Shi Smith explodes for long touchdown on first play of South Carolina-Tennessee
Well that didn’t take long.
All it took was one offensive play for South Carolina football to take a lead over Tennessee on the road this Saturday — freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski found junior wide receiver Shi Smith for a 75-yard catch-and-score off the opening kickoff.
After a pump fake on a screen pass, Hilinski found Smith streaking over the middle for an easy pitch and catch. From there, Smith was off to the races for the touchdown.
The score was the 100th catch of Smith’s career, and his ninth career touchdown. Coach Will Muschamp has said at various points this season that he wanted to get Smith more involved in the passing game, especially with his big play ability. This score marks his longest ever reception.
Hilinski has now thrown eight touchdown passes on the season. Saturday’s TD is tied for the longest of his young career.
The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s game as 4.5-point favorites over the Volunteers. Through two possessions, USC led UT 7-0 off Smith’s touchdown.
This story was originally published October 26, 2019 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Shi Smith explodes for long touchdown on first play of South Carolina-Tennessee."
