Thumbs up, thumbs down: Gamecocks fall to Fighting Irish in Gator Bowl
Here’s look at what went right and wrong for South Carolina in the Gamecocks’ 45-38 loss against Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl.
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Special teams: You’ve heard this one before. Like he’s shown throughout his two-year tenure as special teams coordinator, Pete Lembo had some tricks up his sleeves for the bowl game. Most notably, the Gamecocks scored their second touchdown of the game on a perfectly executed fake field goal. Punter Kai Kroeger — who has also proven adept as a passer — found long snapper Hunter Rogers streaking toward the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown pass. For his career, Kroeger has completed all six of his passes for a 173 yards and three touchdowns.
Offensive creativity: There was a sense of mystery heading into the game about how the Gamecocks might operate offensively. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield left USC for Nebraska, leaving a void at playcaller, and head coach Shane Beamer didn’t say who would call plays for the Gamecocks. Beyond that, the Gamecocks were also down key players like receiver Josh Vann (injury), running back MarShawn Lloyd (transfer portal) and tight ends Austin Stogner (transfer) and Jaheim Bell (transfer). With all of the absences, the Gamecocks flexed their creativity against Notre Dame. Like last year’s Mayo Bowl, wide receiver Dakereon Joyner saw snaps at quarterback. And defensive players Jordan Burch, Tonka Hemingway and T.J. Sanders all saw time on the field on offense, with quarterback Spencer Rattler attempting a long touchdown pass in Burch’s direction.
DQ Smith and O’Donnell Fortune: Smith, a Columbia native from Spring Valley High had a bowl game to remember after carving out a prominent role in USC’s secondary as a true freshman. In the final minute of the first quarter, Smith intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner and raced back 47 yards to score the Gamecocks’ third touchdown of the game. The interception was the second of his career, with him also intercepting a ball in Week 4 against Charlotte. Then, in the fourth quarter, Fortune intercepted an attempted touchdown pass by Buchner and ran it back 100 yards to tie the game — the longest play in Gator Bowl history.
Nate Adkins and Xavier Legette: Adkins, the team’s lone remaining tight end, and the receiver Legette were both focal points for the USC offense from the very beginning, leading the Gamecocks in receiving yards. Legette drew three targets on the first drive alone, taking a screen pass 13 yards to the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. Legette scored a second touchdown with an acrobatic leaping catch in the end zone, pulling in a 42-yard Rattler pass and just barely keeping his foot inbounds. Building off of a big performance in USC’s win over Clemson, Adkins served as a safety valve for Rattler over the middle of the field, catching five passes for 78 yards.
USC Thumbs Down
Defending big plays: Notre Dame had seven passing plays that gained 15-plus yards and 11 rushes for at least 10 yards, gobbling up chunks of yardage at a time. Missing several key players on the defense like defensive back Cam Smith and defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, the Gamecocks allowed touchdowns of 39 yards, 44 yards and 75 yards — two of which came from speedy running back Logan Diggs.
Running the ball: Without Lloyd and the hybrid tight end/running back Bell, the Gamecocks struggled to move the ball on the ground, putting up just 58 rushing yards on 20 carries. Eight different Gamecocks carried the ball in a variety of sweeps, motions and other runs, but USC had little success finding opening lanes. Notre Dame, meanwhile, rushed for nearly 300 yards on the other side of the ball.
Second-half offense: As creative and exciting as USC’s offense seemed in the first half, the second half was a different story entirely. After Legette scored his acrobatic touchdown in the third quarter, the Gamecocks went three-and-out on the next four drives, failing to recapture the rhythm they showed in the first half. Rattler completed just five passes in the second half before the Gamecocks took the field for a final drive with 1:30 on the clock.
This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 7:46 PM.
