Key points from the South Carolina Gamecocks football team’s 34-27 win against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 28,2017.
1. South Carolina’s 34-27 win against Vanderbilt extended USC’s winning streak against the Commodores to nine games. It tied the second-longest streak USC has ever had against an FBS opponent with a nine-game run against Virginia from 1952-1960 and behind 10 in a row against Kentucky in the 2000s (streaks against The Citadel, and Furman have been longer).
2. Tailback A. J. Turner had a career game with 121 yards and a touchdown, which included scampers of 20,24 and 27 yards. It was part of South Carolina’s first 200-yard rushing day of the season and the third game in a row with at least 155 yards on the ground.
3. Jake Bentley ran for two touchdowns, the first two of his career, and had 47 yards on six carries. Afterward, he joked he’d be joining the running backs meeting room this week.
4. Freshman corner Jamyest Williams played five snaps after giving up a touchdown in the second quarter. Safety Steven Montac came in, letting Chris Lammons play nickel, and Antoine Wilder chipped in for the injured Sherrod Greene.
5. True freshmen who played were Williams and Buck lineman Brad Johnson, wide receiver OrTre Smith, wide receiver Shi Smith and defensive end Aaron Sterling. Other first-year Gamecocks who played were offensive tackle Dennis Daley, running back Caleb Kinlaw, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, defensive back Keisean Nixon and linebacker Eldridge Thompson.
6. Zack Bailey and Cory Helms made their return to the lineup after getting knocked out by ankle injuries. Bailey had a solid day and was happy with the performance, while Helms tweaked the ankle again and missed the rest of the day.
7. Freshman wide receiver Shi Smith posted one of his best days thus far with 76 yards on a season-high five catches, including a 36-yard score.
8. Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason left Saturday irritated with the officiating. His team got called twice for targeting.
9. Defensive end D. J. Wonnum blocked an extra point in the second quarter to keep USC ahead 14-13. He nearly blocked a kick against Tennessee and it was the first blocked PAT for the Gamecocks since Byron Jerideau at Florida on October, 20,2012.
10. USC star corner Rashad Fenton had a rough day, giving up a 47-yard touchdown and a few other long gains, plus got called for a pair of pass interference penalties. He bounced back to defend a key pass in the final seconds.
11. Montac picked off his first career pass.
12. Kicker Parker White had a solid game, connecting on kicks of 44 and 39 yards, but missing from 47.
13. The Gamecocks’ 24 first-half points were the most for a game in 2017. It was the third-highest total in the Will Muschamp era.
14. Official attendance was 78,992.
15. South Carolina wore black jerseys with white pants and white helmets.
16. USC’s captains were Alan Knott, Chris Lammons, Hayden Hurst and Ulric Jones.
17. Members of the South Carolina women’s basketball teams received their national championship rings in a halftime ceremony.
18. Will Muschamp became just the second coach to get the Gamecocks to a bowl game in each of his first two years. Steve Spurrier was the first. He and his players brushed that off after the game, and will now turn to facing an undefeated Georgia team that is ranked No. 2 in the country.
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