Here’s Shon Carson ... the star of USC’s Thursday night show

It’s been no different this week, which is how Shon Carson likes it.

Quiet. Peaceful. Non-controversial. In other words, how his college career was viewed before last Thursday.

An internship as the final part of his sport and entertainment major takes the place of his class credits this semester, so Carson isn’t on campus except for practice. If he was, he might be seeing a severe upswell in how many complete strangers know who he is and are high-fiving him, patting him on the back, telling him, “Well done!”

Such is life when one scores the game-winning touchdown.

“We were just trying to get to the edge the whole time,” Carson shrugged, discussing it as if he planted a flowerbed. “I got in and I just hit it.”

He saw it as doing his job. The rest of South Carolina’s fan base saw it as The Moment.

Carson’s untouched 48-yard bolt for a touchdown against North Carolina gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the season, and it held up as USC triumphed 17-13. Carson accepted credit, but didn’t trumpet it – he pointed out that Skai Moore’s second interception and Brandon Wilds’ first downs really sealed the game.

The hero’s mantle isn’t something he ever wanted or needed. If others want to glorify how he’s finally reached his potential or given the Gamecocks another weapon, that’s their business.

“My guys were a little bit banged up and I had to come in and step up,” Carson said. “I can start if I need to, but we’re going to play it by ear.”

A two-sport star from Scranton and Lake City High, Carson was going to play a lot as a freshman but tore his ACL in the season’s second game. A thought-to-be second redshirt season in 2012 due to a broken wrist was cast aside in favor of catching two passes in the Outback Bowl, and while he played in every game in 2013 and 2014, his impact was minimal.

As primary kick-returner and third-string tailback, Carson’s career was the “what if” tagline. If he could just get free, there weren’t many that could ever chase him down.

His 5-foot-8 frame and USC’s inability to open a wide hole on kick return hardly ever gave him a chance. One brushing glance from a defender and Carson was off-kilter.

There were moments – a 58-yard burst up the middle against Florida in 2013 that set up the game-winning field goal, a touchdown at Kentucky last year – but nothing sustained. He was contributing, but the guys above him were the ones counted on.

That could be changing.

“That’s just the way it worked out last week, but that’s the game plan for each week,” Wilds said. “We all rotate in practice.”

How it worked was Wilds and David Williams took the carries in the first three quarters, and Carson checked in for the fourth. With fresh legs on a hot, muggy night, Carson had that extra step to get to the hole, see daylight and …

Again, there aren’t many that can chase him down when he’s at full-speed. UNC’s Sam Smiley took an angle to pop him at the 5-yard line, then futilely ran out of bounds as Carson treated him as a Trans-Am does a Buick.

It revealed a good plan for the next game. Kentucky will doubtless try to make Connor Mitch and his ever-changing fleet of receivers throw the ball by plugging the run game. If so, the Gamecocks can counter by having two backs do the work early, and a third do it late.

“We’ll have to try to mix it up, just like we tried to do last week,” coach Steve Spurrier said. “Hopefully our pass game will be a lot better than last week. We’re working on it.”

Carson’s fine with that, or any other plan. He has no use for extra attention, unless it comes during a game.

“I had to be patient and wait my turn like I did North Carolina,” he said. “I don’t talk that much. I lead by action.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 11:58 AM.