COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina tailback MarShawn Lloyd wasn’t expecting the crowd to be raucous Thursday night.
The Gamecocks and the Gamecocks received an even bigger surprise than they ever imagined.
“It was amazing,” Lloyd stated following South Carolina’s win 50-10 over FCS opponents South Carolina State in a game moved up from a Saturday game due to the possibility of Hurricane Ian predicted to strike the Palmetto State.
“It felt like our fans really cared about us and made sure they came,” Lloyd stated. “I wasn’t even thinking there was that much people here.”
Administrators from both schools have agreed to the change due to the approaching hurricane. Ian traveled through Florida to the Atlantic and is likely to return to the Palmetto State as a Category 1 storm on Friday.
Parking lots were half-full at best. The typical tailgating arrangements of the Southeastern Conference weren’t present at this event. South Carolina said 61,551 were at Williams-Brice Stadium, which lists a capacity of 77.559. However, the upper decks were mostly empty, and it’s not unreasonable to only think about the crowd that was announced to be out.
Oklahoma Transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler threw two touchdown passes and scored a touchdown run in the game as the Gamecocks (3-2) scored 50 or more points over successive weeks, the only time they have done it since.
Rattler was able to finish with 212 yards and completed 21 of 27 passes , including an 11-yard scoring pass to the tailback MarShawn L. Lloyd and an 11-yarder to tight-end Austin Stogner Austin Stogner, his teammate from Oklahoma for helping South Carolina (3-2) rout the Bulldogs (1-3).
“That’s happened a few times before,” Rattler stated regarding the TD passing to Stogner. “I definitely had deja vu on that one.”
The Gamecocks were able to overcome a slow start, which included two interceptions of the hands of receivers’ Rattler, to control the game in the first quarter.
The Gamecocks made their mark on Rattler’s TD throw in the first quarter at Lloyd and was immediately followed by a funky “swinging gate” formation on the successful conversion of two points by the defensive Lineman Tonka Hemingway.
South Carolina pulled out the wishbone for its next touchdown, which was a 1-yard handoff to the versatile tight end Jaheim Bell. Rattler made scoring from just 6 yards away with 37 seconds remaining in the first half to put Gamecocks ahead 22-0.
South Carolina State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference had more penalty yards than offensive yards 112 to 83 during just the initial 30 minutes. The Bulldogs had their only touchdown thanks to Tyrece Nick‘s 1-yard touchdown run shortly after halftime, bringing an end to an era in which they’d been without scoring.
Nick played a major role in 158 % of the Bulldogs 220 yards of offensive.
South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough stated that his team, which took home the Celebration Bowl over Jackson State and coach Deion Sanders last year, 31-10 was not performing as well this season , and the coach has to return on the drawing boards for their next game.
“People say ‘You’re 1-3, but you’re better than that,'” Pough stated. “No, we’re not. We’re 1/3 and we look like it.”
THE TAKEAWAY
South Carolina State: The Bulldogs were defeated in their first FBS game 56-10 at UCF in the opening game of the season. They certainly had more impressive performances in their home state of South Carolina – the two campuses are just 40 miles apart and will leave with $500,000 the game at Williams-Brice.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks have been running their game just a week ago, in a win of 56-20 over Charlotte in which they ran to 295 yards. They got Rattler and their passing game in order. Both will be required in the coming weeks when they resume SEC play against No. 7 Kentucky next week.
COACHING MOVE
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer announced just prior to the game his offensive line coach Greg Adkins was stepping away from the team for a short time due to health issues of a minor nature. Adkins has been with the team for two years and is currently in his third season as the head of an offensive line. Beamer added offensive analyst Lonnie Teasley was shifted into Adkins in the role of offensive analyst during the absence of the former.
TRASH PICK UP
South Carolina runners MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Beal-Smith visited the coach Shane Beamer about the mood of the team after two consecutive SEC defeats to No. 20 Arkansas and No. 1 Georgia in the month of September. A few days prior to winning 56-20 against Charlotte on September. 24 Beamer was littered all throughout the area of lockers. He instructed them to grab a piece and to throw away everything they had to worry about the start of the season. “Since then, we’re connecting on all cylinders,” Lloyd stated in a keen smile.
UP NEXT
South Carolina State hosts Florida A&M in October. 8.
South Carolina returns to SEC play against No. 7 Kentucky on Oct. 8.