2018 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

2018 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Belk Bowl, L 0–28 vs. Virginia
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Will Muschamp (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Bryan McClendon (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Hurry-up, no-huddle spread
Defensive coordinator	Travaris Robinson (3rd season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–3
Home stadium	Williams–Brice Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ←  2017 2019  →

2018 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 7т Georgia x		7	–	1					11	–	3
No. 12 Kentucky		5	–	3					10	–	3
No. 7т Florida		5	–	3					10	–	3
South Carolina		4	–	4					7	–	6
Missouri		4	–	4					8	–	5
Vanderbilt		3	–	5					6	–	7
Tennessee		2	–	6					5	–	7
Western Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^		8	–	0					14	–	1
No. 16 Texas A&M		5	–	3					9	–	4
No. 6 LSU		5	–	3					10	–	3
Mississippi State*		4	–	4					8	–	5
Auburn		3	–	5					8	–	5
Ole Miss		1	–	7					5	–	7
Arkansas		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * Mississippi State vacated four conference and eight total wins due to NCAA violations. [1] Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 South Carolina Gamecocks football team (variously USC, SC, South Carolina, or The Gamecocks) represented the University of South Carolina in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season marked the Gamecocks 125th overall season, 27th as a member of the SEC, and 3rd under head coach Will Muschamp. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina and compiled an overall record of 7–6, and 4–4 in SEC play. ^[2]

South Carolina entered the season with high expectations after overachieving the previous year. ^[3] The Gamecocks won their season-opener, ^[2] and entered the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2014. ^[a] Through the regular season, they defeated every unranked opponent and lost to every ranked opponent. ^[2] By the end of the regular season, Muschamp had become the first coach in school history to win 22 games and reach three bowl games in his first three seasons. ^{[6] [7]} However, the season ended with a "disaster" in the Belk Bowl, ^[3] and this would be Muschamp's final winning season; ^[8] it would also be South Carolina's final winning season until 2021. ^[8]

Gamecock fan Marcus Washington's trap remix of "Sandstorm" also made its debut at Williams–Brice Stadium, and has since become a "staple" at home football games. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Background

Offseason departures

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Note
Hayden Hurst	#81	TE	6'5	253	Junior	Jacksonville, FL	Declared for NFL Draft [12]
Skai Moore	#10	LB	6'2	221	RS Senior	Cooper City, FL	Graduated
Jamarcus King	#7	CB	6'1	186	Senior	Eight Mile, AL	Graduated
Dante Sawyer	#95	DE	6'3	265	Senior	Suwanee, GA	Graduated
Chris Lammons	#3	S	5'9	188	Senior	Sunrise, FL	Graduated
Alan Knott	#70	C	6'4	274	RS Senior	Tyrone, GA	Graduated
Taylor Stallworth	#90	DT	6'3	308	Senior	Mobile, AL	Graduated
Ulric Jones	#93	DT	6'6	309	RS Senior	Oxford, AL	Graduated
D.J. Smith	#24	S	5'9	188	Senior	Marietta, GA	Graduated
Corey Helms	#51	OG	6'5	308	RS Senior	Alpharetta, GA	Graduated
D.J. Park	#69	RT	6'5	332	RS Senior	Dillon, SC	Graduated
Kaleb Chalmers	#12	CB	5'10	181	RS Sophomore	Greenwood, SC	Transferred [13]
C.J. Freeman	#36	RB	5'11	204	RS Sophomore	Greensboro, NC	Transferred [14]
Jerad Washington	#9	WR	5'8	171	RS Sophomore	Jacksonville, FL	Transferred [14]
Antoine Wilder	#29	LB	5'10	198	RS Junior	Riverdale, GA	Transferred [15]
Aaron Thompson	#96	DT	6'3	300	RS Sophomore	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Transferred [15]
Terry Googer	#6	WR	6'4	217	RS Junior	Atlanta, GA	Retired [16]
Davonne Bowen	#54	LB	6'1	218	RS Freshman	Simpsonville, SC	Retired [17]

Preseason

Returning starters

South Carolina will have sixteen returning players on offense, nine on defense and two on special teams that started games in 2017. ^[18]

Offense

Player Class Position Jake Bentley Junior Quarterback Deebo Samuel RS Senior Wide receiver Bryan Edwards Junior Wide receiver Zack Bailey Senior Offensive tackle Rico Dowdle Junior Running back Shi Smith Sophomore Wide receiver OrTre Smith Sophomore Wide receiver A.J. Turner RS Junior Running back Ty'Son Williams RS Junior Running back Jacob August RS Senior Tight end Kevin Crosby RS Senior Tight end Malik Young RS Senior Offensive tackle Donell Stanley RS Senior Center Blake Camper Senior Offensive tackle Sadarius Hutcherson Sophomore Offensive guard Randrecous Davis Sophomore Wide receiver Reference:

Defense Player Class Position Bryson Allen-Williams RS Senior Linebacker D. J. Wonnum Junior Defensive end T. J. Brunson Junior Linebacker Rashad Fenton Senior Cornerback Javon Kinlaw Junior Defensive tackle Jamyest Williams Sophomore Safety Sherrod Greene Junior Linebacker Keir Thomas Junior Defensive end Steven Montac Senior Defensive back Reference:

Special teams Player Class Position Parker White RS Sophomore Kicker Joseph Charlton RS Junior Punter Reference:

