With about ninety seconds remaining in Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt, you could understand if even the most die-hard Gamecock fan was resigned to the fact that USC was going to lose to Vanderbilt. Enter, Zeb Noland.
Taking over for starting QB Luke Doty, the graduate transfer led the Gamecocks on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a game winning touchdown pass to Xavier Legette, which lifted USC to a 21-20 victory over the Commodores. In the process, recording the program’s 100th SEC victory since joining the league in 1992.
On Sunday, head coach Shane Beamer held his weekly teleconference with the media to reflect on the improbable victory and to glance ahead to Saturday’s road trip to Texas A&M. During the call, Beamer announced that Doty reinjured his foot in the win and that Noland will once again start for the Gamecocks. Noland led Carolina to wins over Eastern Illinois and East Carolina to open the season.
