USC was outgained 311-306 by Georgia State, didn’t have a run longer than 13 yards and found themselves trailing in the third quarter Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. But the Gamecocks scored the game’s final 23 points to avoid the upset at the hands of the Panthers with a 35-14 win in front of an announced crowd of over 78,000.
The special teams saved the night for the Gamecocks. They blocked two punts (Rashad Amos & Traveon Kenion) scooping and scoring (DJ Smith & Ahmarean Brown) both times. They faked a field goal leading directly to a touchdown. They (Mitch Jeter) kicked a pair of field goals, one of 53 yards and one of 51 yards. And they (Kai Kroeger) averaged over 49 yards per punt with a long of 79.
Overall, a very good night for the special teams. And the defense was good in a lot of ways as well. They kept the Panther passing game in check with 111 yards. They did give up 200 rushing yards, which is Georgia State’s strength, but a good bit of that came n the fourth quarter with the game decided.
The offense will still be a work in progress going into next week’s game at Arkansas. The line was a disappointment, especially protecting the edges. Quarterback Spencer Rattler was chased around in and out of the pocket all night. He still managed to throw for 227 yards and a touchdown, though he had to interceptions.
The receivers were a bright spot for the offense. Juice Wells, Jalen Brooks and Jaheim Bell combined to catch 15 passes for 161 yards.
Final Stats:
Here’s my review from Williams-Brice Stadium:
Gamecock Postgame Media Sessions
Shane Beamer
Spencer Rattler
Marshawn Lloyd & Jalen Brooks
DQ Smith & Mitch Jeter
