South Carolina Five Key Plays: Ole Miss

Narrowing a game with 92 points, 1,126 yards of offense, a kick return for a touchdown, and blown double digit leads by both teams down to five key plays isn't easy, but let's try.

1. Don't kick to Deebo

To be fair, Ole Miss tried not to kick to Deebo Samuel. They just didn't do a good job of it.

Luke Logan tried to short kick the opening kickoff to force a fair catch by one of the up men. But he didn't get enough air under the kick and it was a line-drive. Eric Douglas, an offensive linemen, tried to catch the ball, but it went through his hands and bounced toward Samuel. The bounce disrupted the timing, and Samuel picked it up, broke a tackle, got a nice block and cut back toward the middle of the field. He outran Logan to the end zone to start a wild game.

2. One-handed

Despite taking the lead on the opening kickoff, it always felt like the Gamecocks were the ones trying to answer the Rebels. After the Rebels had trimmed a 14 point deficit to four, the Gamecocks needed to answer, and they answered loudly. For the second week in a row, Jake Bentley and Bryan Edwards got the call. Edwards ran a go route up the sideline, he was tightly covered by Jalen Julius, but Bentley had time and took a deep shot. The throw was a little long, and Edwards, still blanketed, had to reach out and around Julius with his right hand to grab the ball. He made the one-handed catch and then, deciding he may as well use his other arm for something, shoved Julius to the ground with his left hand. This week there was no catching Edwards short of the end zone, and he waltzed in for the 75-yard touchdown. The only question is whether this one topped any of Deebo's one-handed grabs.

3. Why are you kicking to Deebo?

Ole Miss had just scored to take a 44-34 lead early in the fourth quarter. It didn't look good for South Carolina. The defense couldn't stop Ole Miss, and the offense had its last two drives end in a punt and turnover on downs. But Ole Miss gave Samuel another chance for a return. There was no big alley to run through like the first one, but Samuel broke tackles and dodged defenders up the right sideline before being knocked out at the Ole Miss 47. South Carolina took advantage of the short field to score a touchdown. The 38-yard return was the spark that started the South Carolina comeback.

4. Brunson and Sandidge sack Ta'amu

On second and nine, Jordan Ta'amu felt pressure in the pocket and rolled right. Rick Sandidge gave chase, but Ta'amu didn't throw the ball away. He held on, looking down field as he ran to the sideline. T.J. Brunson broke coverage and pursued. Ta'amu still didn't throw the ball away, and Brunson and Sandidge caught up, hitting Ta'amu hard from two different directions and driving him to the ground. Ta'amu was slow to get up, and when he did his arm dangled limply at his side. He stayed in on third down and scrambled again, but he quickly slid to avoid contact, and limped off the field. Ta'amu missed the next series before returning for Ole Miss' final two offensive possessions, but after this sack he was ineffective. Before this play, Ta'amu had 370 yards passing and 83 yards rushing. After returning, Ta'amu wasn't the same. He was sacked twice, had no rushing attempts, and was just 2-5 passing for nine yards.

5. Denson breaks loose

Because of course in a game that was wild even by Gamecock standards it would be the fourth-string short yardage specialist with the longest run of the season. To say Mon Denson's 69-yard run to set up the game-winning touchdown was unexpected is an understatement. Denson is the Gamecocks' short-yardage back, a 212-pound bruiser who occasionally lines up at fullback. The longest run of his career only went 24 yards, and his career-high for a game was only 61 yards. Denson had only rushed for 66 yards all season. But there he was, slicing through the Rebel defense and rumbling down the sideline securing the ball with both hands as he was dragged down. Three plays later Bentley scrambled into the end zone for the game-winner.