon, but four turnovers proved costly for the Dawgs. The win matched the best road win for Carolina in school history.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Jake Fromm completed 15-of-18 passes for 194 yards and Georgia rolled up 271 rushing yards as the third-ranked Bulldogs posted a 41-17 win over No. 24 South Carolina on Sept. 1, 2018 in Columbia. Deandre Baker set the tone with an interception off a tipped ball in the opening minute that led to an early score for the Bulldogs. Carolina held close for a while, but a late second quarter field goal sent Georgia into intermission with a 20-10 advantage. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on three third-quarter possessions to put the game away. Jake Bentley completed 30-of-47 passes for 269 yards.
 
BOBO SEES RED: Gamecock interim head coach Mike Bobo is very familiar with the Bulldogs. Bobo is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia and spent all but one of the first 22 years of his adult life with the Bulldogs as either a player or assistant coach. Bobo and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart were teammates at UGA.
 
GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Carolina wide receivers coach Joe Cox is a 2009 graduate of Georgia. He was the starting quarterback as a senior at UGA, when he completed 185-of-331 passes for 2,584 yards and 24 touchdowns, at the time the second-best single-season total in UGA history. An offensive captain, Cox led the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record. Carolina defensive line coach Tracy Rocker had a similar post at Georgia from 2014-16. DFO George Wynn started for three years at Georgia and served as a team captain as a senior, graduating in 1992.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: Seventeen players on Carolina’s roster claim Georgia as their home state. That figures to 16 percent of the Gamecocks’ 104-man roster. The list includes: Rashad Amos (Fayetteville), Kingsley Enagbare (Atlanta), Rodricus Fitten (Atlanta), Cole Hanna (Norcross), Kevin Harris (Hinesville), Joey Hunter (Atlanta), Ernest Jones (Waycross), McKay Melnick (Bogart), Rico Powers (Atlanta), Jordan Rhodes (Fairburn), Jammie Robinson (Leesburg), Will Rogers (Hampton), Aaron Sterling (Atlanta), Jazston Turnetine (Ellenwood), Josh Vann (Tucker), M.J. Webb (Rutledge) and Dylan Wonnum (Tucker).

CHANGE AT THE TOP: On Nov. 15, Athletics Director Ray Tanner informed Will Muschamp that he was being relieved of his head coaching duties. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Muschamp compiled a 28-30 mark in five seasons at Carolina and an overall mark of 56-51 in nine seasons as a head coach. To assist Coach Bobo in the quarterbacks room, Gamecock Great Connor Shaw moved from his role as Director – Player Development to an on-field role as the quarterbacks coach.
 
MOVING ON UP: With Mike Bobo moving down to coach on the field, Joe Cox and Des Kitchings will help direct the offense from the press box.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT: After a tumultuous week for South Carolina Football which saw them lose their head coach and four defensive players opt out, the Gamecocks dropped a hard-fought 17-10 decision to the Missouri Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium last Saturday night. Mizzou opened up a 17-0 halftime lead, but the Gamecocks fought back to make it a one score game and had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minutes, before a late interception ended the comeback attempt. Quarterback Luke Doty came off the bench and gave the Carolina offense a spark. He completed 14-of-23 passes for 130 yards and also rushed 11 times for 59 yards.
 
SECOND HALF SHUTOUT: After surrendering 176 points in its previous 14 quarters, the Carolina defense showed some life, pitching a shutout of Missouri in the second half of Saturday’s game. The Gamecocks forced punts on all five of the Tigers’ second-half possessions, allowing just 89 yards on 28 plays after intermission, an average of 3.2 yards per play.
 
SEEING RED: The Gamecocks have scored on 20 of 24 trips into the redzone, 83.3 percent, which ranks seventh in the SEC. More importantly, Carolina has scored touchdowns on 18 of its 24 trips (75.0 percent), which ranks third in the SEC behind only Alabama (77.5) and Florida (77.1).
 
