South Carolina Football: Ranking the top-10 defensive performances in Gamecock history
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 8 Greatest Defensive Performance of All-Time:
Andrew Provence vs. Georgia
A two-time All-American at Carolina, Andrew Provence was a monster at defensive tackle. His 1981 and 1982 seasons are some of the greatest years the SEC has ever seen at the position, and he had his best games against his home state Georgia Bulldogs.
In 1981, Provence set a Carolina record for single-game tackles by a defensive lineman when he racked up a ridiculous 17 stops. Two of those tackles were in the backfield, and one was a sack of Georgia quarterback Buck Belue. Provence also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in the game and even knocked down a pass covering a screen.
Unfortunately, Provence’s offensive teammates couldn’t put anything together that day as South Carolina was shut out by Georgia. Nevertheless, #70’s production in the losing effort to the ‘Dawgs was a big reason why he was an immediate fan favorite after he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons two years later.