Violations mostly for alcohol in otherwise ‘smooth’ Saturday
Seventeen students and 58 non-students were arrested or ejected from Williams-Brice Stadium during Saturday’s game against Arkansas, according to Capt. Eric Grabski of USC’s Division of Law Enforcement and Safety.
Most were for the usual alcohol-related offenses. Alcohol possession and attempted concealment in the stadium accounted for 28 incidents, and one involved a fake ID.
Sixteen people were caught smoking in the stadium, nine were removed for disorderly conduct or profanity and 14 had either a tampered-with or no wristband in the student section.
The ejections were similar to other noon games, Grabski said.
“This being a day game, we expected fewer problems and issues, and of course we had fewer problems and issues,” he said.
Williams-Brice’s last noon game was against Tennessee the week before, which Grabski also said had no significant issues.
“These numbers are indicative of a very smooth game,” Grabski said, especially compared to the Georgia game and other rivalry or night games.
Director of Student Services Anna Edwards said five of the students ejected lost their tickets for the rest of the season, which concludes against Wofford this Saturday at 1 p.m.
Numbers of students in attendance weren’t available Monday night, but Edwards said attendance has fallen again this year toward the end of the season.
“I don’t know why, but students get excited for the first three games, and then they don’t show up for the last three,” Edwards said.
To illustrate her point, she said the Ticketing Office had seen so few requests in the week leading up that any student who requested a ticket could not only have gotten into the game, but could likely have gotten a lower-deck seat.
Those who were there largely emptied out of the stands in the third quarter, when senior safety D.J. Swearinger returned an interception 69 yards into the end zone to put the Gamecocks up three touchdowns.
“It makes it hard for us to make a case for students receiving more tickets,” Edwards said.