C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
1. South Carolina dropped its season opener for the second straight year, marking the first time since 1994 and 1995 the Gamecocks dropped back-to-back game ones. Both of the losses in 94 and 95 came against Georgia. The Gamecocks also dropped their SEC opener for the third straight year. The last win in a league opener came in 2017 against Missouri.
2. The Gamecocks scored 27 points Saturday, marking the 14th-straight game against FBS teams where they score fewer than 30 points. The last time they did was against Clemson in 2018 where they posted 35 points. It's the longest streak since not scoring 30 points or more in 21 straight games from 1998-99. They have gone nine SEC games without scoring 30 points, the longest drought since doing that in 11 straight games from 2015-16.
3. Shi Smith caught 10 passes for 140 yards. It's only the sixth time since 2000 a Gamecock receiver has caught at least 10 passes and averaged 14 yards per reception. Smith did it once before (against Tennessee last year). Pharoh Cooper also did it twice while Deebo Samuel and Sidney Rice each did it once.
4. JJ Enagbare became just the second player since 2000 to notch at least nine tackles, two sacks and force a fumble in a single game. TJ Brunson is the only other player to do that, picking up 16 tackles against Florida in 2018.
5. Tennessee averaged 6.1 yards per play Saturday night. It's the 17th time in 54 games coached at South Carolina a Will Muschamp defense has allowed six yards per play. The Gamecocks are 5-12 in those games. It's also the 13th time the Gamecocks have allowed a SEC team to average over six yards per play; they are 4-9 in those games.
6. Collin Hill threw for 290 yards Saturday, completing 25 of his 39 passes, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. Since 2000, it's the third-most yardage by a Gamecock quarterback making his first career start. Only Blake Mitchell (330 yards against UCF on 23 attempts) and Dylan Thompson (330 yards against ECU on 37 attempts) had more in their first career starts.
7. South Carolina scored on its first drive of the game, an 11-play, 75-yard drive. After that, they averaged just over four plays and eight yards per drive before halftime, going backwards once. For the game, the Gamecocks had 13 drives. They'd average 5.8 plays and 30.7 yards per drive. Of their six second-half drives, four went for at least 50 yards, all of which the Gamecocks scored on.
8. The Gamecocks rushed 35 times for 89 yards, which is good for 2.5 yards per carry. Rushing has been a struggle dating back to last season. The Gamecocks have averaged less than three yards per carry in five of their last six games. The only game they averaged more was against Vandy (4.2).
9. Saturday's loss pushes the Gamecocks' losing streak to four games. It's the longest streak of the Will Muschamp era, and the longest since losing five straight games to end the 2015 season.
10. Saturday's starting lineups looked like this:
Offense: Shi Smith, Xavier Legette, Dakereon Joyner, Dylan Wonnum, Sadarius Hutcherson, Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn, Jakai Moore, Nick Muse, Collin Hill, Kevin Harris
Defense: Aaron Sterling, Keir Thomas, Jabari Ellis, JJ Enagbare, Brad Johnson, Ernest Jones, Sherrod Greene, Israel Mukuamu, RJ Roderick, Jammie Robinson, Jaycee Horn
Other scholarship players who saw action: Jordan Burch, Jaylin Dickerson, Jaylen Nichols, Josh Vann, Zacch Pickens, Cam Smith, ZaQuandre White, Deshaun Fenwick, Shilo Sanders, John Dixon, Jaylan Foster, Darius Rush, Damani Staley, Chandler Farrell, Kai Kroeger, Parker White, Spencer Eason-Riddle, Adam Prentice, Jazston Turnetine, Vershon Lee, Keveon Mullins, KeShawn Toney, Rico Powers, Will Register, Rick Sandidge, Tonka Hemingway, MJ Webb, Mitch Jeter
2. The Gamecocks scored 27 points Saturday, marking the 14th-straight game against FBS teams where they score fewer than 30 points. The last time they did was against Clemson in 2018 where they posted 35 points. It's the longest streak since not scoring 30 points or more in 21 straight games from 1998-99. They have gone nine SEC games without scoring 30 points, the longest drought since doing that in 11 straight games from 2015-16.
3. Shi Smith caught 10 passes for 140 yards. It's only the sixth time since 2000 a Gamecock receiver has caught at least 10 passes and averaged 14 yards per reception. Smith did it once before (against Tennessee last year). Pharoh Cooper also did it twice while Deebo Samuel and Sidney Rice each did it once.
4. JJ Enagbare became just the second player since 2000 to notch at least nine tackles, two sacks and force a fumble in a single game. TJ Brunson is the only other player to do that, picking up 16 tackles against Florida in 2018.
5. Tennessee averaged 6.1 yards per play Saturday night. It's the 17th time in 54 games coached at South Carolina a Will Muschamp defense has allowed six yards per play. The Gamecocks are 5-12 in those games. It's also the 13th time the Gamecocks have allowed a SEC team to average over six yards per play; they are 4-9 in those games.
6. Collin Hill threw for 290 yards Saturday, completing 25 of his 39 passes, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. Since 2000, it's the third-most yardage by a Gamecock quarterback making his first career start. Only Blake Mitchell (330 yards against UCF on 23 attempts) and Dylan Thompson (330 yards against ECU on 37 attempts) had more in their first career starts.
7. South Carolina scored on its first drive of the game, an 11-play, 75-yard drive. After that, they averaged just over four plays and eight yards per drive before halftime, going backwards once. For the game, the Gamecocks had 13 drives. They'd average 5.8 plays and 30.7 yards per drive. Of their six second-half drives, four went for at least 50 yards, all of which the Gamecocks scored on.
8. The Gamecocks rushed 35 times for 89 yards, which is good for 2.5 yards per carry. Rushing has been a struggle dating back to last season. The Gamecocks have averaged less than three yards per carry in five of their last six games. The only game they averaged more was against Vandy (4.2).
9. Saturday's loss pushes the Gamecocks' losing streak to four games. It's the longest streak of the Will Muschamp era, and the longest since losing five straight games to end the 2015 season.
10. Saturday's starting lineups looked like this:
Offense: Shi Smith, Xavier Legette, Dakereon Joyner, Dylan Wonnum, Sadarius Hutcherson, Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn, Jakai Moore, Nick Muse, Collin Hill, Kevin Harris
Defense: Aaron Sterling, Keir Thomas, Jabari Ellis, JJ Enagbare, Brad Johnson, Ernest Jones, Sherrod Greene, Israel Mukuamu, RJ Roderick, Jammie Robinson, Jaycee Horn
Other scholarship players who saw action: Jordan Burch, Jaylin Dickerson, Jaylen Nichols, Josh Vann, Zacch Pickens, Cam Smith, ZaQuandre White, Deshaun Fenwick, Shilo Sanders, John Dixon, Jaylan Foster, Darius Rush, Damani Staley, Chandler Farrell, Kai Kroeger, Parker White, Spencer Eason-Riddle, Adam Prentice, Jazston Turnetine, Vershon Lee, Keveon Mullins, KeShawn Toney, Rico Powers, Will Register, Rick Sandidge, Tonka Hemingway, MJ Webb, Mitch Jeter
