Gamecocks Host Auburn in SEC Finale Saturday

The 2021 Southeastern Conference slate wraps up for South Carolina when first-year head coach Shane Beamer and his Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5 SEC) host Bryan Harsin and the Auburn Tigers (6-4, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 20. The contest is set for a 7 pm ET kick at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia (77,559).
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES: ESPN has the national television broadcast with Mark Jones and Robert Griffin III in the booth and Quint Kessenich on the sidelines. Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network with Jamar Nesbit on the sidelines.
 
A LITTLE HISTORY: 2021 marks the 128th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina dating back to 1892. It is the 115th-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 619-600-44, a .508 winning pct.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2021 season marks South Carolina’s 30th 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 win earlier this season over Vanderbilt marked South Carolina’s 100th conference win since joining the SEC in 1992. They are 101-139-1 (.421) all-time in SEC regular-season play.
 
CAROLINA VS. AUBURN: This is the 14th all-time meeting between South Carolina and Auburn and the second-straight year in which the two squads have met on the gridiron. The Tigers hold a 10-2-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-1 record when the games have been played in Columbia and a 4-0 mark when the teams have met in Auburn. The teams have also played at a neutral site on five occasions, with Auburn holding a 3-1-1 advantage in those contests, including the 2010 SEC Championship game. The teams met in four-consecutive years from 1930-33, then did not meet again until 1996. The teams have played nine times as SEC opponents, with Auburn winning the first eight of those contests.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: 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 on Oct. 17, 2020. 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 (which all led to touchdowns) along with solid red zone defense, helped Carolina rally from an early 9-0 deficit. Horn was selected as the National Defensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for his efforts.
 
IT HAD BEEN AWHILE: When the Gamecocks knocked off Auburn last season, it marked their first win over the Tigers since 1933. The win also snapped an eight-game losing streak in the all-time series with Auburn.
 
SOUNDS FAMILIAR: The Gamecocks defeated Auburn by a 30-22 score in 2020 for its first win over the Tigers since 1933. In 2005, South Carolina topped Florida by the same 30-22 score, which marked the Gamecocks’ first win over the Gators since 1939. Those are the only two 30-22 wins in school history.
 
IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE: Under sixth-year head coach Billy Laval, the Gamecocks traveled to Birmingham on Dec. 2, 1933 to face national power Auburn in the season finale. Earl Clary was the hero, tackling an Auburn runner in the end zone for a, early 2-0 lead, then racing 56 yards for a second period score to make it 9-0 at the half. The Plainsmen roared back to take a 14-9 lead. Clary scampered for a 29-yard fourth-quarter score that lifted Carolina to a 16-14 win, in one of the Gamecocks’ greatest victories and quite a final curtain for the Gaffney Ghost.  (courtesy The First Hundred Years)
 
SWEET HOME ALABAMA:  The Gamecocks list four players from the Yellowhammer State on its 2021 roster. Sophomore receiver Eric Shaw hails from Reeltown, about 30 miles west of the Auburn campus. Freshman wide receiver Sam Reynolds is from Alabaster and played for Thompson High. Freshman offensive lineman JonDarius Morgan is from Birmingham and graduated from Hoffman High School. Freshman defensive back La’Dareyen Craig attended Baker High School in Mobile.
 
HE LOOKS FAMILIAR: Auburn offensive coordinator Mike Bobo spent the 2020 in Columbia as the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under head coach Will Muschamp. He took over the interim head coaching duties following Muschamp’s dismissal and was 0-3 in that role. He was briefly retained by Shane Beamer, before casting his lot with Bryan Harsin at Auburn.
 
BUT YOU SAY HE’S JUST A FRIEND: Auburn offensive line coach Will Friend was very briefly on Shane Beamer’s first coaching staff at South Carolina, joining the staff on Dec. 27, 2020, before switching lanes and joining Mike Bobo on the Auburn offensive staff.
 
A DIVIDED HOUSE: Wes Todd logged a three-year stint on the media relations staff at South Carolina before joining the Auburn SID staff as an assistant  director. He is married to the former Lauren Quick, a Carolina grad. In fact, the two were married in the chapel on the University of South Carolina Horseshoe.
 