SEC LEADERS: Several Gamecocks dot the SEC’s individual statistical leaders list:
Kevin Harris……………………………………. Rushing …………………….. 2nd (109.4)
Kevin Harris…………………………………….. Scoring ……………………….. 2nd (10.5)
Kevin Harris…………………………….. Scoring (TDs)…………………. 2nd (10.5)
Kevin Harris……………………………….. All-Purpose………………….. 9th (123.4)
Shi Smith……………………………… Receptions/Game…………….. 3rd (6.8)
Shi Smith……………………….. Receiving Yards/Game……… 9th (75.6)
Parker White………………………….. Scoring (Kick)…………………… 7th (6.4)
Parker White……………………………… Field Goals…………………….. 7th (1.12)
Parker White…………………………. Field Goal Pct…………………. 8th (64.3)
Parker White……………………….. PAT Kicking Pct…………….. T1st (100.0)
Kai Kroeger………………………………. Punting Avg……………………. 9th (43.0)
Ernest Jones…………………………………… Tackles………………………….. 5th (10.6)
Kingsley Enagbare………………………. Sacks……………………………… 1st (6.0)
Kingsley Enagbare…………. Tackles for Loss………………. T4th (7.0)
Kingsley Enagbare………… Fumbles Forced…………….. 2nd (0.38)
 
IT’S NEVER EASY: Georgia enters this week’s game ranked 13th in the Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs are the fifth ranked opponent Carolina has faced in nine games this season, including two (No. 3 Florida and No. 7 Texas A&M) in the Top-10.
 
FIRST START: Thirteen Gamecocks have made their first career starts this season, including four in the season opener against Tennessee: Collin Hill (who made 11 starts at Colorado State), Dakereon Joyner, Kevin Harris and Shilo Sanders. Damani Staley made his first career start at Florida. Zacch Pickens and Vershon Lee both made their first career starts at Vanderbilt. Jazston Turnetine and Tonka Hemingway made their first starts against Auburn. Jaylen Foster made his first start against Texas A&M and Jaylen Brooks made his first start at Ole Miss. Mohamed Kaba and Cam Smith all made their first career starts against Missouri.
NFL TIES: 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. Damani Staley is the son of former Gamecock and NFL running back Duce Staley. Dylan Wonnum is the younger brother of former Gamecock, D.J. Wonnum, who is with the Minnesota Vikings. 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. Fabian Goodman is the son of former Gamecock Andre Goodman, who logged 10 seasons in the NFL.
 
OPTING OUT: Carolina has had seven players opt out this year. Three players –  wide receivers Randrecous Davis and OrTre Smith, along with  offensive lineman Mark Fox – opted out before the season began. Four additional players – defensive backs Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu and R.J. Roderick, along with defensive lineman Makius Scott, opted out after the head coaching change.
 
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: The Gamecocks wrap up the 2020 regular season with a Dec. 5 trip to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Carolina leads the all-time series with Kentucky by an 18-12-1 margin, including a 9-7 advantage when the teams have met in the Bluegrass State. The Gamecocks won in Columbia last season by a 24-7 score.
 
*OFFENSE*
 
BOBO DIALS IT UP: Mike Bobo, who spent the past five years as the head coach at Colorado State, serves as the offensive coordinator in addition to his duties as interim head 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. This will be the first time he’s been on the opposite sideline of the Bulldogs.
 
THE COLLIN HILL SHOW: Collin Hill, a graduate transfer who played for Mike Bobo at Colorado State, has been the Gamecocks’ quarterback through the first eight games and, until the second half of the Missouri game last week, had taken virtually every meaningful snap after earning the starting nod over sophomore incumbent Ryan Hilinski. The 6-4, 222-pounder appeared in 18 games including 11 starts at Colorado State while battling through three ACL injuries. While playing 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. 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, is 2-6 as a starter for the Gamecocks, connecting on 127-of-215 passes (59.1 percent) for 1,411 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. He also has four rushing touchdowns. Hill made his first collegiate start in the Palmetto State in the season opener against Tennessee and responded with his best performance, 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, and notched his second win in the upset of Auburn when he went 15-of-24 for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He struggled in losses at LSU and to Texas A&M, going a combined 20-for-43 for 300 yards with one touchdown and three INTs, before bouncing back with a 17-for-26, 230-yard effort at Ole Miss. With Shi Smith not returning after the first series, he was 6-of-10 for just 39 yards in the first half against Missouri.
 
