Double trouble: Pair of edge rushers steal the show and help secure win for South Carolina

Kyle Kennard was blunt about it when he said it. “Historic” is what he touted this South Carolina defense to become in 2024.

Some might’ve chuckled hearing him say that just a few weeks ago, remembering how inconsistent the defense was last year. But Kennard might be onto something. In the Gamecocks’ season opener, it was the defense that led the way to a 23-19 win over Old Dominion. Kennard, along with true freshman Dylan Stewart, played the biggest roles in earning victory.

Kennard put together a final stat line that would impress almost any NFL scout. But combined with Stewart’s performance, the two could prove to be the new dynamic duo in Columbia. Blasting off the edge, Kennard and Stewart tallied four total sacks, six tackles for loss and four forced fumbles to set the tone for the rest of the defense.

“This is obviously just the beginning,” Kennard said. “I feel like down the road we play a lot of teams that we’re going to be getting muddy with. So I feel like tonight was a big stepping stone with statistically where we want to be at the end of the season. And I feel like we’re going to keep building on that from here on out.”

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For all that went wrong on offense Saturday, things could’ve been much worse if not for the new duo. On the second play of the game, Kennard forced a fumble deep in ODU territory that led to South Carolina opening up the scoring. But it was Stewart’s heroics in the late going that allowed the Gamecocks to come from behind and never look back.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Monarchs were backed up near their own end zone, looking to hold onto their three-point lead and slowly put the game on ice. On a first down play, Wilson started to take off, thinking he had a clear hole to run through. Stewart, lurking like a hawk, managed to break off a block and crash inside. He went for the ball and knocked it out, which was the plan all game long.

“All week, we’ve been preaching, ‘This quarterback gonna run.’ I knew once the pocket collapsed, he was gonna step up,” Stewart said. “As soon as he stepped up, I punched the ball out. I’ve been trying to punch the ball out all game. So as soon as I saw an opportunity, I took it.”

As soon as Stewart made contact with ODU quarterback Grant Wilson, the ball went loose and DeAndre Jules fell right on top of it. Two plays later, South Carolina scored the go-ahead touchdown and never trailed again.

For this being Stewart’s first game, he certainly lived up to the hype that had been building for months. The former five-star recruit earned a plethora of praise from teammates and coaches for his speed and ferocity off the edge. And it was on full display on Saturday.

“I’m super proud of him tonight. He had a great game,” Kennard said. “Been through a lot since he’s been here. It’s just like I’m proud to see what he does. He’s one of the best freshmen I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I’m excited to see what he’s going to keep doing.”

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With how well each of them played, head coach Shane Beamer rewarded Stewart a game ball for making the game-saving play of the day. This came without much hesitation. But it took him a little longer to reward Kennard for his efforts.

“I knew Kyle Kennard had played a pretty good game. I made the mistake and I didn’t give him one,” Beamer said. “And then actually, T.J. Sanders grabbed me and said, ‘Please, like trust me on this. You better give him a game ball.’ And he was right. He had 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss. So pretty good night for Kyle. He’s done a great job.”

Outside of a few plays, it was an overall strong performance for the defense. There’s still work to do in all aspects. But for right now, the least of South Carolina’s worries reside on the edges of the defensive line.

“I thought they were really good,” Beamer said. “It goes back to the fact that we have more guys that can rush the passer than last season. … I like the way those guys play, but we need to keep developing depth and bring those guys along, as well.”

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