Gamecocks record three turnovers in one-sided affair
Coastal Carolina is a Football Championship Subdivision school, but its offense was not something to take lightly, putting up 45.5 points and a little over 500 yards per game before Saturday’s game at Williams-Brice Stadium. Those averages for the Chanticleers will dwindle after South Carolina handed them a 70-10 loss.
Coastal managed just 294 yards of total offense, as the Gamecock defense made it difficult right from the start. South Carolina kept the Chanticleers from getting in a rhythm on offense and kept them off the field, which helped fuel the Gamecock offense.
Coastal could not get anything going on the ground, running for just 72 yards. It proved large for the Gamecocks that they held Chanticleer senior running back Lorenzo Taliaferro to only 21 yards rushing on 10 carries. He came into the game with an impressive 23 rushing touchdowns alongside 1,498 rushing yards.
“Anytime you don’t allow a team to run the football, we must have played well up front,” defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said. “If we stop the run, we have a chance to beat any team we play.”
In the first quarter, the Chanticleers fumbled during a handoff exchange in their own territory. Redshirt junior Sharrod Golightly recovered it for the Gamecocks to help set up a touchdown.
The Gamecocks did not allow Coastal to score a touchdown until late in the second quarter after South Carolina already put up 42 unanswered points to start the game.
A lot of attention went to Chanticleers senior receiver Matt Hazel during the week with people like head coach Steve Spurrier saying he could play for any team in the SEC. He came into the game with 734 receiving yards and six touchdowns on the season. Against the Gamecocks, Hazel was held from making huge plays, catching six passes for 83 yards. Redshirt junior cornerback Victor Hampton often played coverage on Hazel and helped keep the senior in check.
“He’s one of the best corners that I’ve ever faced,” Hazel said about Hampton. “He’s quick, strong, physical and just a great player.”
Hampton intercepted a pass from Chanticleer quarterback Alex Ross in the end zone when Coastal was trying to chip away at the lead right before halftime. He added six solo tackles and three pass breakups in the contest. Hampton said after the game that Hazel could play in the SEC and was great competition.
“I knew I was going to have to come ready,” Hampton said. “They were going to put me one-on-one with him so that’s what I did.”
Sophomore safety T.J. Gurley nabbed the Gamecocks third and final turnover of the game when he picked off an errant throw, eventually leading South Carolina to another touchdown.
The fact that South Carolina jumped to such an early lead allowed players like junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to relax a bit. Ward said that Clowney would have been ready to go in the first half on any important third down passing situation if he was needed. The coaches never deemed it necessary for him to play, and by the second half, Clowney was back in street clothes to rest for the coming game against Clemson.
Ward was glad to see many second and third–stringers get a good amount of time against Coastal. He did not notice much of a drop-off in level of play from them, attributing it to the fact that many of those young players saw action earlier in the season.
The defense was able to keep Coastal from getting in the game — something that escaped them earlier in the season.
“We struggled with that earlier in the year,” Hampton said. “But, since it happened earlier in the year, it prepared us for situations like this to go in and stay focused.”