DUAL-THREAT DOTY: True freshman Luke Doty a highly-touted dual-threat quarterback, saw limited action this season before taking the reins in the second half against Missouri. Bringing a different skill set to the offense than either Hill or Ryan Hilinski, with the ability to make plays with his legs, Doty completed 14-of-23 passes for 130 yards with an interception against the Tigers. He also was the Gamecocks’ leading rusher with 11 carries for a team-high 59 yards, including a long of 17. He became the first quarterback to lead the team in rushing since Lorenzo Nunez had 75 yards against Clemson in the 2015 season finale.
 
HOP ON THE BUS: The Gamecocks opened the season thinking a “running back by committee” approach would be implemented 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 show. Known by his teammates as “The Bus,” Harris has been the workhorse all season, and ranks second in the SEC and 19th in the country in rushing at 109.4 yards per game.
 
LOOKING FOR A GRAND: The 1,000-yard rushing  yard plateau has been reached just 10 times in school history, and sophomore Kevin Harris is looking to add his named to the list and become the first Gamecock since Mike Davis in 2013 to accomplish that feat. Harris has 875 yards with two games remaining. He has topped the 100-yard plateau in four games this season, going for 100 on 22 carries at Florida, a 21-carry, 171-yard performance at Vanderbilt, a 12-carry, 126-yard effort at LSU and a career-best 25-carry, 243-yard performance at Ole Miss. Here are the Gamecocks’ 1,000-yard rushers:
Rushing Yards – Season
  1.  George Rogers (1980)……………………………. 1,894
  2.  George Rogers (1979)……………………………. 1,681
  3.  Marcus Lattimore (2010)……………………….. 1,197
  4.  Mike Davis (2013)…………………………………. 1,183
  5.  Kevin Long (1975)…………………………………. 1,133
  6.  Duce Staley (1996)……………………………….. 1,116
  7.  Clarence Williams (1975)……………………….. 1,073
  8.  Derek Watson (2000)……………………………. 1,066
  9.  Harold Green (1987)……………………………… 1,022
10. George Rogers (1978)……………………………. 1,006
————————————————————————–
      Kevin Harris (2020)……………………………….. 875
 
BETTER THAN AVERAGE: Sophomore Kevin Harris is averaging 109.4 yards rushing per game this season. That average currently ranks fifth on the all-time list for a single season in Carolina history:
No.  Player                      Year    Gms    Yards     Avg.
   1.   George Rogers        1980     12      1894    157.8
   2.   George Rogers        1979     12      1681    140.1
   3.   Duce Staley             1996      9       1116    124.0
   4.   Marcus Lattimore   2011      7        818      116.9
  5.   Kevin Harris           2020      8        875   109.4
   6.   George Rogers        1978     10      1006    100.6
 
HE RUNS, HE SCORES: Kevin Harris leads the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and with 14 of the Gamecocks’ 25 touchdowns overall. Harris ranks second in the SEC with 10.5 points per game. His 84 points scored is tied for 10th for a single season in school history while his 14 TDs is tied for fourth. His 13 rushing touchdowns also ranks fourth.
Points Scored – Season
   1.   Marcus Lattimore (2010)………………………… 114
   2.   Collin Mackie (1987)………………………………. 113
   3.   Elliott Fry (2014)……………………………………. 105
   4.   Spencer Lanning (2010)………………………….. 102
   5.   Elliott Fry (2013)……………………………………… 99
   6.   Harold Green (1987)………………………………… 96
   7.   Ryan Succop (2008)…………………………………. 90
   8.   Ryan Succop (2006)…………………………………. 85
         Elliott Fry (2015)……………………………………… 85
10.   George Rogers (1980)………………………………. 84
         Parker White (2018)…………………………………. 84
         Kevin Harris (2020)……………………………….. 84
 
