Joyner plays, Horn injured as South Carolina trounces Chattanooga
South Carolina managed to get over last week’s deflating loss to Florida and not get caught looking ahead to next week’s rivalry game against Clemson and thump Chattanooga 49-9 on Saturday in Williams-Brice Stadium.
“Really proud of our football team bouncing back,” head coach Will Muschamp said. “I liked how we went about our business in all three phases. Our guys handled their business like they are supposed to do in a game like this.”
The Gamecocks, who lost a 17-point lead last week against the Gators, improved to 6-4 overall, and Muschamp won his 21st game, tying Steve Spurrier for the most in the first three years of a South Carolina coaching career. The Gamecocks take on No. 2 Clemson (11-0) on Saturday in Clemson.
South Carolina achieved bowl eligibility with the win, a milestone Muschamp dismissed after the game.
“That’s something I expect every year,” he said. “We set our expectations high. We want to play in Atlanta, and we haven’t met that expectation. You fall short of that, you fall short of the expectation. That’s where we are. That’s how we’re going to talk. That’s how we’re going to think, and that’s how we’re going to act.”
The Gamecocks 49 points matched the 49 they scored in the season-opener against Coastal Carolina and are as many as they have had in a game since beating Arkansas 52-7 in 2013. South Carolina gained 602 yards, its highest total since 2014 against Tennessee. The FCS Mocs fell to 6-5 on the season.
THREE POINTS
Star of the game: Junior running back A.J. Turner scored a career-high three touchdowns and had 99 all-purpose yards. Turner started the game with two receiving touchdowns, the second and third receiving scores of his career. He also had an 11-yard scoring run. “I feel good, pretty confident,” Turner said. “Give a lot of credit to my o-line and Jake. Definitely recommend them boys.”
Play of the game: Sophomore wide receiver Shi Smith scored on a 53-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, matching the longest reception of his career and giving him three touchdowns for the season. Smith caught the ball down the right sideline and then broke out of the grasp of multiple Chattanooga defenders to put the Gamecocks ahead 35-3.
Stat of the game: Quarterback Jake Bentley tied his single game high with four touchdown patches, giving him a career-high 19 for the season. Bentley was 25-of-29 for 339 yards before being pulled with 14 minutes left in the game so senior quarterback Michael Scarnecchia could play.
OBSERVATIONS
A game of firsts. Quarterbacks Dakereon Joyner and Jay Urich, running back Deshaun Fenwick and tight end Will Register all made their collegiate debuts. A new NCAA rule allowing players to participate in four games without losing a year of eligibility allowed Joyner, Fenwick and Register to get in the game without losing a year of eligibility. Urich is a sophomore. Joyner finished 1-of-2 passing for 1 yard and rushed three times for 24 yards. Fenwick had 17 carries for 112 yards. Register had one catch for 9 yards. Urich finished 1-of-1 passing for 9 yards and rushed once for 14 yards. Israel Mukuamu had his first career interception.
Injury update. Freshman defensive back Jaycee Horn and junior defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw left the game due to injury and did not return. Horn suffered an ankle injury, and Kinlaw has been bothered by a hip injury for a month, Muschamp said. Starting safety Steven Montac didn’t play at all due to shoulder and groin injuries, and Muschamp wasn’t saying after the game which players would be available against Clemson next week.
Defensive tackle depth: The Gamecocks substituted liberally at defensive tackle in the first half. After watching his defense wear down against Florida last week, South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp may have been preparing his defense to face Clemson next week by playing more defensive linemen than usual against the Mocs. Keir Thomas, Kinlaw, Josh Belk, Rick Sandidge, J.J. Enagbare, Javion Duncan and M.J. Webb all played tackle in the first half.
NEXT
Who: South Carolina at Clemson
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published November 17, 2018 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Joyner plays, Horn injured as South Carolina trounces Chattanooga."