In a game halted by a 140-minute rain delay, the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks beat the South Carolina State Bulldogs in spite of another slow start for the offense.
The Gamecocks started off the game unable to move the ball and went the entirety of the first quarter without a completed pass or a first down. Four penalties, including two false starts in the first 15 minutes of the game spelled out frustration for the Gamecocks and fans.
"There is no excuse for that," head coach Shane Beamer said. "That's disappointing to see because that's day one stuff."
On its third drive of the game, South Carolina State drove 54 yards and gave the Gamecocks its first deficit of the season with a field goal, thanks to a spectacular 23-yard catch by Bulldogs senior wide receiver Jalen Johnson.
Each of the first three drives for South Carolina started within the 15-yard line and made things difficult for redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers to make any headway against the Bulldog offense. Paired with a lackluster running game, the Gamecocks could not find anything to upstart its offense over the course of the first quarter and a half.
With around five minutes left in the first half, South Carolina found its spark when redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain broke off a 65-yard punt-return touchdown. This is coming after the Virginia Tech game where he had an 80-yard touchdown to propel the Gamecocks to victory in week one.
It only took two minutes for Swain to return his third punt-return touchdown of the season, which ties with Gamecock great Dick Harris' record in 1971.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs was impressed about Swain's impact on the game and cites it as a huge factor for the Gamecocks victory
"Whenever the offense needed a spark, he was like that with the ball in his hands," Jacobs said. "He just lifted us up and gave us energy to go out there and put points on the board."
“Beamer Ball” showed up in more ways than one on Swain’s second punt-return touchdown, as sophomore defensive back David Bucey blocked the punt that Swain ended up taking 42 yards to the end zone.
"That's a weapon," Beamer said. "When you are a threat to block punts, but you are also a threat to return punts, that puts the punt team in a bind."
In the closing seconds of the half, the Gamecock offense found a way to put up some points, coming in the form of redshirt senior kicker William Joyce’s second attempted field goal and his first made field goal of the game.
South Carolina’s defense once again stifled the opposing offense, only allowing three points in the first half with an impressive performance from the South Carolina pass rush, sacking the Bulldogs twice.
A less than satisfactory first half ended with South Carolina up 17-3 against the Bulldogs, in a half where the Gamecocks outscored South Carolina State by only one yard.
"Just not very good" Beamer said. "We didn't run the ball very efficiently, and didn't throw the ball very efficiently."
The South Carolina offense woke up in the second half, having two touchdown drives in the third quarter that included a five-yard touchdown from graduate student running back Oscar Adaway III and a long 35-yard touchdown catch from redshirt sophomore wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs.
Even after Swain’s two punt-return touchdowns, the Gamecocks were not done scoring in unconventional ways, with a strip sack from senior edge rusher Bryan Thomas Jr. that landed right in the hands of redshirt junior Ole Miss transfer Jaron Willis, who took it 46 yards for a touchdown.
"I thought we protected well, and we were efficient making some throws and catches," Beamer said. "We really spent a lot of time on what that opening drive was going to look like."
Although the offense found its groove in the second half, and the defense held up, it was Swain who gave the Gamecocks life for the second straight game, doing it in historical fashion on special teams.
What's next?
The No. 10 South Carolina football team (2-0) stay home to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0) at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 13. Kickoff time is set for 7:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.