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Rimington Trophy [19]	Donell Stanley	C	JR
Chuck Bednarik Award [20]	D. J. Wonnum	DE	JR
Maxwell Award [20]	Jake Bentley	QB	JR
	Deebo Samuel	WR	SR
Davey O'Brien Award [21]	Jake Bentley	QB	JR
Doak Walker Award [22]	Rico Dowdle	RB	JR
Fred Biletnikoff Award [23]	Deebo Samuel	WR	SR
John Mackey Award [24]	K.C. Crosby	TE	SR
Paul Hornung Award [25]	Deebo Samuel	WR	SR
Wuerffel Trophy [26]	T. J. Brunson	LB	JR
Walter Camp Award [27]	Jake Bentley	QB	JR
Ted Hendricks Award [28]	D. J. Wonnum	DE	JR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award [29]	Jake Bentley	QB	JR
Manning Award [30]	Jake Bentley	QB	JR

SEC media poll

The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018, with the Gamecocks predicted to finish in second place in the East Division. ^[31]

Media poll (East)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Georgia	1,977 (271)
2	South Carolina	1,535 (8)
3	Florida	1,441 (2)
4	Missouri	1,057
5	Kentucky	874 (1)
6	Tennessee	704 (1)
7	Vanderbilt	392

Preseason All-SEC teams

The Gamecocks had three players at five positions selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.

Offense 1st team Deebo Samuel – WR 3rd team Zack Bailey – OL

Specialists 1st team Deebo Samuel – RET Deebo Samuel – all purpose player 2nd team Joseph Charlton – P

Recruiting

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and College recruiting

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

2018 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2018)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Rick Sandidge DT	Concord, NC	Concord	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Josh Vann WR	Tucker, GA	Tucker	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	Aug 19, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 82
Dylan Wonnum OT	Tucker, GA	Tucker	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	291 lb (132 kg)	Feb 3, 2018
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 84
Dakereon Joyner QB	North Charleston, SC	Fort Dorchester	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	202 lb (92 kg)	Jun 18, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 82
Jaycee Horn CB	Alpharetta, GA	Alpharetta	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Dec 18, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 83
Kingsley Enagbare DE	Atlanta, GA	Hapeville Charter	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	257 lb (117 kg)	Jul 26, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Jovaughn Gwyn OG	Charlotte, NC	Harding	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	294 lb (133 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Rosendo Louis ILB	Deerfield Beach, FL	Deerfield Beach	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	237 lb (108 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 81
Jonathan Gipson CB	Hoschton, GA	Mill Creek	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	183 lb (83 kg)	Jul 31, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 81
Maxwell Iyama OT	Murfreesboro, TN	Siegel	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Apr 2, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 77
Deshaun Fenwick RB	Bradenton, FL	Braden River	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	May 3, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Hank Manos C	Chapin, SC	Chapin	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Mar 28, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Lavonte Valentine RB	Melbourne, FL	Melbourne Central Catholic	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jul 4, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 77
Tyquan Johnson WR	Sylvania, GA	Screven County	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Jul 22, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 78
Jabari Ellis DT	Santee, SC	Georgia Military College	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	Jul 4, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Israel Mukuamu CB	Bossier City, LA	Parkway	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	187 lb (85 kg)	Dec 9, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 77
Jesus Gibbs OG	Dumfries, VA	Potomic	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Jul 22, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Ernest Jones OLB	Waycross, GA	Ware County	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	May 5, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 76
Wyatt Campbell OT	Lugoff, SC	Lugoff-Elgin	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jun 15, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 77
Darius Rush WR	Greeleyville, SC	C.E. Murray	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	173 lb (78 kg)	Feb 27, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 77
R.J. Roderick S	Summerville, SC	Cane Bay	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 3, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 75
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 19   Rivals: 19   247Sports: 19   ESPN: 18
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2018 South Carolina Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. "2018 South Carolina Commits". Scout.com. "2018 commits". ESPN.com. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. "2018 South Carolina Gamecocks football team". 247sports.com.

Incoming transfers

South Carolina added two grad transfers, and two regular transfers to the 2018 roster. ^{[32] [33]}

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. School
Nick Harvey	CB	5'10"	185	Senior (Grad Transfer)	Richmond, TX	Texas A&M
J.T. Ibe	S	6'0"	190	Senior (Grad Transfer)	Mansfield, TX	Rice
Jamel Cook	S	6'4"	186	RS Sophomore	Miami, FL	Southern Cal
Josh Belk	DT	6'3"	359	Freshman	Richburg, SC	Clemson

Schedule

Spring game

2018 Garnet and Black Spring game

1 2 3 4 Total • Black 14 10 10 0 34 Garnet 3 17 0 0 20 Location: Columbia, South Carolina Game start: 12:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:10 Game attendance: 25,500 TV announcers (SECN): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Gene Chizik (analyst), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Laura Rutledge (sidelines)

Scoring summary Q1 10:14 BLACK Ty'Son Williams 27 yard run (Parker White kick) 7–0 BLACK Q1 5:15 GARNET Parker White 47-yard field goal 7–3 BLACK Q1 1:54 BLACK Jacob August 8-yard pass from Jake Bentley (Parker White kick) 14–3 BLACK Q2 9:20 GARNET Deshaun Fenwick 1-yard run (Parker White kick) 14–10 BLACK Q2 6:30 BLACK Bryan Edwards 19-yard pass from Jake Bentley (Parker White kick) 21–10 BLACK Q2 5:28 BLACK Parker White 46-yard field goal 24–10 BLACK Q2 4:47 GARNET Alexander Woznick 40-yard field goal 24–13 BLACK Q2 1:18 GARNET A.J. Turner 49-yard pass from Scarnecchia (Alexander Woznick kick) 24–20 BLACK Q3 10:12 BLACK Alexander Woznick 37-yard field goal 27–20 BLACK Q3 3:56 BLACK Deshaun Fenwick 1-yard run (Alexander Woznick kick) 34–20 BLACK

