Sanders, Byrd, Ellington combine for 164 return yards on Saturday 
Junior wide receiver Ace Sanders had so much momentum in Saturday’s 31-10 win against Missouri, not even a collision with a teammate could slow him down.
In the midst of Sanders’ third punt return of the day, three minutes into the second quarter, he ran into senior linebacker Damario Jeffery. But after Jeffery backed away, holding both hands up, Sanders broke two tackles on the way to a 49-yard run that would lead to the Gamecocks’ first touchdown of the day.
“When I’m in the moment, I just go,” Sanders said. “It actually helped pick off another dude, so it was just [Jeffery] being in the wrong place, but at the right time. It helped free me up a little more.”
Sanders finished the day with six returns for 106 yards. With help from sophomores Bruce Ellington and Damiere Byrd, the junior led USC’s special teams to a total of 164 return yards, enabling the offense to start drives in Missouri territory four times and at midfield once.
“To put us inside the 30, or even the 50-yard-line or past that, that’s crucial for us,” said junior tailback Marcus Lattimore. “Ace did a great job. The whole special teams did a great job. It’s a testament to coach Joe Robinson. He came in, and we’ve gotten better on special teams.”
Head coach Steve Spurrier said Robinson, the special teams coordinator, was honored with a game ball for his unit’s outstanding play. In his first year on the Gamecocks’ staff, Robinson has already transformed a facet of the game that has ranged from a non-factor to a liability in recent years.
“Our special teams really stepped up,” said quarterback Connor Shaw. “I think Ace and Bruce are a really dangerous threat. That’s something we’ve been needing the past few years. Ace had a great game.”
Sanders credited his teammates for opening space with strong blocking but also said the Tigers gave him plenty of time for reads once he had the ball.
“Once you get that first return, get it out of the way and see what they’re doing and how quickly their line is getting down the field, you can tell whether you’ll have a good return day or not,” Sanders said. “They weren’t getting down the field, so I had a lot of time out there to make decisions.”
The junior shared credit for the special teams’ success with Ellington, who had the Gamecocks’ first kick return of the season in the final drive before halftime. Ellington caught the ball deep in the end zone and returned it 50 yards to set up the Gamecocks’ third score of the day.
“It felt really good,” Sanders said. “The coaches are really excited about the return game, and not only the punt return game. Bruce popped off a big one on the kick return ... It was just a big upside, our special teams.”
Ellington said the coaches had set a rule that he was not supposed to return the ball if it was further than three yards into the end zone. But he was anxious to run after not having the opportunity for returns in the first three weeks of the season.
“Being back there, I want the ball,” Ellington said. “I’m a returner, so I want to catch the ball and make a play. It was a little frustrating not getting the ball when the other team was kicking it out of bounds or through the uprights. ... This week we focused on how they were going to kick it short and I would be able to return. I was a little excited about that.”
Sanders said the breakout performance for special teams is the product of a new mentality among the unit this season.
“In past years, we had players that didn’t really take special teams that seriously,” Sanders said. “We have 11 guys that are really taking it seriously and playing their hardest on the fourth down.”