South Carolina senior quarterback Dylan Thompson got the Gamecocks started on a new home winning streak at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night after Texas A&M unceremoniously dumped them in Columbia last weekend. After an average first half (10-20, 132 yards, one interception), he came out firing in the second half. Thompson went 15-18 for 134 yards and a touchdown in the second half to lead the 21st ranked Gamecocks to a 33-23 victory over a pesky East Carolina team.
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The Gamecocks scored on seven consecutive drives starting with two minutes left in the first quarter, with Thompson leading the way in the short passing game. They finished off the Pirates with a physical running game for much of the fourth quarter.
Steve Spurrier did what most offensive coordinators don’t do anymore: He called the same play over and over until East Carolina proved they could stop it. They could not.
The Pirates were able to cut the lead to 30-23 with 12 minutes left before Mike Davis and James Wilds ran the ball down their throats.
The two-headed monster at running back for South Carolina proved to be a formidable tandem. Davis eclipsed the century mark with 102 yards on 18 carries and reached the end zone twice. Wilds ran for 49 yards on 14 carries, most of them in the fourth quarter.
The South Carolina defense was able to put pressure on East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden, and forced him into two critical interceptions in the third quarter that led to ten Gamecock points.
The Pirates were able to hang around, but had no answer for South Carolina’s physical offensive line in the fourth quarter.