The 2018 South Carolina Gamecocks Garnet and Black spring game took place in Columbia, South Carolina on March 31, at 12:00 p.m. EST. The game was broadcast live on the SEC Network. ^{[34] [35]} The Black team defeated the Garnet team by a score of 34–20, QB Jake Bentley completed 15 of 25 passes for 174 yards and 2 TD's. ^[36]

Regular season

South Carolina announced its 2018 football schedule on September 19, 2017. ^[37] The schedule consists of 7 home games and 5 away games for the regular season. The Gamecocks hosted SEC opponents Georgia (rivalry) on September 8, Missouri on October 6, Texas A&M on October 13, and Tennessee, on October 27. South Carolina traveled to four SEC opponents: Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Florida.

South Carolina's out of conference opponents represent the ACC, MAC, SoCon and Sun Belt conferences. The Gamecocks hosted three non–conference games which are against Coastal Carolina of the Sun Belt, Akron of the MAC and Chattanooga of the SoCon. South Carolina traveled to archrival Clemson of the ACC for 116th annual Palmetto Bowl to finish the regular season. The Gamecocks were originally scheduled to face Conference USA opponent Marshall on September 15, but this game was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence. Akron was then scheduled as a replacement.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	12:00 p.m.	Coastal Carolina *		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 49–15	75,126
September 8	3:30 p.m.	No. 3 Georgia	No. 24	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry / SEC Nation)	CBS	L 17–41	83,140
September 22	4:00 p.m.	at Vanderbilt		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 37–14	26,078
September 29	7:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Kentucky		Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	L 10–24	63,081
October 6	12:00 p.m.	Missouri		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 37–35	73,393
October 13	3:30 p.m.	No. 22 Texas A&M		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	L 23–26	76,871
October 27	7:30 p.m.	Tennessee		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	SECN	W 27–24	80,614
November 3	12:00 p.m.	at Ole Miss		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS	SECN	W 48–44	56,798
November 10	12:00 p.m.	at No. 19 Florida		Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL	ESPN	L 31–35	82,696
November 17	7:30 p.m.	Chattanooga *		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 49–9	72,832
November 24	7:00 p.m.	at No. 2 Clemson *		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (Palmetto Bowl)	ESPN	L 35–56	81,436
December 1 [a]	12:00 p.m.	Akron *		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 28–3	53,420
December 29	12:00 p.m.	vs. Virginia *		Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC (Belk Bowl)	ABC	L 0–28	48,263
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Personnel

Coaching staff

South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp entered his third-year in 2018. Muschamp led the Gamecocks to 15 wins and 11 losses over his first two years, tying Steve Spurrier, and Joe Morrison for most wins in the first two seasons as a Gamecock head coach. On December 6, Offensive Coordinator Kurt Roper was terminated after offensive struggles. ^[38] Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon served as the offensive coordinator for the Outback Bowl win against Michigan, and was promoted to permanent offensive coordinator to replace Roper. ^[39] On January 5, Dan Werner accepted the role of quarterbacks coach. ^[40] Werner has previously been on Ole Miss, Miami, and Alabama's coaching staff. ^[41]

On January 11, it was announced that former South Carolina star running back Marcus Lattimore would be joining the staff as the director of player development. ^{[42] [43]}

Name	Position	Consecutive season
Will Muschamp	Head coach	3rd
Lance Thompson	Assistant head coach and defensive line coach	3rd
Travaris Robinson	Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach	3rd
Bryan McClendon	Offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach	3rd (1st as OC)
Bobby Bentley	Running backs coach	3rd
Eric Wolford	Offensive line coach	2nd
Coleman Hutzler	Linebackers coach and special teams coordinator	3rd
Mike Peterson	Outside linebackers coach	3rd
Pat Washington	Tight ends coach	3rd
Dan Werner	Quarterbacks coach	1st
Kyle Krantz	Nickelbacks and strong side linebackers coach, assistant special teams coach	1st
Jeff Dillman	Director of Player Strength and Conditioning	3rd
Matthew Lindsey	Director of Player Personnel	2nd
Marcus Lattimore	Director of Player Development	1st

^[44]

