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Rapid Reaction: South Carolina sputters, then handles Vanderbilt in crunch time
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A few quick thoughts on 14th-ranked South Carolina’s 48-34 win at Vanderbilt Saturday night:
What It Means: I’ll let Steve Spurrier do the honors: “It’s one of the worse wins I’ve ever had, no question.” The Gamecocks escaped Nashville with their second win in the SEC, but it was an uninspiring performance for a team that looked the part at home last week against Georgia. The Head Ball Coach knows his team has problems on defense and now, special teams, after the surprisingly close victory. Nearly humbled, that kind of effort against any other squad from the East would’ve resulted in defeat.
What I Liked: Pharoh Cooper’s coming out party featured a nifty 70-yard burst to the 1-yard line out of the Wildcat formation with less than five minutes left in the game set up a security score on Dylan Thompson’s keeper. Cooper finished with a career-high 188 yards of total offense and 10 catches.
What I Didn’t Like: South Carolina’s inability to put away a team, based on the a 21.5-point spread and the Gamecocks’ ranking, it should’ve thrashed.
Who’s The Man: Cooper deserves the nod here as well, but any superlative for the Gamecocks’ defense is a plus right now. Brison Williams, South Carolina’s lone senior starter in the secondary, made one of the best plays in his career when he intercepted a Wade Freeback out-route late in the second quarter for a 53-yard touchdown. The momentum boost erased a 14-10 deficit and the Gamecocks never trailed again.
What’s Next: The Gamecocks (3-1, 2-1) host Mizzou in an Eastern Division showdown at Williams-Brice Stadium next weekend. The Tigers fell to Indiana on Saturday, 31-27.