DID YOU KNOW?: Only two of Carolina’s 12 opponents this season currently have a losing record.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT: Tyler Badie carried 34 times for 209 yards and a touchdown and the Missouri Tigers hung on for a 31-28 win in CoMo last Saturday to keep the Mayor’s Cup in Missouri for another year. Jason Brown made his second start at quarterback for the Gamecocks and went 16-for-30 for 193 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Gamecocks mustered just 57 yards on the ground and 250 total yards, but they turned three Tiger turnovers, including two in the final period, into 21 points to keep the contest close. Cornerback Cam Smith led the defense with 10 tackles, including nine solo stops, and an interception.
 
LONG DRIVE CONTEST: The Gamecocks put together a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 7:50 off the clock, culminating with a 26-yard scoring pass from Jason Brown to Josh Vann in the second quarter at Missouri. It was Carolina’s longest scoring drive of the season in terms of time of possession and the longest since the 2017 game at Tennessee when Carolina took 9:12 off the clock.
 
TURNOVERS LEAD TO POINTS: The Gamecocks forced three Missouri turnovers and turned all three into touchdowns. Cam Smith and Brad Johnson both intercepted passes, while Marcellas Dial forced and recovered fumble. Two of the three gave Carolina the ball in plus territory, and the offense was able to capitalize each time.
 
THAT’S OUR BALL: The Gamecock defense has been outstanding in forcing turnovers all season. They have forced at least two turnovers in eight of their 10 games (EIU-2; ECU-2; UGA-3; UK-3; Troy-4; UT-0; VU-2; A&M-1; UF-2; MU-3). For the season, South Carolina has forced 22 turnovers – 14 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, ranking first in the SEC and in a four-way tie for fifth in the NCAA in turnovers gained. The 14 interceptions have the Gamecocks ranked first in the SEC and in a six-way tie for fifth in the country.
 
THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE: The Gamecock defense has scored four times this season, three on pick-sixes and one scoop-and-score. Jordan Burch picked off a pass and rumbled 61 yards to paydirt in the opener against Eastern Illinois. That was Carolina’s first pick-six since Israel Mukuamu went 53 yards for a score at Georgia in 2019 and the first for a Gamecock defensive lineman since Devin Taylor raced 48 yards at Arkansas in 2011. Damani Staley got the Gamecocks on the board with just a minute left in the first half on a 63-yard interception return at East Carolina. David Spaulding went 74 yards with an interception return in the final minute of the first half against Troy. Jabari Ellis recovered a fumble and rambled 18-yards for a score late in the first half vs. Florida. Carolina is 4-0 in games with a pick-six.
 
TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE: The Gamecocks lead the SEC and are in a three-way tie for fifth nationally with four defensive scores behind Nevada (6), Ohio State (6), Appalachian State (5) and UTSA (5). The three interception returns for TDs are tied for third in the NCAA behind Appalachian State (5) and Ohio State (4) and are the most for Carolina since 2010 (5).
 
WE’RE GOING THE OTHER WAY: The Gamecocks have logged 297 interception return yards this season on 14 picks, just 47 yards off the record of 344 return yards, set in 1984 when the squad intercepted 23 passes. The 297 interception return yards is the second-most in the NCAA this season, behind only Appalachian State’s total of 337.
 
SO YOU’RE SAYIN’ THERE’S A CHANCE: The Gamecocks have been very good in the fourth quarter, outscoring their opponents by a 74-33 margin in the final period. They rallied late to defeat both East Carolina and Vanderbilt in the final minute.
 
FOR STARTERS: The Gamecocks have had 38 players make starts this season. Nine have started all 10 games, including Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Nick Muse on offense, and Jabari Ellis, Kingsley Enagbare, Jaylan Foster, Brad Johnson, Zacch Pickens and Aaron Sterling on defense.
 
YOU GET A WIN AND YOU GET A WIN AND YOU GET A WIN: The Gamecocks are the only FBS team in the country that can boast three starting quarterbacks with a win under their belt this season. Both Luke Doty and Zeb Noland have won two starts, while Jason Brown has one win.