Head coach Will Muschamp and his coaching staff said they were confident in senior kicker Elliott Fry up to 56 yards with the wind leading up to opening kickoff.
Muschamp's confidence went a long way as Fry barely pushed the ball over the crossbar twice in the win against Vanderbilt, including a 55-yard game-winner with 35 seconds left on the clock to put the Gamecocks up 13-10.
"I felt like it was definitely there," Fry said of the kick, which matched Ryan Succop's 55-yarder as the second-longest made field goal in school history.
Based on the poor special teams play at the game's start, it would be hard to expect the unit would deliver the winning points at its end.
The opening kickoff could have been an omen for the sluggish first half for South Carolina. An indecisive A.J. Turner took a step out of the end zone before taking a knee, but the ruling was a controversial touchback since the ball didn’t cross the goal line.
Then everyone’s quarterback questions were answered when senior Perry Orth trotted on the field for the Gamecocks’ first possession. Neither he nor any members of the offense could get anything going due to a couple of penalties, forcing a punt.
The defense held Vanderbilt to a three and out, forcing a punt of their own.
However, that was when things began to get ugly for South Carolina.
Deebo Samuel muffed the punt, allowing the Commodores to recover the ball on the South Carolina 31. While the defense only allowed 13 yards, Vanderbilt converted on a 36-yard field goal, putting the home team up 3-0.
South Carolina couldn’t muster up anything productive on their next possession and had to punt to Vanderbilt. Then the Commodores began to go to work.
The Commodores drove the 67 yards down the field thanks to their running back duo of workhorse Ralph Webb and backup Khari Blasingame and ended up with seven more points. They led 10-0 early in the game.
It was then highly touted freshman Brandon McIlwain’s turn to handle the offense.
The freshman showed off his wheels on a few designed runs, but fumbled the ball in the red zone and bailed Vanderbilt out.
The Gamecocks decided they wouldn’t travel to Nashville to lay down lightly.
The Gamecocks stopped the Commodores for their fifth three-and-out (not counting the final drive of the first half) and took the ball down the field for a field goal, after Orth connected with Samuel for a 30-yard gain. Fry tucked the 48-yard field goal just over the crossbar to cut the lead to 10-3.
The South Carolina defense continued to hold the home team in the second half, giving the offense a chance to strike again. Orth engineered an 84-yard drive in just under four minutes that was capped by a jet sweep touchdown from Samuel, tying the game at 10-10.
The Gamecocks weren’t done there. After Tommy Openshaw missed a field goal for Vanderbilt, big gains from Bryan Edwards and Turner set up the offense with a 4th and 7 from the 38 yard line.
Enter Fry. The senior place kicker nailed a career-long 55-yarder to give the Gamecocks the decisive 13-10 lead with a minute remaining. The kick was the second-longest in school history.
With questions still left to answer at multiple positions, the Gamecocks have the opportunity to answer those questions as a 1-0 team, rather than an 0-1 team. South Carolina will take on Mississippi State in Starkville on Sept. 10 as the Gamecocks attempt to top another SEC opponent on the road.