Touchdowns Scored – Season
   1.   Marcus Lattimore (2010)………………………….. 19
   2.   Harold Green (1987)………………………………… 16
   3.   George Rogers (1980)………………………………. 14
         Kevin Harris (2020)……………………………….. 14
   5.   Sidney Rice (2005)…………………………………… 13
         Deebo Samuel (2018)………………………………. 13
 
Rushing Touchdowns – Season
  1.  Marcus Lattimore (2010)……………………………. 17
  2.  Harold Green (1987)………………………………….. 15
  3.  George Rogers (1980)………………………………… 14
4.  Kevin Harris (2020)…………………………………. 13
  5.  Jeff Grantz (1975)……………………………………… 12
      Andrew Pinnock (2001)……………………………… 12
 
THE  LONG RUN: Kevin Harris raced 88 yards to paydirt at Vandy. It matched the fourth-longest run from scrimmage in school history and is tied for the third-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 Gamecocks with two 75+ yard runs.
Yds Player                    Opponent                     Date
96    Steve Wadiak       Geo. Washington    10/27/50
89    Ben Garnto           Wake Forest            10/15/65
89    Brandon Bennett East Tenn. State       10/05/91
88    Bobby Wallace     Middle Tennessee   11/18/06
88   Kevin Harris         Vanderbilt            10/10/20
 
RE-WRITING THE RECORD BOOKS: Kevin Harris had the best day of his brief career as a Gamecock at Ole Miss. The sophomore running back matched his career-high with 25 carries for a career-high 243 yards and a school record five touchdowns. He averaged 9.7 yards per carry. The 243 yards rushing is the fifth-highest single-game total in school history and the most against an SEC opponent. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season and the fifth of his career.
SINGLE-GAME RUSHING YARDS
  1.  Brandon Bennett vs. East Tenn. St. (10/5/91). 278
  2.  Jeff Grantz vs. Ohio (10/20/73)…………………. 260
  3.  Steve Wadiak vs. Clemson (10/19/50)……….. 256
  4.  Marcus Lattimore vs. Navy (9/17/11)…………. 246
5.  Kevin Harris vs. Ole Miss (11/14/20)………. 243
  6.  George Rogers vs. Wake Forest (11/18/78)… 237
  7.  Rico Dowdle vs. Western Carolina (11/19/16) 226
  8.  George Rogers vs. Duke (10/11/80)…………… 224
  9.  George Rogers vs. NC State (11/3/79)………… 217
10. Derek Watson vs. E. Michigan (9/16/00)…….. 215
 
PUT IT IN THE END ZONE: Kevin Harris set a school record with five rushing touchdowns at Ole Miss. He scored from 46, 1, 1, 44 and 12 yards out. No other Gamecock has scored more than three rushing touchdowns in a game. Harris tied the school record for TDs and points scored in a game with 30, matching Sidney Rice against FAU in 2006.
POINTS SCORED/TOUCHDOWNS SCORED
   1.   Sidney Rice vs. Florida Atlantic (9/23/06)… 30/5
         Kevin Harris at Ole Miss (11/14/20)……. 30/5
   3.   Mike Dingle vs. Virginia Tech (9/22/90)…… 24/4
         Stanley Pritchett vs. Miss. St. (10/14/95)…. 24/4
 
NEXT MAN UP: Redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick is the “veteran” in the running backs’ room. He is a bigger back who, over his first two seasons, logged a pair of 100-yard games despite playing in just seven games and carrying the pigskin in just four contests. He is second on the squad with 297 yards on 54 carries this season, and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
 
