He did it! Kevin Harris joins Gamecocks’ 1,000-yard rushing club
With another impressive performance Saturday night, sophomore running back Kevin Harris joined a couple of exclusive groups in South Carolina football history.
With a 10-yard scamper midway through the second quarter against Kentucky, Harris became the ninth Gamecock ever to run for 1,000 yards in a season. Late in the third quarter, he ripped off a 59-yard run to surpass 200 for the game, becoming only the third Gamecock ever to have multiple 200-yard games in a career. He finished the game with 210 yards on 21 carries.
“I wish we could have handed to him double that amount, 42 times. ... Really a phenomenal job by him hitting the holes full speed, running through arm tackles,” interim coach Mike Bobo said. “A good job by our offensive line and tight ends of opening up holes, and he took advantage of those holes. And when there wasn’t holes there, he made yards, pushed the pile.”
Program legends George Rogers and Marcus Lattimore are the only other USC players to go for 200 or more yards twice. Rogers also surpassed 1,000 yards in a season three times, while Lattimore did it once. Mike Davis, Duce Staley, Kevin Long, Clarence Williams, Derek Watson and Harold Green all reached 1,000 once as well.
“Hats off to Kevin. A phenomenal year,” Bobo added. “Obviously he’s over 1,000 ... that’s something that those guys in there took pride in, wanted to get him that. That’s a team award and something that hasn’t been done here since 2013.”
A sophomore, Harris will have a couple more seasons to try to match Rogers as the only other Gamecock player to reach 1,000 yards in a season twice — as well as his record of three 200-yard games. After his record-setting performance, the soft-spoken tailback confirmed he has no plans to transfer and spoke on his accomplishments.
“I mean, it felt good. My O-line did a good job helping me and stuff. I appreciate that,” Harris said.
Saturday’s 210-yard performance against the Wildcats, Harris’ fifth 100-yard effort of the season, caps a remarkable emergence for the former three-star prospect with no Power 5 offers.
Harris entered his second season at USC expected to battle for a backup spot behind star freshman MarShawn Lloyd. But when Lloyd went down with a torn ACL in the preseason, Harris established himself as the offense’s most consistent backfield threat, then as one of the best backs in the SEC and the country — he entered Saturday night ranked third in the country in total rushing yards.
“No, I’m not surprised,” Harris said when asked if he shocked himself this year. “I mean, I had goals, I had goals set. And I reached them. Shout out to my O-line too.”
Harris needed just 10 games to hit 1,000 yards in an abbreviated 2020 season all against SEC opponents, a fact that Bobo said makes it all the more impressive.
“To be able to do it ... in a 10-game season, against all SEC defenses, I think would be something that, you know, this offense can build on for the future,” Bobo said.
Harris’ best performance of the season came against Ole Miss, when he rumbled for 243 yards and five touchdowns, a program record. Now, after rushing for 179 yards as a freshman, Harris has already climbed to 31st in career yards in program history.
“I think he’s easily one of the best backs in the country,” redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dakereon Joyner said before Saturday’s game. “I think he’s proven that. A hard-nosed guy that continues to put his team first, and a very thankful guy for his offensive linemen because without those guys he wouldn’t be able to do it.”
South Carolina football 1,000-yard rushers
1. George Rogers (1980) — 1,894
2. George Rogers (1979) — 1,681
3. Marcus Lattimore (2010) — 1,197
4. Mike Davis (2013) — 1,183
5. Kevin Harris (2020) — 1,138
6. Kevin Long (1975) — 1,133
7. Duce Staley (1996) — 1,116
8. Clarence Williams (1975) — 1,073
9. Derek Watson (2000) — 1,066
10. Harold Green (1987) — 1,022
11. George Rogers (1978) — 1,006
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 8:45 PM.
