It’s thrown around as often as cornhole bags at tailgates, numbing to an extent.

Why aren’t the Gamecocks properly utilizing Mike Davis this season?

In fact, they are.

You can justifiably question numerous Steve Spurrier coaching decisions this season, but not involving the Eastern Division’s most talented ballcarrier behind Todd Gurley isn’t one of them.

It may come as a surprise to some that South Carolina’s junior tailback has touched the football 136 times, tops in the SEC, despite missing nearly all of the second half in the opener.

He leads all running backs in catches (14) and is second only to Auburn’s Cameron Artis Payne and Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb in total carries. It hasn’t shown up in the win column, but without Davis’ production against Mizzou and Kentucky, the Gamecocks would’ve struggled offensively behind subpar outings from quarterback Dylan Thompson.

In what’s most likely his final season before jumping pro, Davis is averaging career-highs in offensive touches and rushing attempts per game and is projected to top last year’s 1,183 yards rushing if South Carolina plays in a bowl game:

  • 2012 (12 games): 52 carries, 275 yards; 4 catches, 35 yards = 4.6 offensive touches per game; 4.3 carries per game
  • 2013 (13 games): 203 carries, 1,183 yards; 34 catches, 352 yards = 18.2 offensive touches per game; 15.6 carries per game
  • 2014 (7 games): 121 carries, 662 yards; 15 catches, 138 yards = 19.4 offensive touches per game; 17.2 carries per game

Barring injury, following this season’s steady diet of touches would push Davis past 1,200 yards rushing and into elite company as one of three 3,000-yard career rushers in program history (Harold Green and George Rogers). If he stayed for his senior season, Davis would likely take sole possession of second place behind Rogers’ untouchable 5,091-yard mark.

But he’s not being used enough?

Over the last three games, Spurrier’s made it a point to get Davis more involved in the offense. After a workhorse-like effort against Mizzou, he exploded for 191 yards of total offense and three touchdowns on Oct. 4 in Lexington and touched the football 19 times over the weekend against Furman despite taking a seat with nine minutes to play in the third quarter.

The Gamecocks are going to need a monster outing from Davis on Saturday night to upset fifth-ranked Auburn, a program South Carolina hasn’t beaten since 1933.

A loss drops South Carolina to .500 (or worse) for the first time in October since the winless 1999 season.

“It’s a big opportunity to go to an environment like Auburn and just do our best,” Davis said. “I think we have a big chance against anybody. Anybody you put against us, we are not going to doubt ourselves.”

Added Spurrier: “The only pressure on us is to play the best we can,” he said. “Try to play the best we can. Try to coach the best we can and see what happens.”