Smith records surprising 100-yard rushing game
After a week of speculation that South Carolina could be in for a trap against FCS power Coastal Carolina, the Gamecocks made their doubters look silly Saturday by obliterating the Chanticleers 70-10.
“Obviously we had Coastal outmanned, outsized and so forth,” coach Steve Spurrier said. “I didn’t know it was going to end up like this.”
Many put South Carolina on upset alert against the Chanticleers because of their 10-1 record entering the game and their No. 7 ranking in the FCS Coaches Poll. But talk of a Gamecock debacle was put to rest by the end of a commanding 28-0 first quarter.
South Carolina would finish the game with 639 yards of total offense and the program’s first 70-point game since 1995. Saturday was also just the fifth time in program history that South Carolina has eclipsed the 70-point mark.
“Our whole offense played really great and it was fun to watch,” senior quarterback Connor Shaw said. “It was just a good overall day for us.”
Shaw started the game at quarterback for the Gamecocks and finished with 115 yards through the air, one passing touchdown and one rushing score in South Carolina’s first three possessions of the game.
Saturday’s win also saw Shaw take sole possession of the school record for most wins as a starting quarterback, earning his 25th win as a starter and moving past Gamecock great Todd Ellis.
But, in accordance with the script Spurrier drew up earlier in the week, junior Dylan Thompson would take over in the first quarter for his most extensive game-action of the year.
Thompson said after the game that he was just happy to take his snaps where he could get them.
“It’s always good to get in the game,” Thompson said. “Obviously you want to play every week but Connor’s been playing great.”
The junior threw for 140 yards and two scores and added a rushing touchdown of his own in the process.
The two Gamecock signal callers treated the symmetrically-inclined Saturday, each completing the same amount of passes on the same number of attempts at 8-11.
While the South Carolina passing attack was firing on all cylinders against the Chanticleers, the ground game was on as well. With Mike Davis resting up for precautionary purposes, the door was wide open for another Gamecock running back to make a name for himself in front of the home crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Redshirt sophomore tailback Shon Carson received the first start of his career Saturday and amassed 38 yards on 11 carries and punched in a touchdown in his opportunity. But when all was said and done it was true freshman Jamari Smith that would steal the show.
“During the practices [last] week I was getting a lot of reps and things like that,” Smith said. “But when I got in it was a shocker.”
A converted defensive back, Smith was the only Gamecock to pass the century mark on the ground, racking up 103 yards on and a touchdown on 10 carries.
The true freshman said much of his success against Coastal Carolina can be traced back to the lessons he learned from the other members of South Carolina’s stable of running backs, in Mike Davis, Brandon Wilds and Carson.
The Gamecocks could have ended the day Saturday as SEC East champions, but Missouri took care of business against Ole Miss in the night cap, leaving one more game to decide the Eastern Division race when the Tigers take on Texas A&M.
During the rout of Coastal Carolina, the pieces fell into place elsewhere that allowed the Chanticleers to claim the Big South title. With an SEC championship game still up for grabs for the Gamecocks, Coastal Carolina’s fate gave Spurrier a glimpse into what could be for South Carolina in just one week’s time.
“The entire team played well and we had them outmanned,” Spurrier said. “They’re to be commended on being their conference champion, something that we hope to do some day. And we’re still alive for this year, so who knows what can happen down the road?”