South Carolina Football: Ranking the top plays in Gamecock history

South Carolina Football’s No. 6 Greatest Play(s) of All-Time:
Ace Sanders vs. Special Teams Coordinators

The Situation: Admittedly, this one is a bit of a cop-out. Ace Sanders was the best punt returner in college football during his career, and his three scores against ECU, Georgia, and Michigan (and almost-score against Missouri) were all major plays in each game and season.

Former Carolina quarterback and current radio broadcaster Todd Ellis said it best: “Why, oh why, do they kick to him?!” To the benefit of the Gamecocks, Ace continued to receive punt return opportunities and continued to deliver.

Impressiveness: The four punt returns included in the above video clip (touchdowns against ECU, Georgia, and Michigan and an almost-touchdown against Missouri) are four of the best returns in Gamecock history. 32 different players had real chances to bring down Sanders on the four returns (ECU (9) Missouri (10), Georgia (7), Michigan (6)), but all but one failed. The only “success” still saw Sanders wriggle and juke his way inside the 2-yard line.

Impact: Against ECU in the 2011 opener, the Gamecocks put the game away with Sanders’ jaunt to the end zone. In the game against Georgia in 2012, Ace’s return provided one of the loudest moments in Williams-Brice history as Sanders and the Gamecocks effectively ended the game in the 1st quarter when the score became 21-0. The touchdown against Michigan put Carolina up by two scores in an Outback Bowl game that the Gamecocks won in the final seconds.

Improbability: By the time Ace Sanders’ Gamecock career was over, perhaps punt return scores weren’t viewed as an improbability anymore. His make-you-miss-in-a-phone-booth quickness and elite field vision should have resulted in every punt being kicked out of bounds. The real improbability in Sanders’ return success is that he was given so many chances to touch the football in space, something many special teams coordinators wish they could take back.