HE’S SHI, BUT KNOW HIS NAME: Senior wide receiver Shi Smith is the No. 1 receiver for the Gamecocks. 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 versus Auburn, had seven receptions versus Texas A&M and had his third double-digit catch day with 10 receptions for 117 yards at Ole Miss. He was injured in the first series against Missouri and did not return after just one catch for nine yards. He is third in the SEC with 6.8 receptions per game and is ninth with 75.6 receiving yards per game. He has 171 career receptions for 2,176 yards. He is fourth on the school’s all-time list for receptions and is ninth on the school’s career receiving yards list.
Career Receiving Leaders (by Receptions)
No.   PLAYER                     YEARS      REC.     YDS
    1.     Bryan Edwards         2016-19     234    3,045
    2.     Kenny McKinley       2005-08     207    2,781
    3.     Alshon Jeffery          2009-11     183    3,042
    4.     Shi Smith                 2017-20    171  2,176
    5.     Sterling Sharpe         1983-87     169    2,497
    6.     Zola Davis                 1995-98     164    2,354
    7.     Robert Brooks          1988-91     156    2,211
    8.     Jermale Kelly            1997-00     153    2,181
    9.     Deebo Samuel         2014-18     148    2,076
  10.     Fred Zeigler              1967-69     146    1,876
 
Career Receiving Leaders (by Yards)
No.   PLAYER                          YEARS             Yds.
    1.     Bryan Edwards              2016-19          3,045
    2.     Alshon Jeffery               2009-11          3,042
    3.     Kenny McKinley           2005-08          2,781
    4.     Sterling Sharpe             1983-87          2,497
    5.     Zola Davis                     1995-98          2,354
   6.     Sidney Rice                   2005-06          2,233
   7.     Robert Brooks               1988-91          2,211
   8.     Jermale Kelly                1997-00          2,181
    9.     Shi Smith                     2017-20        2,176
   10.    Pharoh Cooper             2013-15          2,163
 
GETTING HIS SHARE: Shi Smith, who has accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, has been on the receiving end of 54 of the Gamecocks’ 145 pass receptions this season, 37.2 percent, for 605 of the 1,575 receiving yards, 38.4 percent. The other wide receivers have combined for 30 catches for 322 yards.
 
SHI LIGHTS – HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?: Senior wide receiver Shi Smith got 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.
 
BROOKS WAS HERE: Junior wide receiver Jalen Brooks gained his eligibility just before the LSU game. Brooks began his career at Division II Wingate College and had a cup of coffee at Tarleton State before joining the Gamecock program this fall. He had one catch for three yards in his Carolina debut at LSU, had three receptions for 47 yards at Ole Miss in his first career start, and three catches for 25 yards against Mizzou.
 
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 22 receptions for 294 yards, 13.4 yards per catch. He became the go-to guy against Missouri after Smith was injured, catching six passes for 67 yards. Muse, who was named to the 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 had some shuffling with their offensive line this season, but four players – Sadarius Hutcherson, Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn and Dylan Wonnum – have started every game.
 
HUTCH SETS THE TONE: Fifth-year senior Sadarius Hutcherson, a preseason all-league selection and a member of the Outland Trophy Watch List, leads the offensive line. He has returned to his more natural guard position after playing left tackle last season. He has made 37 career starts, most on the squad, including 34 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.
 
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION: Junior Eric Douglas has earned the starting nod at center this season. The cerebral Douglas, who is on the Rimington Watch List, has appeared in 29 games with nine starts during his career.
 
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE: Redshirt sophomore Jovaughn Gwyn, who is considered one of the strongest players on the squad, starts at right guard. He has started 19 consecutive games.
 
YOU WONNUM, YOU GOT ‘EM: 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 his more comfortable right tackle position for the last five games, 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.
 
