South Carolina won every high-leverage third down against Kentucky

Football is a game played over 60 minutes and can include many plays. Many are forgotten about and not discussed once the game ends. Others seem to matter more. The ones that become the most influential seem to occur on third down often.

The money down can even matter a ton in a blowout. That certainly was the case on Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field in front of 61,349 people. South Carolina won every high-leverage situation, and it allowed the Gamecocks to run away from the Wildcats.

KSR is taking a closer look at the biggest third downs in Carolina’s 31-6 win in Week 2. The Gamecocks beat Kentucky soundly when it mattered the most.

Brock Vandagriff misses Dane Key

With a 10-3 lead late in the second quarter, South Carolina decided to get aggressive on second-and-long following the two-minute timeout. LaNorris Sellers threw high over the middle, and a Ty Bryant interception put a laboring Kentucky offense on the doorstep.

Despite a brutal half, Kentucky had a great to go to the halftime break with the score tied. But the offense could not move the chains on third-and-short.

Brock Vandagriff is unable to hook up with Dane Key on a slant.

Kentucky’s quarterback misses a throw he has to make, and it ends to a field goal to cut the lead to 10-6. South Carolina gets a big stop in the red zone as Kentucky spoiled a momentum-changing interception in the Middle 8.

LaNorris Sellers creates off-platform

On South Carolina’s second possession of the third quarter, the Gamecocks were clinging to a four-point lead with under eight minutes remaining. Facing a third-and-14 just over midfield, Kentucky’s defense was a snap away from creating another stop and giving the offense another chance to extend the lead.

That opportunity was lost when LaNorris Sellers broke the pocket left.

Kentucky outside linebacker Tyreese Fearbry slips a block quickly to create a pressure, but Sellers effortlessly moves left to avoid the sack. The redshirt freshman quarterback then finds true freshman wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. streaking wide-open down the left sideline. A stop turns to a touchdown drive one play later.

Kentucky should’ve had a sack or a throwaway with their offense getting another possession down one score. Instead, a missed opportunity turns into points allowed.

Another third-and-long conversion leads to points

Kentucky’s offense failed to put anything together after South Carolina took a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. A penalty-riddled drive led to another short field for the Gamecocks. The possession started at the Kentucky 43, but the Wildcats quickly produced a third-and-11.

But the defense again could not get off the field on third-and-long.

South Carolina creates a clean pocket for LaNorris Sellers, who has time to pump fake and step up in the pocket. That gives Jared Brown enough time in the boundary to create separation from Kentucky cornerback DJ Waller Jr. on a comeback route.

The Gamecocks would end that drive with the final offensive touchdown of the game. In the third quarter, the road team created separation on the scoreboard by winning on third down.