Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina gets a win over Georgia State
Here’s a look at what went right and wrong in South Carolina’s 35-14 win over Georgia State on Saturday night in Week 1 of the college football season in Columbia.
South Carolina thumbs up
Special teams: Filling in for USC’s graduated all-time scoring leader Parker White, Jeter made his mark in his first game as USC’s placekicker. Jeter’s first career field goal went for 53 yards — tied for the seventh-longest in program history. And his second field goal went for 51 yards, making him the first USC kicker to kick two 50-yard field goals in the same game. But the Gamecocks made more than a few splashes on special teams. The Gamecocks set up their first touchdown of the game with a fake field goal in the first half. And in the second half, Rashad Amos blocked a punt and D.Q. Smith ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. It was the first punt return for a touchdown for USC since 2000. But wait — there’s more. In the fourth quarter, USC blocked a second punt and returned it for another touchdown to take a commanding 35-14 lead.
Spencer Rattler: Though he didn’t turn in a Heisman-quality performance, Rattler was solid in his Gamecocks debut after his much-hyped transfer from Oklahoma during the offseason. Rattler completed 23 of 37 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown, and though he threw two interceptions, only one was his fault. The first was a well-placed throw that went through the hands of receiver Ahmarean Brown and into the GSU defender’s.
MarShawn Lloyd: After an ACL tear slowed him down for the first two years in a Gamecocks uniform, Lloyd announced his presense with authority on Saturday, scoring two touchdowns — including USC’s first touchdown of the season on a one-yard pitch to the outside. Lloyd also made an impact through the air, catching Rattler’s first pass of the game for 15 yards and also catching Rattler’s first USC touchdown on a 16-yard connection.
The atmosphere: Williams-Brice Stadium was rocking for the season opener, with a sold-out crowd of 78,297 in attendance and an additional dose of energy in the building with Gamecock great Jadeveon Clowney getting his number retired during halftime. USC promised a revamped gameday experience with new LED lights in the stadium, and the game’s multiple light shows were met with loud applause.
South Carolina thumbs down
Offensive-line play: An issue for the Gamecocks last year, USC’s offensive line turned in an inconsistent performance Saturday night, especially in the first half. Running lanes were difficult to come by, with the Gamecocks rushing for just 38 team yards in the first half. And Rattler found himself on the run often, absorbing three sacks throughout the game. USC ran for just 79 yards on 32 carries (2.5 yards per carry) for the game.
Rushing defense: Though USC’s secondary was effective in shutting down GSU quarterback Darren Grainger for most of the contest, the Gamecocks were much less effective in stopping the Panthers on the ground. USC gave up a 41-yard run to former Gamecock Jamyest Williams on the second play of the game and allowed 196 rushing yards total.
Offensive efficiency: Though the Gamecocks ultimately came away with the win, USC’s offense will likely need to finish more drives to keep pace on the road at Arkansas in Week 2. Two of USC’s touchdowns came on blocked punts — something USC can’t count on from week to week — and as a whole, USC was just 3-for-14 on third downs.
Marcellas Dial: It wasn’t a banner performance for the redshirt junior cornerback, whom Georgia State picked on a bit in the passing game. Though the Panthers had little success passing the ball, Grainger completed a 28-yard pass to receiver Jamari Thrash with Dial blanketing him, and the cornerback added two penalties, including a costly pass-interence play on a ball thrown well over the head of the receiver. However, Dial did redeem himself with a pass breakup and interception late in the fourth quarter.
This story was originally published September 3, 2022 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina gets a win over Georgia State."
