South Carolina football fans were anxious heading into the team’s week 2 matchup with the Furman Paladins. Most were not nervous about the outcome of the game. Though Furman is a very good FCS program, they are still an FCS program that should have no business threatening an SEC program.
That anxiety turned into outright fear in the early goings as the Paladins led 14-7 in the 2nd quarter. However, more elite play from quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Xavier Legette flipped the script. The duo led the Gamecocks to a 20-14 lead with less than two minutes to go in the first half, but a quick Furman 3-and-out gave the ball back to USC.
In less than 20 seconds of clock, Rattler hit Legette for a 54-yard bomb, Legette drew a pass interference flag, and O’Mega Blake caught a 7-yard touchdown to start the rout.
The late 2nd quarter explosion lit a fire under the South Carolina football team as, after halftime, the Gamecocks were in a different gear than they were for most of the first half. Carolina scored 40 straight points to extend their lead to 47-14 as Rattler and true freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers led the offense through an excellent 3rd quarter.
Rattler finished his day a remarkable 25-27 for 345 yards and 3 passing touchdowns (1 rushing touchdown), and Sellers added 2 touchdowns through the air, as well, including one to 5-star true freshman Nyckoles Harbor.
From there, the backups and walk-ons played the rest of the way. South Carolina football needed to bounce back after their opening week stinker against North Carolina, and after a slow start, bounce back they did.
***The graphic incorrectly reads “South Carolina Furman Paladins.” It should just say “Furman Paladins.”
Running back Mario Anderson and receiver Eddie Lewis got their first real action with the Gamecock offense and performed well, potentially carving out roles moving forward for USC. True freshmen offensive linemen Trovon Baugh and Tree Babalade saw extended playing time, as well.
Injuries were part of the story once again, unfortunately, as defensive backs O’Donnell Fortune and Keenan Nelson were banged up, and wide receiver Ahmarean Brown left the game on crutches with a serious-looking leg injury. Juice Wells played but did not play much as he is still ailing from a foot injury suffered this offseason.