USC vs. Mississippi State: 25 things you might have missed

1. The 27-14 loss snapped South Carolina’s seven-game winning streak against Mississippi State. The Gamecocks’ last loss to the Bulldogs had been on Sept. 25, 1999.

2. USC has not scored in the first half through two games. All 27 of USC’s points this season came in the second half, 17 of those in the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks are outscoring opponents 27-3 in the second half.

3. Elliott Fry, who hit a 55-yard game winner last week against Vanderbilt, had a 55-yard field goal attempt against MSU fall about a yard short.

4. Freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain did not play in the first half. He threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter (to A.J. Turner) and added another score in the fourth (to K.C. Crosby). USC’s scoring drives under McIlwain went for 80 and 83 yards.

5. Crosby’s 4-yard TD reception was the first of the redshirt sophomore’s career.

6. Sophomore tight end Hayden Hurst tallied a career-high eight receptions for a career-high 68 yards.

7. South Carolina traveled six tight ends, including Crosby, Hurst, Jacob August and freshmen Kiel Pollard, Evan Hinson and Robert Tucker. August started the game along with Hurst.

8. Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 195 yards (a record by an MSU quarterback), and threw for another 178. Fitzgerald’s 373 yards of total offense were more than South Carolina could manage as a team (243 yards).

9. The Gamecocks’ first turnover of the season was a T.J. Holloman interception. A personal foul on Kelsey Griffin wiped out a second Holloman interception.

10. It looks like junior tailback David Williams fell further out of favor after Week 1’s five-carry, 7-yard performance. Former walk-on Rod Talley was the second back vs. MSU, although he had one carry. Williams traveled but did not have a touch.

11. Wide receiver Jamari Smith, who had several drops against Vanderbilt, did not start Saturday and mostly played special teams.

12. Seven true freshmen played: McIlwain, Randrecous Davis, T.J. Brunson, Bryan Edwards, Keir Thomas, DJ Wonnum and Kobe Smith. Davis had one catch for 13 yards in his debut.

13. Junior defensive tackle Ulric Jones led the Gamecocks on defense with a career-high nine tackles. Junior linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams finished with a career-high seven tackles and had two tackles for loss.

14. Safeties Jasper Sasser and Toure Boyd filled in after Chaz Elder’s rib injury. Sasser had a career-high eight tackles.

15. Redshirt freshman defensive end Shameik Blackshear made his 2016 debut and recorded a tackle for loss.

16. USC’s defense came close to several sacks but did not record any. The defense managed seven tackles for loss and was credited with two QB hurries. Mississippi State recorded four sacks of USC’s quarterbacks.

17. NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. picked USC to win the game, along with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. (Lee Corso went with Mississippi State.)

18. Wide receiver Lorenzo Nuñez made his dress-list debut for South Carolina on Saturday but did not play.

19. The Gamecocks announced a suspension before the game. Redshirt freshman linebacker Sherrod Pittman missed the game and will miss the ECU game because of a violation of team rules. He joins Abu Lamin (three-game suspension starting last week) as Gamecocks who will miss the first home game.

20. USC had a surprise on the starting offensive line, putting Alan Knott at center, Cory Helms at right guard and Blake Camper at right tackle. The moves to go with Knott and Helms to make up for Donnell Stanley’s absence were expected, but D.J. Park was expected to start at right tackle. Instead, Camper took the job. Park rotated in at right tackle in the first half and then took over when Camper left in the second half with an injury.

21. The Gamecocks dressed in garnet helmets, white jerseys and garnet pants. It’s believed to be the first time USC has worn the combination since Oct. 14, 1995, at Mississippi State – when the Gamecocks won 65-39.

22. Analyst Scott Spurrier was on the trip to Starkville, a day after he and wife Jennifer welcomed their second child, a boy they named Robert Eugene Spurrier.

23. The Gamecocks’ captains were Qua Lewis, Hayden Hurst, Mason Zandi and Jonathan Walton.

24. South Carolina’s upcoming home game against East Carolina is sold out. The Gamecocks’ two road games to open the season had unsold tickets: 57,763 vs. Mississippi State (61,337 capacity) and 30,304 vs. Vanderbilt (capacity of 40,350).

25. The Gamecocks have had 18 players start both of the first two games of the season: WR Deebo Samuel, WR Bryan Edwards, TE Hayden Hurst, LT Mason Zandi, LG Zack Bailey, G Cory Helms, QB Perry Orth, TB A.J. Turner, DE Marquavius Lewis, DT Taylor Stallworth, DT Kelsey Griffin, DE Darius English, LB Bryson Allen-Williams, LB T.J. Holloman, CB Rashad Fenton, S D.J. Smith, S Chaz Elder and CB Chris Lammons.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 11:23 AM with the headline "USC vs. Mississippi State: 25 things you might have missed."