The good from South Carolina football.
Special teams
Special teams was one of the bright spots this past weekend. We mentioned Juju McDowell’s kickoff return to set up a Parker White field goal. That score notched the game at 17-17 late in the fourth quarter.
White would later connect on the game winner as time expired to help the Gamecocks leave with a three-point road win. White was 2-for-2 on the day, converting on attempts of 36 and 39 yards. He also hit both extra points to lead the team in scoring.
Punter Kai Kroeger booted eight punts for an average of 41.1 yards per kick. That included a 52-yarder that nearly pinned the Pirates inside their own five-yard line. His shortest punt of the day set East Carolina up inside their own 10-yard line, helping flip field position for the Gamecocks.
Defensive scoring/turnovers
Damani Staley was the beneficiary this week, returning a tipped pass for a 63-yard touchdown score to get the Gamecocks on the board late in the second half. South Carolina’s defense picked East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers off another time, too, making it four on the year. That ranks first in the SEC, alongside Georgia and Alabama.
Two of those picks have been returned for scores, and they ended up being a major game changer in the matchup with the Pirates.
Who did it better? @damani_staley pic.twitter.com/bN7zXKegRr
— GarnetAndCocky.com (@GarnetNCocky) September 13, 2021
The Gamecocks’ defense has been the team’s strongest unit to this point. Hopefully that continues against the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Pass rush
Speaking of that defense, the front four has been able to get a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Gamecocks tallied five sacks against East Carolina, driving the season total up to seven.
Even when they didn’t reach Holton Ahlers this past weekend, pressure forced the signal caller into questionable decision making, including those two interceptions. On the Staley pick, you see Aaron Sterling running free up the middle to force Ahlers to get rid of the ball before he wanted to.
The Gamecocks currently rank fourth in the nation in total yardage allowed, and eighth in scoring defense. They’ll need that type of performance next week if they hope to pull the upset.