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Contextualizing South Carolina's offensive output against UNC

It seems Shane Beamer, Marcus Satterfield and everyone else—players and fans included—had been waiting for an offensive performance like the one the Gamecocks put out there Thursday.

Behind the play of Dakereon Joyner and a dominant rushing attack, the Gamecocks pounded North Carolina 38-21 and put together one of the better offensive performances of the season.

Photo by Chris Gillespie
Photo by Chris Gillespie
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South Carolina set or got close to setting numerous program bowl records Thursday against North Carolina, putting on one of the best postseason offensive performances in program history.

The Gamecocks set bowl records for total yards (543) and rushing yards (301), smashing the previous highs of 512 (Liberty Bowl) and 218 (2001 Outback), respectively.

They tied records for most first downs (27, Birmingham) and rush attempts (51, 2001 Outback) and the 38 points were the third most in a bowl game behind the 44 put up against Houston in the Liberty Bowl and 39 put up against USF in the Birmingham Bowl.

South Carolina’s now scored 30 points on a major opponent for just the fifth time dating back to 2018 and did it for their seventh win of the season.

The 543 yards are the most since putting up 548 last season at Ole Miss and the 8.2 yards per play were the most against a FBS opponent since 2014 against Tennessee. The last time South Carolina averaged at least 8.2 yards per play in a win was 2013 against Coastal Carolina.

The 80 percent completion percentage was just the sixth time since 2000 the Gamecocks have hit that mark; the last time was 2020 against Georgia

South Carolina threw for over 242 yards on 15 attempts, which is the first time the Gamecocks have ever thrown for at least 200 yards on 15 or fewer attempts dating back to at least 1962, which is how far back the media guide has stats for each game.

Dakereon Joyner became the first Gamecock quarterback since Perry Orth in 2015 to throw for at least 160 yards in a game and run for at least 60.

The only other quarterbacks since 2000 to do so were: Stephen Garcia, Corey Jenkins, Syvelle Newton, Lorenzo Nunez, Dondrial Pinkins and Connor Shaw.

Jaheim Bell is one of two players since 2000 to have 150 yards receiving and 20 yards rushing in a game with Pharoh Cooper the other.

The only other players in that timeframe to have at least 150 yards receiving and two touchdowns against major opponents are: Cooper, Alshon Jeffery, Sidney Rice, Deebo Samuel (twice) and Troy Williamson.

South Carolina ran the ball incredibly well, finishing with just five of the 51 rush attempts going for zero or negative yardage and only 16 going for fewer than two yards.

The offensive line generated 1.71 yards of push per carry Thursday.

The Gamecocks rattled off 10 explosive plays—rushes of 12-plus and passes of 18-plus yards—which ties a season high in a game, and the offense picked up 73 percent of available yards.

Of South Carolina’s 66 plays, over half (34) were deemed successful as the Gamecocks put together one of its better offensive performances in recent memory.

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