Beamer bowl! Gamecocks topple Auburn to notch sixth win of 2021 season
Josh Vann raced toward the hedges in the southeast corner of Williams-Brice Stadium and thrust his hands toward the heavens. There Vann stood as the garnet and black faithfuls’ cheers cascaded over him.
With a scamper to his left and a toss into a window no bigger than a laptop screen, quarterback Jason Brown connected with Vann for his fifth touchdown of the season and sent South Carolina (6-5, 3-5 SEC) to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018 in Saturday’s 21-17 win over Auburn (6-5, 3-4 SEC).
“What a performance from our team,” head coach Shane Beamer said afterward. “What a performance from our fans.”
South Carolina has had minor chances to extend leads or put pressure on opponents this fall. It flubbed two short fields early against then-No. 2 Georgia before kicking a pair of field goals. It marched down the field at Missouri last week with an opportunity to pull ahead by two scores, only to see Jason Brown and MarShawn Lloyd mishandle a handoff that was recovered by the Tigers.
Saturday, the Gamecocks took advantage of an early holiday present from Bryan Harsin’s squad. Facing a fourth-and-1, Harsin elected to go play-action with quarterback T.J. Finley, who misfired on his throw over the middle to Demetris Robertson.
Taking over at the Auburn 35-yard line, ZaQuandre White bludgeoned his way through the ferocious Tiger defensive front. First it was a nine-yard plunge. An eight-yard run followed. So too did a 16-yarder in which White carried the bulk of the Auburn defense on his back for a few extra yards.
Naturally, it was second-year offensive lineman Trai Jones who flashed into the flat and secured a three-yard touchdown reception off play-action from Brown. Which Trai Jones? Yes, that Trai Jones. The offensive lineman-turned-emergency fullback who stands every bit of 6-foot-3 and who weighs every bit of 305 pounds that snagged a pass falling down as he was drilled by an Auburn defender.
“When I ran the play, I didn’t see Jason Brown — I did not see him,” Jones said through an ear-to-ear smile. “But I saw the ball coming and I was like, ‘Oh crap.’ So I just caught it.”
While South Carolina avoided the offensive ineptitude that has plagued the Gamecocks all fall, Auburn afforded the 70,299 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium with ample wackiness for both rosters.
Harsin and former USC offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s questionable pass call on the aforementioned fourth down that fell incomplete set up Jones’ touchdown.
Auburn running back Tank Bigsby bailed out his coaching staff with a pair of long second half runs, only to see them get pulled back after the towering tailback twice stepped on the Tigers’ sideline as he broke into the open field.
Heading to Columbia sans starting kicker Anders Carlson — who underwent surgery this week — Auburn backup place-kicker Ben Patton yanked his second field goal attempt of the night wide right from just 25 yards out.
Finally, it was Auburn cornerback Jaylin Simpson who nicked a Kai Kroeger punt so slightly that a blade of grass might’ve fit between his white football pants and the pigskin. Live ball or not, South Carolina linebacker Debo Williams scooped up the bouncing ball and proclaimed it his.
“They obviously made the correct call,” a sly Beamer said of the play that was initially called Auburn ball on the field before a replay overturned it. “That’s what instant replay is for.”
After a lengthy review determined the punt indeed hit Simpson, a massive thud rang out from the Auburn coaches box. It may have been a headset. Perhaps a binder of play sheets.
Whatever it was, the frustration on the south side of the press box at Williams-Brice Stadium was matched with emphatic cheers from the garnet-clad Gamecocks on the field, who then ran out the clock with a trio of kneel-downs.
“We’re going to come out and give our very best no matter who we’re matched up against,” Brown said. “It could be our next opponent or it can be the Green Bay Packers — we’re going to come out and play with everything we’ve got.”
Saturday, South Carolina did the borderline unthinkable. A team pegged by most preseason prognosticators as an SEC bottom-feeder reached the six-win threshold for bowl eligibility.
Beamer choked up as he spoke to reporters on the importance of Saturday night. Brown grinned when asked about the victory, while donning a white shirt that read “Bowl Bound” in block letters during his postgame Zoom.
It hasn’t been perfect. Hell, it hasn’t even been pretty. But somehow, someway, South Carolina is going bowling.
First down
ZaQuandre White continued his recent tear through Southeastern Conference play Saturday night.
White entered the night averaging 7.4 yards per carry through his last three games. The former Florida State running back recorded 99 yards on the ground and added another 69 yards and a touchdown receiving against Auburn.
Saturday also marked just the fifth time in 2021 that South Carolina has gone over 100 yards rushing in a game.
Touchdown
Receiver Josh Vann continued his hot close to the end of the 2021 season.
After not going over 45 yards for five consecutive games, Vann has 210 yards and three touchdowns in his last three contests dating back to South Carolina’s win over Florida.
The one-time four-star recruit notched his fifth touchdown of the season on Saturday, which is two more than any player on the Gamecocks’ roster.
Key numbers
1 — Saturday marked the first time USC has ever beaten Auburn in back-to-back meetings
3 — South Carolina reached the six-win bowl eligibility threshold for the first time in three seasons.
South Carolina football schedule: Next game
Who: South Carolina vs Clemson
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: SEC Network
SC vs Auburn scores, stats
——HOW THEY SCORED——
First Quarter
AUB—Robertson 10 pass from Finley (Patton kick), 8:45.
AUB—Bigsby 7 run (Patton kick), 2:37.
Second Quarter
USC—Z.White 28 pass from Jas.Brown (P.White kick), 6:15.
USC—T.Jones 3 pass from Jas.Brown (P.White kick), :24.
Third Quarter
AUB—FG Patton 37, 8:40.
USC—Vann 7 pass from Jas.Brown (P.White kick), 4:57.
——TEAM STATS——
- First downs: Auburn 21-14
- Total yards Auburn 379-306
- Pass yards: Auburn 188-157
- Rush yards: Auburn 191-149
- Time of poss: USC 30:35 to 29:25
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING—Auburn, Bigsby 22-164, J.Hunter 4-18, Finley 6-7, Robertson 1-2. South Carolina, Z.White 16-99, Harris 13-63, Vann 1-8, Joyner 2-3, McDowell 1-(minus 1), (Team) 3-(minus 10), Jas.Brown 5-(minus 13).
PASSING—Auburn, Finley 17-32-0-188. South Carolina, Jas.Brown 10-15-1-157.
RECEIVING—Auburn, Sh.Jackson 7-111, J.Johnson 3-27, Robertson 3-18, Bigsby 1-24, Shivers 1-10, J.Hunter 1-1, M.Johnson 1-(minus 3). South Carolina, Z.White 3-69, Vann 3-37, Legette 1-20, Muse 1-15, Joyner 1-13, Jones 1-3.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—Auburn, Patton 25.
This story was originally published November 20, 2021 at 10:15 PM.
