USC vs. ECU: 25 things you might have missed

1. South Carolina scored in the first half for the first time this season. The Gamecocks scored 17 points in the first quarter, the most since Nov. 23, 2013, when they scored 28 in the first quarter against Coastal Carolina.

2. Saturday was the first time USC led at halftime since the Independence Bowl after the 2014 season.

3. Senior placekicker Elliot Fry scored eight points on the game, making him the second Gamecock in history to break the 300 mark with 306 points scored. He’s 24 points behind the school record held by Collin Mackie.

4. The win over ECU snapped South Carolina’s three-game home losing streak and a two-game home opener losing streak.

5. South Carolina won the turnover battle 4-0.

6. In six trips inside the 20-yard line, East Carolina totaled nine points. Three of the Pirates’ red zone trips ended in turnovers -- an interception by Jamarcus King in the end zone, an interception by Chris Lammons at the 1-yard line and a fumble that was forced by Antoine Wilder and recovered by Dante Sawyer in the end zone.

7. USC’s defense had 11 tackles for loss, the most for the Gamecocks since October 2013 vs. Tennessee.

8. Two of the Gamecocks’ four sacks came from true freshman defensive ends D.J. Wonnum and Keir Thomas.

9. Seven Gamecocks had their first career starts: QB Brandon McIlwain, WR Randrecous Davis, DB Steven Montac, DB Jamarcus King, DB Antoine Wilder, TE K.C. Crosby and DL Ulric Jones.

10. Nine true freshmen played: McIlwain, Davis, Wonnum, Thomas, WR Bryan Edwards, LB TJ Brunson, WR Chavis Dawkins, TE Kiel Pollard and DT Kobe Smith.

11. Edwards had five receptions for 68 yards, including a 42-yard grab. He leads the team with 15 catches for 207 yards. TE Hayden Hurst is second with 12 receptions for 128 yards.

11. McIlwain, a true freshman making his first collegiate start, finished 16-of-28 passing for 195 yards and added 34 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He will be the team’s quarterback moving forward, Will Muschamp said. Coaches knew all week that McIlwain would start the game, despite publicly saying otherwise leading up to Saturday.

12. After traveling to Mississippi State, true freshman tight ends Evan Hinson and Robert Tucker did not make the dress list Saturday vs. ECU.

13. Wide receivers who dressed but did not play: Lorenzo Nunez, Jerad Washington, Korey Banks.

14. Defensive linemen who dressed but did not play: Shameik Blackshear, Aaron Thompson, Boosie Whitlow. Whitlow played in all 12 games in 2015 but has not seen the field this year

15. Top wide receiver Deebo Samuel missed the game with a nagging hamstring injury.

16. A.J. Turner ran 80 yards on the game’s opening kickoff.

17. After not playing against Mississippi State, junior running back David Williams was the backup against East Carolina. He finished as the team’s leading rusher with 71 yards on seven carries and he had a 25-yard run to clinch the game in the fourth quarter.

18. East Carolina’s offense ran 91 plays and averaged 5.7 yards per play. South Carolina, with 53 plays, averaged 5.9 yards per play. By comparison, Mississippi State ran 75 plays vs USC and a 6.5 yards per play average. Vanderbilt had 65 (3.7).

19. East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones set a Pirates’ single-game record with 22 catches for 190 yards. Jones finished one catch short of the NCAA’s single-game record. The Gamecocks don’t have a wide receiver on their roster with 22 catches in his career.

20. South Carolina players wore suits for the Gamecock Walk and, per Muschamp’s instructions, did not wear headsets and interacted more with fans.

21. It was the first time South Carolina has worn all black since Sept. 11, 2004, against Georgia. USC lost 20-16. Lou Holtz had gone to black helmets that season and just for that game, wore all black.

22. Captains for South Carolina were: Darius English, T.J. Holloman, Sean Kelly and Hayden Hurst.

23. Attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium was 80,384, a sellout.

24. Patricia Moore-Pastides, wife of USC President Harris, was the game’s celebrity starter for the GAME! COCKS! cheer.

25. In place of the usual palmetto tree and crescent, the Williams-Brice field had a Gamecock Club logo for Gamecock Club Appreciation Day. The organization’s executive committee was honored at halftime.

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 9:21 AM with the headline "USC vs. ECU: 25 things you might have missed."