South Carolina football: 3-2-1 - Charlotte

GamecockCentral breaks down the key moments from the 56-20 win over Charlotte and what South Carolina needs to focus on this week.

Three Key Plays

1. Spencer Rattler completes to Jaheim Bell for seven yards

South Carolina’s first pass didn’t come until its fifth snap, after four rushes by Marshawn Lloyd had already covered 51 yards. That was the game plan: pass enough to keep Charlotte honest, but let the run game do most of the damage. It worked to near perfection, as South Carolina scored on its first eight possessions and nine of 11 (it probably would have been 10 of 11 if the officials hadn’t erroneously awarded Charlotte a fumble recovery near the goal line.) Shane Beamer wanted to run the ball 40 times, and South Carolina ran exactly 40 times. The Gamecocks rolled up 545 yards of total offense, including 295 yards rushing.

2. The eighth time is the charm

Charlotte began the game by converting its first seven third downs, and South Carolina seemed totally unable to get off the field. Even when the Gamecocks finally got a stop, Charlotte got a do-over because of an offsides penalty. South Carolina regrouped for a third and eight, got pressure on the quarterback from Bryan Thomas and a breakup from Marcellas Dial to force the punt. Charlotte finished the game converting just one of its last seven third downs as the Gamecocks completely flipped the script in the second half.

3. Brad Johnson’s interception

In the first half, South Carolina’s defense kept getting close, but couldn’t finish off plays.  There were the third-down foibles, missed sacks that turned into big gains, and three dropped interceptions. In the third quarter, South Carolina finally finished the play. Chris Reynolds was pressured, his pass was batted into the air by Jordan Burch, and Johnson swooped in to grab the deflection. He returned the interception to the 49ers’ seven-yard line and the Gamecocks scored two plays later. It was the first of three consecutive Charlotte drives that ended in interceptions as the defense helped turn the close game into a blowout.

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Two Game Balls

MarShawn Lloyd

The numbers were huge: 15 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 11.3 yards per carry. His first carry went for nine yards, and he had runs of 34, 11, 22, 25, 11, 20, and 14 yards. The highlights were even better. Lloyd hurdled a defender on his first touchdown and broke a pair of tackles on his third. Lloyd ran with power and explosiveness that the Gamecocks haven’t seen much of lately.

Jordan Burch

Burch wasn’t credited with a sack, but it seemed like he was in the backfield most of the game. Burch registered three quarterback hurries and a tackle for loss. Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds did an admirable job escaping Burch, especially in the first half, but Burch and company dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half.

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One Burning Question

Can South Carolina clean up the slow start?

It’s hard to find a lot to improve on Saturday, but the slow start was a concern. It seemed like another game where Charlotte once led 14-10. South Carolina had breakdowns in the secondary, including four pass interference penalties, wasn’t getting enough pressure on the quarterback, and had dropped interceptions. Offensively, South Carolina’s first possession stalled inside the five, and the Gamecocks were actually lucky that a false start penalty erased a failed fourth down attempt. South Carolina has another chance to fine-tune things next week against S.C. State, and a better start will be a point of emphasis.

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