Escape from Greenville: Gamecocks rally to sink ECU Pirates, improve to 2-0
Parker White squared, stepped and swung.
Crushing his 36-yard kick just inside the right upright in the west end zone at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, White took a bow at midfield as South Carolina (2-0) escaped East Carolina (0-2) with a 20-17 win Saturday in the Gamecocks’ first trip to Greenville, North Carolina since 1997.
“Man,” an exasperated Shane Beamer said after the game. “What a win.”
Beamer also became the program’s first coach to start his tenure 2-0 since Richard Bell did so in the 1982 season.
Zeb Noland — who three weeks ago converted from graduate assistant to player — looked more the part of coach than quarterback during in his second start in the garnet and black.
Gone was the consistent placement and accuracy that saw Noland slice and dice Eastern Illinois a week ago. Instead, he forced tight windows and lacked cohesive chemistry with South Carolina’s receiving corps throughout Saturday’s first half. He finished 13-of-21 passing for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
South Carolina’s defense — which was subject to more offseason vitriol than any unit in Columbia — spelled life into an otherwise listless Gamecock effort Saturday when Damani Staley picked off East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers.
The son of former Gamecock standout Duce Staley, Damani channeled his father’s running back background as he scampered 63 yards for a touchdown with one minute left in the first half.
“I would definitely beat my dad in a foot race,” Staley said through a grin.
In a game that included a 75-yard trick play score by ECU, a South Carolina fumble on the goal line and three overturned targeting penalties, it was receiver Josh Vann who provided the Gamecocks a much-needed dose of offensive explosion.
Vann, whose career has ebbed and flowed since he signed as a four-star recruit in the class of 2018, flew over the top of the ECU defense for a 45-yard gain down the USC sideline for one of South Carolina’s three pass plays of more than 15 yards. He led Gamecocks receivers with five catches for 91 yards.
Converted quarterback Dakereon Joyner finally found South Carolina’s wayward game-tying score when he beat a defensive back toward the back middle portion of the end zone. Instead of breaking in front of the linebacker in his path, he drifted behind him. There Noland lofted a dime over an ECU linebacker and into Joyner’s mitts.
“That was a really, really, really solid route (by Joyner),” Noland said.
Beamer and South Carolina sailed into Pirate-infested waters Saturday and left with a few ripped sails.
On an afternoon that flowed with as much grace as a ship bobbing through a Category 5 hurricane, USC turned in a wayward offensive performance it knows won’t cut it against No. 2 Georgia in Athens next week.
Insoncistencies aside, the Gamecocks weathered the Pirates’ haymakers and punched right back.
Beamer’s honeymoon phase might be over, but South Carolina can sail into the sunset without a loss for at least one more week.
First Down
Kevin Harris returned to action for the Gamecocks. Harris finished his first action of the season with 33 yards on seven carries.
The Georgia native led the Southeastern Conference in rushing in 2020, tallying 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was held out of South Carolina’s season opener against Eastern Illinois as he recovered from an offseason back procedure.
Touchdown
Joyner recorded the second receiving touchdown of his South Carolina career Saturday. His 13-yard reception with 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter brought the game even at 14.
Joyner, who dropped a pair of passes last week against Eastern Illinois, recorded five receptions for 38 yards and a score in Saturday’s win.
ICYMI
Saturday marked the second consecutive game Luke Doty sat out. Doty has been nursing a sprained left foot over the last month after a teammate stepped on him during practice.
Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield told reporters during the week there was hope Doty could play this week. Doty took part in warmups on Saturday but did not see the field against East Carolina.
Next South Carolina football game
Who: South Carolina at Georgia
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18
Where: at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
TV: ESPN
South Carolina vs ECU box score
—HOW THEY SCORED—
First Quarter
ECU—Hatfield 75 pass from Snead (Daffer kick), 14:50.
Second Quarter
ECU—Ahlers 3 run (Daffer kick), 11:37.
USC—D.Staley 63 interception return (P.White kick), :59.
Third Quarter
USC—Joyner 13 pass from Noland (P.White kick), :50.
Fourth Quarter
ECU—FG Daffer 25, 9:32.
SCAR—FG P.White 38, 7:50.
SCAR—FG P.White 35, :03.
—TEAM STATS—
- First downs: USC 15, ECU 15
- Total Net Yards: USC 284, ECU 287
- Rushes-yards: USC 39-162, ECU 37-127
- Passing yards: USC 122, ECU 160
- Comp-Att-Int: USC 12-24-1, ECU 12-27-2
- Sacked-Yards Lost: USC 2-15, ECU 5-31
- Fumbles-Lost: USC 4-2, ECU 1-0
- Penalties-Yards: USC 8-101, ECU 4-38
- Time of Possession: USC 29:29, ECU 30:31
—INDIVIDUAL STATS—
RUSHING—South Carolina, McDowell 11-117, Harris 7-33, Lloyd 7-22, Vann 1-10, Z.White 5-5, Joyner 2-2, A.Brown 1-0, (Team) 1-(minus 2), Noland 4-(minus 25). East Carolina, Harris 13-68, Mitchell 14-59, Ahlers 10-0.
PASSING—South Carolina, Noland 12-24-1-122. East Carolina, Ahlers 11-26-2-85, Snead 1-1-0-75.
RECEIVING—South Carolina, Vann 5-33, Joyner 4-29, Bell 1-48, A.Brown 1-6, Muse 1-6. East Carolina, Snead 5-35, Hatfield 2-98, C.Johnson 2-15, Mitchell 2-7, Harris 1-5.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—East Carolina, Daffer 43.
This story was originally published September 11, 2021 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Escape from Greenville: Gamecocks rally to sink ECU Pirates, improve to 2-0."