THE BACKUPS: Redshirt freshman Jakai Moore earned the start in each of the first two contests at right tackle and has returned to the starting lineup at left tackle in each of the last two games. He also started two games last season. Jazston Turnetine made three-consecutive midseason starts at left tackle. True freshman Vershon Lee made the start at right tackle at Vanderbilt. Sophomore tackle Jaylen Nichols and junior Jordan Rhodes have also been starters in their Carolina careers, although Rhodes recently moved to the defensive side of the ball to add depth to the D-line.
 
*DEFENSE*
 
KINGSLEY HAS BEEN DY-NO-MITE: Regarded as the Gamecocks’ top pass rusher, Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare is the SEC leader with 6.0 sacks and with three forced fumbles. His 7.0 tackles for loss ranks tied for fourth in the league. 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.
 
NO DOUBTING THOMAS: Fifth-year senior Keir Thomas is putting together an excellent season. He is fourth on the team with 32 tackles, despite missing a game, and is second on the squad with 3.0 sacks and with 5.5 tackles for loss. He began the season in the middle of the line, but has moved to defensive end over the past three games.
 
GLAD HE PICKED US: Sophomore Zacch Pickens is starting to live up to his billing, as he was rated the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country as a high school senior. He has started five of the last six contests and his numbers are on the rise. He has recorded 27 tackles this season, 19 over the last four games, including a career-high eight stops at Ole Miss.
 
BURCH COMING ON: Jordan Burch, a true freshman BUCK who is the second-highest ranked recruit to sign with Carolina behind only Jadeveon Clowney,  has been credited with 19 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery,
 
HEMINGWAY WRITING HIS OWN TICKET: True freshmen defensive end Tonka Hemingway has started two games this season. he has 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, a QB hurry and a forced fumble.
 
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 leads the team with 85 tackles, 25 more than any other player on the squad, an average of 10.6 per game, fifth in the SEC and tied for 25th in the country. He was the team leader in the season opener against Tennessee with 11 stops, matched his then-career high with 13 tackles at Vanderbilt, including a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss, then shattered his personal best with a 19-tackle effort at LSU, the most tackles by a Gamecock in a game since the 1987 season. He nearly matched that with 18 tackles at Ole Miss.
 
ERNEST GOES TO BATON ROUGE: Junior linebacker Ernest Jones was a tackling machine at LSU, registering a career-high 19 tackles. It was the most tackles in a game for a Gamecock since Roy Hart logged 19 at Nebraska in 1987. One game prior to Hart’s feat, Brad Edwards notched 21 stops at Georgia. The 19 tackles match the second-highest single-game total in FBS play this season. With his 18 tackles at Ole Miss, Jones owns two of the top 12 individual tackling efforts this season.
 
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 60 tackles, including 39 solo stops and four pass breakups. He was credited with a dozen tackles at LSU and 11 at Ole Miss. Robinson earned Freshman All-SEC and second-team Freshman All-America honors in 2019.
 
*SPECIAL TEAMS*
 
WHITE ON THE MONEY: Senior Parker White has hit on 9-of-14 field goals this season (9-of-12 from inside of 50) and has converted 54-of-77 field goals in his career, 70.1 pct., including 34-of-38 (89.5 pct.) from inside 40 yards. His 54 field goals made and 77 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 282 points. White owns a career long of 50 yards and has five fourth-quarter or OT game-winning field goals in his career, including one against Mizzou in 2018.
 
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 ranks tied for eighth among FBS active kickers with 54 career field goals made.
 
KICKING WITH KROEGER: True freshman Kai Kroeger has a 43.0-yard average with seven inside the 20, a long of 53 yards and just two touchbacks. After punting six times for 211 yards, a 35.2-yard average in his debut vs. Tennessee, he has punted 26 times for 1,164 yards, a 44.8-yard average.
 
SEC HONORS: 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 were downed inside the 20. He had a net average of 44.4 yards after entering that game with a net of just 33.1 yards per punt.