Roster

2018 South Carolina Gamecocks Football Roster
Quarterback  4 Darius Douglas – freshman (6'0, 199)  7 Dakereon Joyner – freshman (6'1, 208) 10 Jay Urich – freshman (6'5, 210) 11 Corbett Glick – freshman (6'1, 203) 12 Michael Scarnecchia – senior(6'3, 216) 16 Bailey Hart – sophomore (6'3, 178) 17 Danny Gordon – senior (6'0, 211) 19 Jake Bentley – junior (6'4, 224) Running back  5 Rico Dowdle – junior (6'0, 215) 14 Deshaun Fenwick – freshman (6'1, 220) 25 A.J. Turner – junior (5'10, 195) 27 Ty'Son Williams – junior (6'0, 219) 31 Lavonte Valentine – freshman (6'0, 190) 32 Caleb Kinlaw – senior (5'10, 198) 33 Slade Carroll – freshman (5'9, 210) 34 Mon Denson – junior (5'10, 212) Wide receiver  1 Deebo Samuel – senior (6'0, 210)  6 Josh Vann – freshman (5'10, 185)  8 Randrecous Davis – sophomore (5'10, 189) 13 Shi Smith – sophomore (5'10, 187) 18 OrTre Smith – sophomore (6'4, 222) 28 Joe Thomas – freshman (5'9, 183) 80 Shemar Glenn – junior (6'0, 165) 81 Darius Rush – freshman (6'2, 184) 82 Bailey Rogers – junior (5'9, 167) 83 Chavis Dawkins – junior (6'2, 220) 86 Chad Terrell – sophomore (6'3, 219) 89 Bryan Edwards – junior (6'3, 220) Placekicker 12 Shane Hynes – senior (5'9, 178) 42 Alexander Woznick – sophomore (5'11, 166) 43 Parker White – sophomore (6'5, 200) Punter 20 Joseph Charlton – junior (6'5, 188) 85 Michael Almond – junior (6'3, 225)		Tight end  3 K.C. Crosby – senior (6'1, 229) 15 Evan Hinson – junior (6'4, 230) 40 Jacob August – senior (6'6, 252) 41 Caleb Jenerette – freshman (6'2, 221) 46 Patrick Reedy – freshman (6'7, 240) 84 Kyle Markway – junior (6'4, 242) 87 Kiel Pollard – junior (6'1, 235) 88 Will Register – freshman (6'4, 251) Offensive Lineman 50 Sadarius Hutcherson – sophomore (6'4, 310) 51 Maxwell Iyama – freshman (6'5, 310) 54 Jovaughn Gwyn – freshman (6'2, 296) 55 Christian Pellage – junior (6'7, 305) 60 Chandler Farrell – sophomore (6'3, 290) 61 Cameron Johnson – sophomore (6'6, 289) 63 Blake Camper – senior (6'8, 309) 66 Will Putnam – sophomore (6'5, 297) 68 Wyatt Campbell – freshman (6'6, 305) 70 Hank Manos – freshman (6'4, 289) 71 Eric Douglas – freshman (6'4, 298) 72 Donell Stanley – senior (6'3, 315) 73 Summie Carlay – freshman (6'5, 300) 74 Dennis Daley – senior (6'6, 324) 75 Jordon Carty – freshman (6'7, 315) 76 Jordan Rhodes – freshman (6'4, 325) 77 Malik Young – senior (6'3, 287) 78 Zack Bailey – senior (6'6, 314) 79 Dylan Wonnum – freshman (6'5, 310) Defensive Lineman  3 Javon Kinlaw – junior (6'6, 305)  5 Keir Thomas – junior (6'2, 276)  8 D. J. Wonnum – junior (6'5, 258) 15 Aaron Sterling – sophomore (6'1, 245) 19 Brad Johnson – sophomore (6'2, 250) 35 Daniel Fennell – junior (6'2, 246) 50 Griffin Gentry – sophomore (6'1, 270) 52 Kingsley Enagbare – freshman (6'4, 285) 57 Jazuun Outlaw – freshman (6'2, 238) 61 Javion Duncan – senior (5'11, 273) 90 Rick Sandidge – freshman (6'5, 285) 91 Shameik Blackshear – junior (6'5, 270) 92 Tyreek Johnson – freshman (6'3, 270) 93 Jesus Gibbs – freshman (6'3, 280) 94 M.J. Webb – freshman (6'3, 288) 95 Kobe Smith – junior (6'2, 295) 96 Josh Belk – freshman (6'3, 359) 99 Jabari Ellis – junior (6'3, 280)		Linebacker  4 Bryson Allen-Williams – senior (6'1, 230)  6 T. J. Brunson – junior (6'1, 240) 11 Eldridge Thompson – senior (6'1, 229) 30 Damani Staley – sophomore (6'0, 225) 42 Rosendo Louis Jr. – freshman (6'2, 240) 44 Sherrod Greene – sophomore (6'1, 228) 45 Spencer Eason-Riddle – sophomore (6'0, 225) 46 Noah Vincent – freshman (6'0, 209) 48 Sean McGonigal – freshman (6'1, 221) 53 Ernest Jones – freshman (6'2, 235) 59 Alex DeLoach – freshman (6'3, 209) Defensive back  1 Nick Harvey – senior (5'10, 195)  7 Jaycee Horn – freshman (6'1, 195)  9 Keisean Nixon – senior (5'10, 193) 10 R.J. Roderick – freshman (6'0, 207) 16 Rashad Fenton – senior (5'11, 188) 17 Javon Charleston – junior (6'1, 187) 21 Jamyest Williams – sophomore (5'8, 182) 22 Steven Montac – senior (5'10, 186) 23 Korey Banks – sophomore (5'11, 191) 24 Israel Mukuamu – freshman (6'4, 200) 26 Jaylin Dickerson – freshman (6'1, 191) 28 Tayvn Jackson – freshman (5'9, 185) 29 J.T. Ibe – senior (5'10, 191) 31 Jamel Cook – sophomore (6'4, 186) 32 Kevin Pickens – junior (5'8, 177) 33 Zay Brown – freshman (5'11, 200) 36 Jonathan Gipson – freshman (6'1, 186) 39 Dawson Hoffman – freshman (5'11, 197) 40 Jason Senn – junior (5'8, 186) 47 Jaylan Foster – sophomore (5'10, 184) Long snappers 45 Ben Asbury – senior (6'0, 199) 49 Matthew Smith – freshman (6'0, 209)
: 2018 South Carolina Gamecocks Football Roster 08/15/18 [45]

