‘Unbelievable’ TD could mark OrTre Smith’s arrival for the Gamecocks

The catch alone would have made a statement.

South Carolina freshman wide receiver OrTre Smith ran a nice post route in the fourth quarter Saturday and hauled in an explosive play. He could have gone down at the 8 after two Louisiana Tech defensive backs hit him and still have a big play under his belt.

Instead he bounced off both defenders and found himself stumbling past and over the goal line.

“Unbelievable job by OrTre,” USC quarterback Jake Bentley said. “The big post route, breaking tackles, I told him if he was spun around backwards, he would’ve run backwards because he didn’t have a clue where he was.”

The 28-yard score was the third catch and second score of Smith’s young Gamecocks career. He finished the day with a pair of grabs for 36 yards.

Smith represents one of the highest-ceiling players vying to help fill the gap left by injured star receiver Deebo Samuel. At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, he’s one of the biggest bodies on USC’s roster.

Him finally cracking the seal on South Carolina’s scoring came as little surprise to Gamecocks kicker Parker White, who played with Smith at Wando High School and used that relationship to help get his tryout at USC.

“With Deebo out, we need guys to step up,” White said. “OrTre is a guy I’ve seen make insane catches and do good things for my team’s offense going back to Wando.

“I’m not surprised at all. I’ve seen him do that forever.”

Smith’s touchdown pulled USC to within one score, and the offense seemed to find its footing afterward, rallying to salvage a win against the Bulldogs.

The run of big plays started with Smith’s touchdown and was carried on by tailback Ty’Son Williams and wide receiver Bryan Edwards.

Edwards was a key part of the offense last year, and he’s impressed with what the new guys added.

“They brought big plays to the table,” Edwards said. “When you look at it, the long run by Ty’Son and the post route, staying on his feet and scoring. They brought explosive plays, and that’s what this offense needs.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 2:30 PM with the headline "‘Unbelievable’ TD could mark OrTre Smith’s arrival for the Gamecocks."