South Carolina Football Offseason Autopsy, Part 3: Offensive Superlatives

South Carolina Football Offseason Autopsy, Offensive Superlatives:
Offensive Top Player Performance

Could this have gone any other way? With Gamecock quarterback-receiver combination Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette already splitting the MVP and MOP, it only seems right that the dynamic duo split the top player performance, as well.

Both players had a statistically better game against Jacksonville State, but against tougher competition, their combined effort against Mississippi State was more impressive.

For the game, Rattler hit 18-20 passes for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns, and 5 of those throws went to Legette for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Rattler’s two incompletions came on a throw-away and a should-have-been-called pass interference in the end zone, and Legette’s touchdowns were 75 and 76 yards, the first time in South Carolina football history that a player had multiple 75-yard touchdowns in the same game.

One of Legette’s scores came on a short crossing route in which he just exploded through the secondary after the catch, reaching a max speed of over 22 miles per hour. At the time, it was the fastest ball carrier speed of any player in football (either college or NFL). His other touchdown came on the first play of the 2nd half when Rattler dropped a deep ball right in Legette’s bread basket, allowing him to run away from the defense for the long score.

Rattler’s other touchdown went to Trey Knox, and the Gamecock QB also added 43 yards on the ground. He also should have had one more touchdown, but O’Mega Blake was interfered with in the end zone (one of Rattler’s two incompletions), and the Gamecocks kicked a field goal to end the drive.

Xavier Legette and Spencer Rattler combined for the 2023 Offensive Top Individual Performance.