Depth chart

Defense [18] FS Steven Montac Jamyest Williams ⋅ WLB MLB MLB Sherrod Greene T. J. Brunson Bryson-Allen Williams ⋅ Rosendo Louis Jr. Daniel Fennell ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ SS J.T. Ibe Nick Harvey ⋅ CB Keisean Nixon Jaycee Horn ⋅ DE DT DT DE D. J. Wonnum Keir Thomas Javon Kinlaw Aaron Sterling Daniel Fennell Kingsley Enagbare Kobe Smith Shameik Blackshear Brad Johnson ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ CB Rashad Fenton Israel Mukuamu ⋅ Offense [18] WR Deebo Samuel Josh Vann ⋅ WR Bryan Edwards OrTre Smith ⋅ LT LG C RG RT Dennis Daley Zack Bailey Donnell Stanley Sadarius Hutcherson Blake Camper Malik Young Jovaughn Gwyn Chandler Farrell Jordan Rhodes Dylan Wonnum ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ TE Jacob August K.C. Crosby Kyle Markway Kiel Pollard WR Shi Smith Randrecous Davis ⋅ QB Jake Bentley Michael Scarnecchia ⋅ RB Rico Dowdle AJ Turner Ty'Son Williams Mon Denson Special teams PK Parker White PK Alexander Woznick P Joseph Charlton P Michael Almond KR Deebo Samuel PR Bryan Edwards LS Ben Asbury H Danny Gordon

Game summaries

Coastal Carolina

See also: 2018 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Coastal Carolina	0	3	3	9	15
South Carolina	14	14	14	7	49

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: September 1, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: ESE 3 mph (4.8 km/h) • Weather: Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 75,126
• Referee: Marc Curles
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Kris Budden (sideline)
• ^[46]

Game information

First Quarter (12:02) USC – Dowdle 5 yard TD rush, White kick (USC 7–0) (05:02) USC – Pollard 8 yard TD pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 14–0) Second Quarter (12:01) CCU – Biscardi 39 yard FG (USC 14–3) (06:03) USC – Edwards 24 yard TD pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 21–3) (00:14) USC – Dowdle 22 yard TD pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 28–3) Third Quarter (10:03) CCU – Biscardi 39 yard FG (USC 28–6) (06:52) USC – Williams 9 yd TD rush, White kick (USC 35–6) (01:02) USC – Samuel 8 yard TD pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 42–6) Fourth Quarter (09:49) CCU – Heiligh 8 yard TD pass from Carpenter (USC 42–12) (06:45) USC – Davis 27 yard TD pass from Scarnecchia (USC 49–12) (02:54) CCU – Biscardi 27 yard FG (USC 49–15) Total Yards CCU – 238; 112 passing yards, 126 rushing yards USC – 557; 294 passing yards, 263 rushing yards Passing leader CCU – Keaton Anderson; 11-13, 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT USC – Jake Bentley; 22-29, 250 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader CCU – Marcus Outlow; 12 rushes, 59 yards, 0 TD USC – Rico Dowdle; 15 rushes, 105 yards, 1 TD Receiving leader CCU – Malcolm Williams; 6 catches, 49 yards, 0 TD USC – Deebo Samuel; 7 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader CCU – Silas Kelly; 8 tackles, 1 TFL USC – Bryson Allen-Williams; 5 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack

vs No. 3 Georgia

See also: Georgia–South Carolina football rivalry and 2018 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Georgia Bulldogs at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Georgia	17	3	21	0	41
No. 24 South Carolina	7	3	0	7	17

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: September 8, 2018
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 92 °F (33 °C) • Wind:SE 5 mph (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 83,140
• Referee: Matt Loeffler
• TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Jamie Erdahl (sideline)
• ^[47]

Game information

First Quarter (14:13) UGA – Taylor 0 yard fumble recovery, Blankenship kick (UGA 7–0) (11:50) UGA – Swift 17 yard run, Blankenship kick (UGA 14–0) (07:18) USC – Edwards 13 yard pass from Samuel, White kick (UGA 14–7) (00:30) UGA – Blankenship 45 yard field goal (UGA 17–7) Second Quarter (05:57) USC – White 26 yard field goal (UGA 17–10) (00:00) UGA – Blankenship 44 yard field goal (UGA 20–10) Third Quarter (12:55) UGA – Hardman 34 yard pass from Fromm, Blankenship kick (UGA 27–10) (09:12) UGA – Holyfield 5 yard run, Blankenship kick (UGA 34–10) (03:00) UGA – Herrien 15 yard run, Blankenship kick (UGA 41–10) Fourth Quarter (09:59) USC – Edwards 44 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (UGA 41–17) Total Yards UGA – 473; 202 passing yards, 271 rushing yards USC – 336; 282 passing yards, 54 rushing yards Passing leader UGA – Jake Fromm; 15-18, 194 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT USC – Jake Bentley; 30-47, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT Rushing leader UGA – Elijah Holyfield; 9 rushes, 79 yards, 1 TD USC – Ty'Son Williams; 6 rushes, 26 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader UGA – Mecole Hardman; 6 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD USC – Bryan Edwards; 7 catches, 111 yards, 2 TD Defensive leader UGA – Richard LeCounte; 7 tackles USC – Steven Montac; 4 tackles

At Vanderbilt

See also: 2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

South Carolina Gamecocks at Vanderbilt Commodores – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	10	10	10	7	37
Vanderbilt	0	14	0	0	14

at Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: September 22, 2018
• Game time: 4:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NE 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 26,078
• Referee: Matt Austin
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Kris Budden (sideline)
• ^[48]

