After a slow start against Wofford on Saturday, the South Carolina offense picked up its production and never slowed down.
The Gamecocks finished their first drive with -7 rushing yards, but rebounded to finish the game with 195 yards on the ground in their 31-10 win over Wofford.
Quarterback Jake Bentley played an excellent game, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for one without throwing a single interception. Bentley completed 22 for 28 passes, amassing 194 passing yards and 11 rushing yards.
"It's just the way it's been working out," Bentley said. "We do a great job running the ball with our running backs, so it just opens it up for me to get on the edge and just put it in."
South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp has said before that he wants his offense to have balance. The Gamecocks achieved that against Wofford with nearly identical rushing and passing yards.
The game was close until South Carolina pulled away for good in the fourth quarter, which was primarily due to its rushing attack’s success. In the first quarter and partially through the second, Bentley kept South Carolina’s offense moving through his ground game, despite the offensive line struggling to protect him and several dropped passes.
But the Gamecocks got the boost they needed at the beginning of the second quarter after an interception by linebacker Skai Moore shifted the momentum in their favor.
The Gamecocks' run game broke through on that drive, putting them ahead of the Terriers, 7-3. Mon Denson, Ty’Son Williams and Bentley all found gaps in Wofford's front seven on a drive that ended with Bentley rushing one yard into the end zone for a touchdown.
"One guy goes in, another guy comes out and it's not a drop-off," Turner said. "I feel like that really takes a tax and a toll on the defense. We've just have to keep it up, keep working hard in practice and keep producing."
From there, the Gamecocks never trailed again.
While the Terriers kept it close for two more quarters, South Carolina’s offense began to methodically dismantle Wofford’s defense for the rest of the game.
South Carolina slowly marched down the field and finished drives, utilizing a few chunk plays here and there. Helped by a strong performance from the defense, the Gamecocks pulled off an excellent closing of the game.
The offensive line began to block well and clear gaps for the running backs. Turner and Williams, who rushed for 69 and 58 yards respectively, were able to take advantage of the blocking schemes.
"In the first half, we weren't running the ball like that," Turner said. "In the second half, we kind of came and coach Roper saying we needed to be more physical and control the line of scrimmage, so we can run the ball. That's what we did."
Another bright spot for the Gamecocks' run game was when Caleb Kinlaw came in on the final drive and rushed for 47 yards on just four carries to end the game.
"I told them if he scored the ball, I was going to run on the field," Javon Kinlaw said. "It was good seeing that."
Bentley and his receiving corps complimented the running game well. Bryan Edwards found success against the Wofford defense, finishing with eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Bentley mostly relied on short throws, but went long on Edward’s receiving touchdown.
Muschamp said he expected such a performance from the South Carolina offense against an FCS team, especially on the ground.
“We overpowered 'em in some situations, out-physical 'em in some plays, which we should have," Muschamp said. "That’s what we should do.”