Clowney suffers rib contusion; Spurrier frustrated by fans leaving early 
During the first two minutes of the second half against East Carolina, the South Carolina secondary proved it wasn’t going to be the weakness of the team again.
First, it was senior linebacker Shaq Wilson intercepting ECU’s Shane Carden on the Pirates’ opening drive of the second half, giving the Gamecocks the ball deep into ECU territory. Three plays later, Dylan Thompson found senior wide receiver D.L. Moore on a 29-yard touchdown strike to give the Gamecocks a 28-0 lead.
On the very next ECU drive, junior defensive back Jimmy Legree stepped in front of a Johnson pass attempt, returning it 34-yards for a touchdown that gave USC a commanding 35-0 lead en route to a 48-10 victory. The interception was the last of five Pirate turnovers the Gamecock defense forced, silencing any concerns about the secondary.
“Going into the game, we knew they would throw the ball a lot so it was a good opportunity for our defense to make plays, and that’s what we did today,” Legree said.
Because of the increased opportunities for the defense to make plays, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward made a point to his players to take advantage of the pass-happy ECU offense.
“We are creatures of habit and when you practice it that’s what they will revert back to,” Ward said. “We try to teach (players) the fundamentals of taking the football. We would like to have interceptions, but we can create turnovers by taking the ball. I thought overall, especially the first defense, we played well.”
Senior safety D.J. Swearinger and sophomore safety Brison Williams were the other two Gamecocks to record interceptions while senior linebacker Reginald Bowens forced a fumble.
“We are just out there trying to make plays and execute,” Wilson said. “We have a good offense and we just wanted to give them opportunities. The more opportunities we give them, the more points they can put on the board.”
Lattimore matches record: USC junior tailback Marcus Lattimore matched George Rogers and Harold Green’s school record of 33 career touchdowns on a six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It also was Lattimore’s 30th career rushing touchdown, which puts him one shy of Rogers and Green’s school record.
“I didn’t know until last week that I was only one touchdown away,” Lattimore said. “I’ve met (Rogers) and (Green) and to be up there with them is just an honor. I just have to keep it going and try to break it.”
Clowney suffers injury: After the game, it was announced that sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney suffered a rib contusion Saturday. USC coach Steve Spurrier said in his Sunday teleconference that Clowney’s status would be evaluated throughout the week.
Spurrier on fans leaving early: With the Gamecocks up 21-0 at halftime, many fans, particularly those in the student section, decided the game was in hand and left the stadium. Spurrier took notice and chided the fans about leaving too soon.
“I wish they would stay after halftime,” Spurrier said. “(ECU) could have mounted a comeback. We were down 17-0 to these guys last year and had to come back, so fans, stay in the ballpark a little longer. That party out in the parking lot can wait, can’t it?”