Gamecocks rattle off 52 unanswered points in victory
While defensive back Victor Hampton did not get the start, he made sure that he made an early impact on Saturday’s game at Arkansas.
With the Razorbacks holding a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter, Hampton intercepted quarterback Brandon Allen at the Arkansas 27-yard line, taking it 21 yards to the six. One play later, tailback Mike Davis would get the rushing touchdown that gave the Gamecocks a 10-7 lead.
That was the turning point and the beginning of 52 unanswered points as the Gamecocks routed the Razorbacks 52-7, holding them to 248 yards on 37 plays in the victory.
Arkansas had just 30 passing yards on the day.
Hampton and safety Brison Williams were held out of the starting lineup against Arkansas as the defensive coaches looked to change their fortune.
It appeared to work as Hampton said he used the benching as motivation to prove he belonged on the field. The result came in his first series after his and Williams’ substitutes gave up an opening-drive touchdown to Arkansas.
“It was very rewarding,” Hampton said. “One of the things I told myself this week was when I do get the chance to come in, I was going to try and show (coaches) why I should be starting. It’s all about how you answer those situations.”
The offense took care of the rest in what coach Steve Spurrier said was the most complete game of the season. It was the Gamecock’s biggest SEC victory since a 54-3 smashing of Kentucky back in 2011 and biggest road win in the Spurrier era.
Spurrier and the offense took chances, and they took them early. Near the end of the first quarter with a three-point lead, Spurrier went for it on fourth and one at his own 38-yard line. Davis rewarded the risky move by carrying multiple Razorback defenders seven-yards for the first down.
That drive would result in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Connor Shaw to Bruce Ellington.
With just 25 seconds left in the first half, the Gamecocks were facing a fourth and two and the Razorback seven-yard line. Instead of taking the three points, Spurrier went for it again. This time, Shaw kept the ball on a read option and picked up the first down. Two plays later, Shaw found Ellington again for the four-yard touchdown pass that put South Carolina up 24-7 going into halftime.
“We felt like another field goal wouldn’t look as good as another touchdown,” Spurrier said. “If we’d missed, you would have said I was stupid, but it’s OK, we made it so that makes it smart. I’m a big believer in that if you go for it (successfully) and miss twice, you’re still one point ahead. Seven points is better than two (field goals), did y’all know that?”
The Gamecocks converted all five of their fourth-down conversions on the day.
Spurrier said that the 37 plays run by Arkansas is the fewest he has ever seen and it contributed greatly to the defensive success the Gamecock defense has been looking for all season.
“When you get them off the field in three-and-outs and have an offense like we have that keeps running the football, that’s the way we should be playing all season,” defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said.
The dominating performance comes after a week of outside distractions involving defensive end Jadeveon Clowney’s desire to play. It appeared that things weren’t going to change after the quick Razorback touchdown to begin the game, but Clowney said he made sure that his teammates wouldn’t let the same story play out again.
“I got (my teammates) on the sideline and was like, ‘Y’all need to get your head into this game; we can’t keep doing this every week,’” Clowney said.
Clowney did start the game and played most of it, recording one tackle late in the game, but other defensive players stepped up to the plate, too.
Redshirt freshman Chaz Elder, who got the start at safety Saturday, was one of the young players who stepped up against the Razorbacks. Elder had four tackles and recovered a fumble, a performance that Ward said warrants future starts.
After three straight weeks of building a big lead, only to give up points to let the opponent back in the game, Hampton said it was a relief for the defensive unit to get a win like this.
“To get a W like this makes it feel better,” Hampton said. “I’m proud of my guys, proud of the defense. We came in focused and played fundamental football and everybody had their eyes in the right place. We were prepared and we trusted in each other.”