Game information

First Quarter (14:05) SC – Smith 38 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 7–0) (05:05) SC – White 33 yard FG (USC 10–0) Second Quarter (11:40) VU – Vaughn 2 yard run, Guay kick (USC 10–7) (10:22) SC – Dowdle 2 yard run, White kick (USC 17–7) (05:23) VU – Lipscomb 2 yard pass from Shurmur, Guay kick (USC 17–14) (00:00) SC – White 35 yard FG (USC 20–14) Third Quarter (10:16) SC – White 36 yard FG (USC 23–14) (04:06) SC – Denson 1 yard run, White kick (USC 30–14) Fourth Quarter (02:04) SC – Williams 1 yard run, White kick (USC 37–14) Total Yards SC – 534; 261 passing yards, 273 rushing yards VU – 284; 192 passing yards, 92 rushing yards Passing leader SC – Jake Bentley; 19–28, 261 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT VU – Kyle Shurmur; 18–38, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing leader SC – Rico Dowdle; 20 rushes, 112 yards, 1 TD VU – Jamauri Wakefield; 14 rushes, 74 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader SC – Shi Smith; 5 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD VU – Kalija Lipscomb; 9 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader SC – Javon Kinlaw; 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF VU – LaDarius Wiley; 4 tackles

At Kentucky

See also: 2018 Kentucky Wildcats football team

South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	3	0	7	0	10
No. 17 Kentucky	3	21	0	0	24

at Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: September 29, 2018
• Game time: 7:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: NE 6 mph (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Clear
• Game attendance: 63,081
• Referee: Lee Hedrick
• TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sideline)
• ^[49]

Game information

First Quarter (10:06) UK – Butler 29 yard FG (UK 3–0) (05:07) SC – White 29 yard FG (3–3) Second Quarter (14:21) UK – Wilson 1 yard run, Butler kick (UK 10–3) (09:15) UK – Rose 24 yard run, Butler kick (UK 17–3) (04:53) UK – Snell 4 yard run, Butler kick (UK 24–3) Third Quarter (05:07) SC – Samuel 58 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (UK 24–10) Total Yards SC – 321; 193 passing yards, 128 rushing yards UK – 327; 132 passing yards, 195 rushing yards Passing leader SC – Jake Bentley; 13–28, 148 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT UK – Terry Wilson; 13–20, 132 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT Rushing leader SC – Rico Dowdle; 13 rushes, 51 yards, 0 TD UK – Benny Snell; 28 rushes, 107 yards, 1 TD Receiving leader SC – Deebo Samuel; 2 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD UK – C. J. Conrad; 3 catches, 31 yards, 0 TD Defensive leader SC – T. J. Brunson; 8 total tackles, 2 TFL UK – Josh Allen; 8 total tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF

Missouri

See also: 2018 Missouri Tigers football team

Missouri Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Missouri	14	9	0	12	35
South Carolina	7	7	17	6	37

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: October 6, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 86 °F (30 °C) • Wind: ESE 2 mph (3.2 km/h) • Weather: Partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 73,393
• Referee: David Smith
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Kris Budden (sideline)
• ^[50]

Game information

First Quarter (11:58) MU – Rountree 1 yard TD run, Tucker kick (MU 7–0) (11:02) SC – Edwards 5 yard pass from Scarnecchia, White kick (7–7) (04:25) MU – Crockett 1 yard TD run, Tucker kick (MU 14–7) Second Quarter (14:53) MU – McCann 22 yard field goal (MU 17–7) (12:57) SC – Edwards 17 yard pass from Scarnecchia, White kick (MU 17–14) (06:16) MU – McCann 32 yard field goal (MU 20–14) (00:23) MU – McCann 22 yard field goal (MU 23–14) Third Quarter (09:34) SC – Samuel 8 yard pass from Scarnecchia, White kick (MU 23–21) (05:15) SC – White 42 yard field goal (SC 24–23) (05:00) SC – Greene 12 yard interception, White kick (SC 31–23) Fourth Quarter (13:54) MU – Rountree 2 yard TD run, Lock pass failed (SC 31–29) (11:01) MU – McCann 44 yard field goal (MU 32–31) (06:23) SC – White 42 yard field goal (SC 34–32) (01:18) MU – McCann 57 yard field goal (MU 35–34) (00:02) SC – White 33 yard field goal (SC 37–35) Total Yards MU – 490; 204 passing yards, 286 rushing yards SC – 377; 249 passing yards, 128 rushing yards Passing leader MU – Drew Lock; 17–36, 204 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT SC – Mike Scarnecchia; 20–35, 249 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader MU – Damarea Crockett; 20 rushes, 158 yards, 1 TD SC – Rico Dowdle; 21 rushes, 62 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader MU – Jalen Knox; 2 catches, 50 yards, 0 TD SC – Deebo Samuel; 4 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader MU – Terez Hall; 11 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack SC – Bryson Allen-Williams; 6 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack

Texas A&M

See also: 2018 Texas A&M Aggies football team

Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Texas A&M	3	10	3	10	26
South Carolina	0	0	16	7	23

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: October 13, 2018
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind: NNE 3 mph (4.8 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 76,871
• Referee: Hubert Owens
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color)
• ^[51]

Game information

First Quarter (00:31) A&M – Small 52 yard FG (A&M 3–0) Second Quarter (04:19) A&M – Sternberger 4 yard pass from Mond, Small kick (A&M 10–0) (00:00) A&M – Small 20 yard FG (A&M 13–0) Third Quarter (08:36) A&M – Small 32 yard FG (A&M 16–0) (04:54) USC – Smith 22 yard pass from Bentley, Edwards pass (A&M 16–8) (00:24) USC – Dawkins 33 yard pass from Bentley, Edwards pass (16–16) Fourth Quarter (09:16) A&M – Small 39 yard FG (A&M 19–16) (01:36) A&M – Williams 3 yard run, Small kick (A&M 26–16) (00:48) USC – Samuel 6 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (A&M 26–23) Total Yards A&M – 458; 353 passing yards, 105 rushing yards USC – 299; 223 passing yards, 76 rushing yards Passing leader A&M – Kellen Mond; 25–37, 353 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT USC – Jake Bentley; 17–35, 223 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing leader A&M – Trayveon Williams; 19 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD USC – Ty'Son Williams; 7 rushes, 51 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader A&M – Jace Sternberger; 7 catches, 145 yards, 1 TD USC – Deebo Samuel; 7 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader A&M – Donovan Wilson; 7 total tackles USC – Sherrod Greene; 12 total tackles, 1 TFL

