SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL
Gamecock Central hands out game balls and identifies the key plays from South Carolina’s 47-23 loss to Alabama.
Game Balls
Offense
Rico Dowdle
Dowdle rushed 12 times for 102 yards, an impressive average of 8.5 yards per carry. The score limited the number of carries he got, but Dowdle also made an impact in the passing game, with three catches for 21 yards. That it came against Alabama made it more impressive. It was just the 23rd 100-yard rushing performance Alabama has allowed in the last 15 seasons.
Bryan Edwards
Edwards did his best Alshon Jeffery impression (Jeffery, you might remember, torched Alabama for 127 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches back in 2010). On the first play from scrimmage he got the ball on a jet sweep, slammed Patrick Surtain II to the ground with his right arm, and picked up 13 yards. The play got Edwards, the fans, and his teammates fired up, and set a tone. Edwards was a physical presence throughout the game. He finished with a career-high nine catches. Edwards only had 79 yards receiving, but he picked up four first downs, often by running through defenders.
Defense
Javon Kinlaw
There aren’t many bright spots when you give up 571 yards of total offense, but Kinlaw did everything in his power to disrupt Alabama. Officially he only had four tackles with one sack, which he called “a pretty average day,” but he collapsed the middle of the pocket consistently.
I wouldn’t call this average:
Special Teams
Parker White
Officially, White rushed once for three yards, but we all know he outran the entire Alabama team for a touchdown. In ten years he’ll be reliving that play and leaving out the flag. Even without that, White had a day. He was a perfect 3-3 on field goals, hitting from 28, 44, and 48, a new career-long. He was also perfect on his PATs. Compare that to Alabama’s Will Reichard, who missed a PAT and field goal.
Key plays:
1. The opening kickoff goes out of bounds
In a sign of things to come, Will Tommie’s opening kickoff was short, bouncing near the ten and then out of bounds inside the five.
2. Parker White’s touchdown is called back
Sherrod Greene nearly blocked a punt, forcing a shank, and South Carolina got great field position at the Alabama 30. But the South Carolina offense sputtered, and had to settle for a field goal. Except it was a fake. Holder Joseph Charlton flipped the ball over his head to White, who caught it off a bounce. White raced around the edge and outran Alabama for a 33-yard touchdown. It was the same play LSU used against South Carolina in 2007.
Except there was a flag on the play. Kyle Markway was flagged for holding, right where White got the edge. Will Muschamp indicated he didn’t agree with the call (“Outstanding execution by our guys, all eleven.”), but it looked like a good call. The score, which would have given South Carolina the lead, came back, and South Carolina had to punt, wasting fantastic field position.
3. No...no...YES!
Ryan Hilinski didn’t have many chances to throw downfield against the Alabama pass rush, but when he got time he made it count. He threw a strike to Shi Smith, who was double-covered, but put just enough air on the ball to give Smith a chance. Smith made a great play on the ball, while the defenders were a hair slow to react, for a beautiful touchdown catch.
4. Another special teams penalty
Early in the second quarter, Charlton boomed a 66-yard punt that was downed at the Alabama one. But the Gamecocks were flagged for an illegal shift and had to rekick. Charlton had another good punt, 55 yards, but Jaylen Waddle returned it 18 yards to the 35. The Crimson Tide scored on the possession. It wasn’t just the extra 34 yards that hurt the Gamecocks, it was letting the Tide off the hook. A lot of bad things can happen on your own one, but a lot less from your 35.
5. Fumbled snap
Hilinski engineered a great drive to end the second quarter, getting the Gamecocks down to the four with less than two minutes left. It would have still been a long shot, but a touchdown here, and then a touchdown to open the second half, and it’s a tie game.
On first down, Dowdle found a hole and lunged for the goal line. The officials ruled him down at the one and declined to review the play. Muschamp (and fans) was infuriated by the lack of a review, but regardless, the Gamecocks had three chances to punch it in from inside the one.
On second down, both teams seemed confused and Hilinski overthrew Markway, who got open on the play fake. The crucial play came after the timeout, though. In an I-formation, South Carolina looked ready to try to power the ball into the end zone twice. But Hilinski fumbled the snap. He fell on it, but lost two yards. After another timeout, Hilinski rolled right and had Josh Vann, but overthrew him by inches in the back of the end zone to end the half.
You could argue that any one of those three plays was the killer, but I’d argue the fumbled snap was the worst. It did two things. First, it cost the Gamecocks a chance to score. Second, it backed them up enough that they had to pass on fourth instead of a sneak or dive play.
