GC LIVE: Breaking down Gamecocks' win over South Carolina State

Gamecock Central LIVE’s Wes Mitchell and Chris Clark break down South Carolina’s 50-10 victory over SC State.

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South Carolina handles SC State in Thursday night matchup

By Michael Sauls

South Carolina was able to secure consecutive wins for the first time since week two of last season with a 50-10 win over S.C. State on Thursday night.

This is the first time since 1995 that South Carolina has scored at least 50 points in back-to-back games.

The Gamecocks got off to a slow start and were unable to score on their first two drives of the game. The first drive was spoiled after Spencer Rattler was picked off on the second play of the game and South Carolina was forced to punt after four plays on the second drive. 

Although they started slow, the Gamecocks were finally able to score on a five-yard touchdown reception by MarShawn Lloyd. The scoring was capped off in true Beamer Ball fashion when defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway ran the ball in for a successful two-point conversion. 

The touchdown was South Carolina’s first in the first quarter this season.

Things kept rolling for the Gamecocks going into the second quarter. Rattler and the South Carolina offense found the endzone two more times before the half. 

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Jaheim Bell got his second rushing touchdown of the season early in the second quarter. The one-yard run capped off a nine-play, 95-yard drive by the Gamecocks. 

A six-yard rush from Rattler put South Carolina up 22-0 going into halftime. Rattler was 13-for-18 in the first half through the air with two interceptions and one touchdown pass. 

At first glance the interceptions are glaring, but both came off passes that tipped off the hands of Xavier Legette. 

Rattler continued to show poise in the pocket and confidence in his game throughout the game. He finished the game 21-for-27 through the air for 212 yards and two touchdown passes before eventually being taken out at the start of the fourth quarter.

The second of Rattler’s two touchdown passes was caught by his fellow Oklahoma transfer Austin Stogner. The touchdown was Stogner’s first of the season and the first touchdown connection for the former Sooners.

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After stifling S.C. State’s offense in the first half, the Bulldog offense came out of halftime and immediately put together a strong 85-yard drive. A one-yard rush from quarterback Tyrese Nick capped off S.C. State’s only touchdown drive of the night.

Outside of that drive, South Carolina forced either a punt or turnover on every other drive of the game before a late field goal.

The Gamecock defense totaled three interceptions in the game, the second time they’ve done so in as many weeks.

Sherrod Greene, Marcellas Dial and Bam Martin-Scott all picked off S.C. State and only Greene’s interception failed to set up a touchdown for the Gamecocks.

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Both Dial and Martin-Scott set up rushing touchdowns for Lloyd then Christian Beal-Smith. Lloyd had another strong showing on the ground, running for 80 yards and averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

As a whole, the run game accounted for five out of the seven touchdowns scored by South Carolina. All five touchdowns were scored by different players. The Gamecocks ran the ball 31 times for 185 total yards while averaging six yards a carry.

Luke Doty took over for Rattler in the fourth quarter and helped wrap the game up for South Carolina. He was 3-for-3 through the air for seven yards and had a 13-yard rushing touchdown.

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