Tennessee

See also: 2018 Tennessee Volunteers football team

Tennessee Volunteers at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	7	7	10	0	24
South Carolina	3	6	15	3	27

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: October 27, 2018
• Game time: 7:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Wind: W 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 80,614
• Referee: James Carter
• TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sideline)
• ^[52]

Game information

First Quarter (04:53) UT – Wolf 5 yard pass from Guarantano, Cimaglia kick (UT 7–0) (00:37) SC – White 19 yard field goal (UT 7–3) Second Quarter (02:11) UT – Jennings 6 yard pass from Guarantano, Cimaglia kick (UT 14–3) (00:49) SC – Samuel 3 yard pass from Bentley (UT 14–9) Third Quarter (10:02) UT – Fils-Aime 14 yard run, Cimaglia kick (UT 21–9) (08:05) SC – Dowdle 1 yard run, White kick (UT 21–16) (01:47) UT – Cimaglia 45 yard field goal (UT 24–16) (00:05) SC – Williams 1 yard run, Bentley rush (24–24) Fourth Quarter (05:52) SC – White 25 yard field goal (SC 27–24) Total Yards UT – 351; 207 passing yards, 144 rushing yards SC – 376; 152 passing yards, 224 rushing yards Passing leader UT – Jarrett Guarantano; 27–39, 207 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT SC – Jake Bentley; 11–16, 152 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing leader UT – Tim Jordan; 12 rushes, 63 yards, 0 TD SC – Rico Dowdle; 14 rushes, 140 yards, 1 TD Receiving leader UT – Marquez Callaway; 9 catches, 86 yards, 0 TD SC – Bryan Edwards; 3 catches, 96 yards, 0 TD Defensive leader UT – Nigel Warrior; 9 total tackles SC – T. J. Brunson; 14 total tackles

At Ole Miss

See also: 2018 Ole Miss Rebels football team

South Carolina Gamecocks at Ole Miss Rebels – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
South Carolina	17	10	7	14	0	48
Ole Miss	3	24	10	7	0	44

at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi

• Date: November 3, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind: • Weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 56,798
• Referee: Marc Curles
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Kris Budden (sideline)
• ^[53]

Game information

First Quarter (14:43) USC – Samuel 90 yard kickoff return, White kick (USC 7–0) (11:15) MISS – Logan 25 yard field goal (USC 7–3) (09:12) USC – Williams 2 yard run, White kick (USC 14–3) (02:38) USC – White 20 yard field goal (USC 17–3) Second Quarter (13:46) MISS – Phillips 9 yardd run, Logan kick (USC 17–10) (07:52) MISS – Logan 26 yard field goal (USC 17–13) (07:41) USC – Edwards 75 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 24–13) (06:22) MISS – Ta'amu 17 yard run, Logan kick (USC 24–20) (02:01) USC – White 23 yard field goal (USC 27–20) (00:10) MISS – Phillips 1 yard run, Logan kick (27–27) Third Quarter (11:56) MISS – Logan 31 yard field goal (MISS 30–27) (10:05) USC – Vann 5 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 34–30) (02:50) MISS – Phillips 2 yard run, Logan kick (MISS 37–34) Fourth Quarter (14:15) MISS – Woullard 1 yard run (MISS 44–34) (11:01) USC – Turner 3 yard run, White kick (MISS 44–41) (05:50) USC – Bentley 4 yard run, White kick (USC 48–44) Total Yards USC – 510; 363 passing yards, 147 rushing yards MISS – 616; 379 passing yards, 237 rushing yards Passing leader USC – Jake Bentley; 22–32, 363 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT MISS – Jordan Ta'amu; 31–46, 379 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader USC – Mon Denson; 12 rushes, 102 yards, 0 TD MISS – Scottie Phillips; 21 rushes, 150 yards, 3 TD Receiving leader USC – Bryan Edwards; 4 catches, 109 yards, 1 TD MISS – Elijah Moore; 11 catches, 129 yards, 0 TD Defensive leader USC – T. J. Brunson; 15 total tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks MISS – Mohamed Sanogo; 11 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack

At Florida

See also: 2018 Florida Gators football team

South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	14	7	10	0	31
No. 19 Florida	0	14	7	14	35

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida

• Date: November 10, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: N 8 mph (13 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 82,696
• Referee: David Smith
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
• ^[54]

Game information

First Quarter (09:17) SC – August 2 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 7–0) (04:51) SC – Markway 19 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 14–0) Second Quarter (13:46) UF – Perine 2 yard run, McPherson kick (SC 14–7) (08:58) UF – Franks 10 yard run, McPherson kick (14–14) (04:21) SC – Bentley 1 yard run, White kick (SC 21–14) Third Quarter (09:19) SC – White 34 yard field goal (SC 24–14) (04:41) SC – Dowdle 4 yard run, White kick (SC 31–14) (00:56) UF – Toney 18 yard pass from Franks, McPherson kick (SC 31–21) Fourth Quarter (11:03) UF – Perine 23 yard run, McPherson kick (SC 31–28) (04:09) UF – Franks 1 yard run, McPherson kick (UF 35–31) Total Yards SC – 386; 239 passing yards, 147 rushing yards UF – 528; 161 passing yards, 367 rushing yards Passing leader SC – Jake Bentley; 18–28, 239 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT UF – Feleipe Franks; 15–21, 161 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader SC – A.J. Turner; 12 rushes, 84 yards, 0 TD UF – Jordan Scarlett; 18 rushes, 159 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader SC – Deebo Samuel; 4 catches, 120 yards, 0 TD UF – Josh Hammond; 5 catches, 35 yards, 0 TD Defensive leader SC – T. J. Brunson; 16 total tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FF UF – David Reese; 10 total tackles

