College football is very different from the NFL in a number of categories, but the most significant is probably player turnover.
Every four years, give or take, athletes exhaust their eligibility and/or take off for the professional ranks, putting an end to their relatively short time in college football.
That’s what Senior Day is for, celebrating the large contributions a handful of athletes have made in a small amount of time. As the last home game of the year, Saturday’s 37-12 win over South Alabama played host to that celebration for the 2014 Gamecocks.
The 17 seniors and their families were honored during the pregame festivities, and five players with one year of eligibility remaining took part, as well.
“It’s just been a blessing to play at this school. I know all the seniors are just really grateful,” redshirt senior quarterback Dylan Thompson said. “We feel like it’s the best university in the nation, and it’s a blessing to be a part of this school.”
In a game that was widely considered too close for comfort until the final whistle, many South Carolina seniors were the difference in the Gamecocks' last home contest.
Thompson completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 237 yards and a touchdown. But the senior also got to live a dream that’s been in the works for his entire career during Saturday’s win. In the fourth quarter, Thompson split out wide while sophomore Pharoh Cooper took a direct snap and promptly found his quarterback in the endzone for a seven-yard touchdown reception.
“We probably ran that play in practice, no exaggeration, 150-200 times over the past few years,” Thompson said. “I just beg [head coach Steve Spurrier] to throw it every game that we have it possibly in the game plan, and when I saw it signaled in, it was just everything I could do not to start going crazy.”
South Carolina is no stranger to exotic play-calling when the quarterback is involved. Last year’s Capital One Bowl victory saw Connor Shaw catch a touchdown from Bruce Ellington in a similar play.
Another senior that successfully grabbed headlines in his last home game was Brison Williams. The defensive back hauled in his third and fourth interceptions of the year against the Jaguars, one of which he carried into the endzone for his second pick-six of the season.
“I think it was a great way to finish my last home game here,” Williams said. “I think it was good, and it was a momentum change for the team.”
It’s no understatement that Williams’ score changed the tone of the rest of the game. With South Carolina up by just four points before the touchdown, the Jaguars would never trail by any fewer than eight from there on out.
The third, and final, senior that scored Saturday was wide receiver Nick Jones. He totaled three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Rounding out the seniors that participated in the ceremonies were tight end Rory Anderson, wide receiver Damiere Byrd, offensive lineman A.J. Cann, long snapper Ryland Culbertson, fullback Jordan Diaz, punter Patrick Fish, tight end Cody Gibson, spur Sharrod Golightly, punter Tyler Hull, safety Kadetrix Marcus, linebacker Connor McLaurin, cornerback Sidney Rhodes, offensive lineman Corey Robinson and defensive lineman J.T. Surratt.
Non-seniors that were honored include running back Mike Davis, quarterback Austin Hails, long snapper Coleman Harley and wide receiver Matthew Harvey.
Some bigger-picture news came from the list of non-participants, however, where we learned that running back Brandon Wilds plans to return for his senior year in 2015. The redshirt junior said he knows he’s “not ready," for the NFL quite yet.
Redshirt junior Drew Owens was scheduled to walk on Senior Day, but he was nowhere to be found when it came time for the ceremony. According to USC Athletics media relations, the tight end overslept, a fact that Spurrier and Owens’ parents were unaware of during the festivities.
Contained within the past four years have been some of the most successful seasons in South Carolina football history.
Every player that was honored Saturday has been with the program since at least the 2012 season, making them a part of two, if not three, 11-win seasons. And, according to Spurrier, they’ll all be missed.
“We've got some really good senior leaderships," he said. "They've all done well, and we appreciate the fans recognizing all of the third, fourth, fifth-year guys before the game.”