Before South Carolina’s dramatic comeback in the 27-24 victory over Missouri, it looked like mistakes would cost the Gamecocks the victory.
The errors started with a missed 40-yard field goal in the first quarter by true freshman Elliott Fry, who redeemed himself later in overtime from the same distance.
In the second quarter, sophomore running back Mike Davis fumbled on two consecutive drives in Tiger territory, the second one coming on a first-and-goal from the two-yard line.
Davis had a tough time all night finding space in the running game, compiling just 51 yards on 19 carries. Coach Steve Spurrier said the Tigers were well prepared for South Carolina’s zone-read plays.
Instead, the running back made his biggest contribution in the passing game, as he finished with 10 catches for 99 yards.
Davis said his teammates told him to forget about the two turnovers and helped him stay positive to perform well later in the game.
“We yelled at him a little bit, but the kid’s the leading rusher in the conference,” Spurrier said. “So we’re not going to yell at him too much.”
After Davis’ second fumble, the Tigers were deep in their own territory but managed to find the end zone on a 96-yard touchdown. Missouri’s senior receiver L’Damian Washington caught a pass over the middle and dashed through the Gamecock secondary to finish the score. South Carolina’s defense looked exposed but played much better after the long pass.
“I told them keep your heads in the game, we’re going to change this whole thing around,” said junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. “Don’t lose focus, keep your head in it, keep fighting, and we’re going to come back and win this game.”
After Washington’s touchdown, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said he saw the Gamecock defense getting a little disgruntled and gathered all the players on the sideline. He talked to them about adversity, saying either they handle it and get stronger or they fall apart. Ward said he believed the defense got stronger after the big play.
On the drive following Washington’s touchdown, however, junior quarterback Dylan Thompson threw an interception. With Thompson in charge, the Gamecocks were unable to score any points, prompting Spurrier to call on senior quarterback Connor Shaw to relieve Thompson in the third quarter.
South Carolina moved the ball on offense fairly well while Thompson was in the game but did not have anything to show for it. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 222 yards and the one interception before being pulled, which the junior said was the right decision.
“You never want to come out as a competitor, you never do,” he said. “But seriously, whatever it takes for us to get wins. That’s what you have to do, and it turned out to be great for us.”
Thompson’s team-first mentality was clearly reflected in the post-game press conference when he came out in support of Shaw. Thompson said that his friendship with his fellow quarterback has grown exponentially over the years and that nothing could come between it.
“Coach obviously made a great decision to throw Connor in there and see if we could shake it up a little bit, and [Shaw] had my back,” Thompson said. “It’s just awesome to have a teammate like that, a guy that can come in and provide a spark. I thought that was great for the team. We’re just really enjoying this win right now.”