It wasn't pretty at times, but South Carolina is walking out of Williams-Brice with a win.

The Gamecocks held on to beat Troy 23-14, using a late Parker White field goal to create some breathing room late and put the game away Saturday.

South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) struggled again to put the game away before the final drive but are now back in the win column after dropping back to back games to Georgia and Kentucky.

To say the second half was bonkers would be an understatement with more twists and turns than a back country road.

The Gamecocks would see their lead shrunk to three points thanks to a Troy touchdown drive to open the third quarter aided by penalties then the craziness ensued.

South Carolina blocked a punt, giving the offense prime field position, only to go backwards seven yards and end in a field goal.

The Gamecocks, after having a would-be interception overturned, would get what looked like a scoop and score only to have Jahmar Brown flip the ball out of his hands before scoring and it roll out of the back of the end zone and give the ball back to Troy.

South Carolina would force a punt then subsequently turn the ball over on a strip sack and get the ball back three plays later on a forced fumble of their own.

Once the Gamecocks got the ball back Luke Doty and the offense engineered a put-away drive spanning 12 plays, 53 yards and nearly six minutes of game time ending in a Parker White field goal to make it a two-score game and put things on ice.

A Damani Staley interception, the Gamecocks' third of the day, effectively ended the game.

South Carolina ran the ball much better on the final offensive possession with Kevin Harris and Juju McDowell rushing five times for 35 yards. Doty would finish the game 20-for-34 with 255 yards—all career highs—and a score, completing passes to nine different players.

The Gamecocks got off to a faster start than normal, scoring on the first drive of the game for the first time this season, a field goal, and driving into Troy territory before a failed fourth down conversion on a dropped pass.

Troy would get on the board after that with an explosive touchdown run to start the second quarter only to have the Gamecocks score the final 14 points of the half and take a 17-7 lead into the break.

Doty led a 10-play, 77-yard drive ending in a EJ Jenkins 16-yard touchdown catch and run followed by a David Spaulding pick six right near the end of the half.

Troy would make things interesting, marching down the field for a touchdown drive aided in part by Gamecock penalties and ending with a short run into the end zone to cut the lead to three points.

South Carolina finished the day with 10 penalties for 93 yards.

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