Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina vs. Tennessee
A look at what went right and wrong for South Carolina in the Gamecocks’ 31-27 loss against Tennessee in the first game of the season:
South Carolina thumbs up
Shi Smith: With Bryan Edwards and Deebo Samuel off in the NFL, Smith is the lone veteran left in South Carolina’s receiving corps. He played like it. Quarterback Collin Hill locked his sights on Smith early, frequently connecting with him on slant routes out of the slot. Smith set career highs in last year’s game against Tennessee with 11 catches for 156 yards and once again he gashed the Vols through the air, tallying 140 yards on 10 catches.
Collin Hill: Speaking of Hill, the Colorado State transfer got off to a hot start with a 75-yard scoring drive to open the game. He cooled off on the subsequent drives, as the USC offensive line was unable to ward off Tennessee’s lethal pass rush. But Hill regrouped in the second half, finding Smith for a touchdown and adding a one-yard quarterback sneak at the goal line. While not a perfect night by any stretch, Hill kept the Gamecocks in the game with his 290 passing yards and showed poise in Mike Bobo’s offense.
Kinglsey Enagbare: Playing the hybrid “Buck” position, Enagbare applied constant pressure to Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, sacking him twice in explosive fashion. While Enagbare did commit an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave the Vols a first down, he made few other mistakes in an otherwise dominant performance.
Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick: Despite losing promising freshman tailback MarShawn Lloyd to a torn ACL before the season, the Gamecocks were able to produce on the ground, primarily with Harris and Fenwick, who both averaged more than four yards per carry. Harris paced the group with 55 yards on 13 carries, scoring the first touchdown of the Bobo era. And Fenwick displayed power in the second half, tallying 33 yards on six carries while also picking up 45 yards on four catches as a dependable check-down option.
South Carolina thumbs down
Cam Smith: Smith had a night to forget, as it was clear that Tennessee was targeting the redshirt freshman cornerback in the passing game. In the second half, Smith committed a costly pass interference penalty that helped set up a Tennessee score. Later, he fell down guarding receiver Josh Palmer, clearing the way for him to score a 32-yard touchdown. His worst offense, however, came with 1:24 left in the game when he allowed the ball to touch his leg on a USC punt return attempt — Tennessee recovered and finished the game in victory formation.
Offensive line: After an impressive opening drive, the USC offense disappeared for the remainder of the first half, in large part due to the O-line’s struggles against Tennessee’s pass rush. The Vols sacked Collin Hill four times — two by senior linebacker Deandre Johnson — stunting the offense’s rhythm.
Receivers not named Shi Smith: While tight end Nick Muse and receiver Xavier Legette both showed flashes, the USC passing game lacked a consistent secondary option behind Smith. Transfer Jalen Brooks, whose eligibility waiver was denied by the NCAA, could have possibly provided the group with a much-needed boost.
Run defense: Led by Enagbare, the Gamecock defense was able to apply pressure to Guarantano but couldn’t bottle up the Tennessee running game. The Vols put up 133 rushing yards, led by Ty Chandler’s 86 yards on 13 carries.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 11:13 PM.
