SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL

Gamecock Central breaks down the key plays and hands out game balls from a dismal loss to Texas A&M.

Key Plays

1. Missed it by this much

South Carolina was really only able to move the ball on one possession in the first half. Because of that lack of success, it made this play extra important. With a first down at the Texas A&M 20, Ryan Hilinski tried to loft a fade to Xavier Legette in the end zone. But Legette lost his footing as he reached the end zone and was off-balance when the ball got to him. He wasn’t able to gather himself and let the ball go through his hands. It was a tough catch, but it was there and the incompletion cost South Carolina four points.

2. Play-action

The Aggies had run the ball seven straight times, so you knew the play-action was coming eventually. Sure enough, it came, and Domani Staley, who was in the game because T.J. Brunson was ejected for targeting, bit hard. Running back Cordarrian Richardson slipped past Staley, and Kellen Mond lofted an easy pass a wide open Richardson for the game’s first, and for three quarters, only, touchdown.

3. Right in the breadbasket

Early in the second quarter, South Carolina got pressure on Kellen Mond. He overthrew his receiver, and the pass sailed right into the lap of Israel Mukuamu. Not figuratively, literally. Mukuamu had fallen down and was sitting on the ground when the pass landed in his lap. Mukuamu couldn’t control it, and it ended up incomplete.

4. Tuck and run

WIth 13 second left in the first half, backed up at its own 25, South Carolina had to punt. Texas A&M blew through the protection and had two guys zeroing in to block the punt. At the last moment, Charlton pulled the ball back, tucked it and ran. He picked up the first down and saved South Carolina at least three points.

5. First down

On third and one, midway through the fourth quarter and with the game already decided, Rico Dowdle rushed for two yards to pick up the first down. The play was the perfect illustration of the Gamecocks’ offensive futility. It was their first third down conversion of the game, on their eleventh try. And the carry pushed Dowdle in front of punter Joseph Charlton for the team rushing lead.

Game Balls

Offense

I tried. I really did. But I can’t identify a single player on offense who had a good game. Maybe Joseph Charlton.

Defense

Jammie Robinson

Robinson had an incredible 15 tackles. He also had a really nice pass breakup in the red zone.

Kingsley Enagbare

Enagbare had two hurries and 1.5 sacks, and was a big part of the pass rush that rattled Kellen Mond for much of the first half.

Special Teams

Joseph Charlton

Charlton was his usual excellent self punting the ball. He averaged 46 yards on eight punts, with a long of 58 and three downed inside the twenty. He also saved points with his improvisation on the tuck and run.