The Daily Gamecock

Passing game enjoys breakout performance

Rory Anderson pulls in career-high 5 passes for 67 yards and a score

With such a dramatic ending to South Carolina’s victory against Georgia, the performance by the Gamecock receiving corps might be a tad overlooked.

It looked like former South Carolina great, Alshon Jeffery, rubbed off on the team’s current pass-catchers with several players making tough receptions in traffic as brutal contact awaited to greet them.

The notable playmakers Saturday in the vertical game included redshirt senior Nick Jones and junior Shaq Roland at receiver as well as senior Rory “Busta” Anderson at tight end.

After a few missed opportunities last week against East Carolina, the receivers and tight ends made up for it in this week's contest, and Anderson was pleased he could hang on to the ball against the Bulldogs.

"I’m a Georgia boy and I felt like this was a personal game for me," he said. "First, because I’m from Georgia and last year didn’t go as planned. Stuff happens, but we were able to bounce back.”

The passing attack significantly affected the game, mainly in the first half. By halftime, redshirt senior Dylan Thompson had already accumulated 240 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

The Gamecocks took advantage of openings in the middle of the field, and their receivers found spaces between the Bulldogs’ linebackers and secondary with ease.

“The coaching staff, we had a great game plan,” Jones said. “We’ve been working on that all week. We knew the middle of the field was going to be wide open." 

Roland opened the scoring in the first quarter when Thompson threw a jump ball toward the receiver’s back shoulder. Roland fought through blanket coverage to finish off the 10-yard play.

Trailing 10-7 late in first quarter, Gamecock sophomore Pharoh Cooper caught a quick screen on the outside, and juked past a defender to complete the eight-yard touchdown.

Anderson made his presence known from the start, while he continued on his way to career-high five receptions that totaled 67 yards. He cashed in with a touchdown of his own in the second quarter, as he went up for a ball in the middle of the field with a defender draped over his back. It looked like defensive pass interference, but Anderson managed to come down with the 18-yard score.  

After the game, the tight end said he redeemed himself for a similar play last season against Georgia, in which he dropped the pass in the end zone. 

“Last year, we ran the same exact play, and I didn’t go up and attack the ball last year, so I knew we were going to call it again this year because it was wide open,” Anderson said. “I felt like I had to prove something, not only to people watching me but to myself.”

Jones had the most yards of any South Carolina receiver, with 87 of them on four catches. He had a few tremendous catches along the sideline, including one where a Bulldog defender absolutely pummeled him. His footwork to complete receptions during the first three games of the season has been almost impeccable.

Thompson said variety in receivers that can make plays is crucial — especially in third down-and-medium distance situations, since the defense has no idea where the ball is going.

If the receiving corps can continue to make difficult catches and explosive plays in space, it may be a deciding factor whether or not the Gamecocks can make a run at an SEC championship.

Jones  said the receivers feed off the fans at Williams-Brice Stadium, and Saturday was no different.

“I would like to thank our fans, staying through that whole weather delay,” he said. “They are amazing."


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