Chattanooga

See also: 2018 Chattanooga Mocs football team

Chattanooga Mocs at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chattanooga	0	3	0	6	9
South Carolina	14	14	7	14	49

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: November 17, 2018
• Game time: 7:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: Calm • Weather: Clear
• Game attendance: 72,832
• Referee: Ken Williamson
• TV announcers (SECN): Mike Morgan (play-by-play), Barrett Jones (color), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
• ^[55]

Game information

First Quarter (09:53) USC – Turner 16 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 7–0) (04:16) USC – Turner 6 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 14–0) Second Quarter (14:55) UTC – Ulmo 36 yard field goal (USC 14–3) (13:44) USC – Turner 16 yard run, White kick (USC 21–3) (00:34) USC – Denson 1 yard run, White kick (USC 28–3) Third Quarter (13:32) USC – Smith 53 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 35–3) Fourth Quarter (14:48) USC – Samuel 61 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (USC 42–3) (10:51) USC – Fenwick 2 yard run, Woznick kick (USC 49–3) (04:52) UTC – Tiano 2 yard pass from Nunnelly (USC 49–9) Total Yards UTC – 334; 256 passing yards, 78 rushing yards USC – 602; 364 passing yards, 238 rushing yards Passing leader UTC – Nick Tiano; 17–36, 254 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT USC – Jake Bentley; 25–29, 339 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader UTC – Tyrell Price; 9 rushes, 42 yards, 0 TD USC – Deshaun Fenwick; 17 rushes, 115 yards, 1 TD Receiving leader UTC – Bryce Nunnelly; 5 catches, 141 yards, 0 TD USC – Deebo Samuel; 5 catches, 112 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader UTC – Tavon Lawson; 11 total tackles, 1 TFL USC – Ernest Jones; 5 total tackles, 1 FF

At Clemson

See also: Palmetto Bowl and 2018 Clemson Tigers football team

South Carolina Gamecocks at Clemson Tigers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	7	14	0	14	35
No. 2 Clemson	14	14	14	14	56

at Memorial Stadium • Clemson, South Carolina

• Date: November 24, 2018
• Game time: 7:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Wind: NNW 2 • Weather: Clear
• Game attendance: 81,406
• Referee: Matt Loeffler
• TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy (play-by-play), Brian Griese (color), Todd McShay (sideline)
• ^[56]

Game information

First Quarter (10:41) SC – Samuel 9 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 7–0) (06:17) CU – Choice 1 yard run, Huegel kick (7–7) (00:17) CU – Higgins 22 yard pass from Lawrence, Huegel kick (CU 14–7) Second Quarter (07:23) CU – Wilkins 1 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 21–7) (06:29) SC – Pollard 67 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (CU 21–14) (04:49) CU – Choice 2 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 28–14) (04:37) SC – Samuel 75 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (CU 28–21) Third Quarter (10:21) CU – Etienne 2 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 35–21) (06:46) CU – Feaster 13 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 42–21) Fourth Quarter (12:05) CU – Choice 15 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 49–21) (09:10) SC – Samuel 32 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (CU 49–28) (03:37) SC – Smith 20 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (CU 49–35) (00:39) CU – Etienne 7 yard run, Huegel kick (CU 56–35) Total Yards SC – 600; 510 passing yards, 90 rushing yards CU – 744; 393 passing yards, 351 rushing yards Passing leader SC – Jake Bentley; 32–50, 510 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT CU – Trevor Lawrence; 27–36, 393 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT Rushing leader SC – Mon Denson; 17 rushes, 64 yards, 0 TD CU – Travis Etienne; 28 rushes, 150 yards, 2 TD Receiving leader SC – Deebo Samuel; 10 catches, 210 yards, 3 TD CU – Tee Higgins; 6 catches, 142 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader SC – R. J. Roderick; 10 total tackles CU – Isaiah Simmons; 10 total tackles

Akron

See also: 2018 Akron Zips football team

Akron Zips at South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Akron	3	0	0	0	3
South Carolina	14	14	0	0	28

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: December 1, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind: SE 3 mph (4.8 km/h) • Weather: Showers
• Game attendance: 53,420
• Referee: James Carter
• TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Cole Cublic (color), Dawn Davenport (sideline)
• ^[57]

Game information

First Quarter (09:29) SC – Samuel 15 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 7–0) (03:59) UA – Nick Gasser 45 yard field goal (SC 7–3) (03:01) SC – Edwards 70 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 14–3) Second Quarter (08:09) SC – Samuel 0 yard fumble recovery, White kick (SC 21–3) (01:33) SC – Samuel 5 yard pass from Bentley, White kick (SC 28–3) Total Yards UA – 260; 178 passing yards, 82 rushing yards SC – 384; 199 passing yards, 185 rushing yards Passing leader UA – Kato Nelson; 19–39 178 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT SC – Jake Bentley; 14–27, 199 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Rushing leader UA – Keyondre White; 13 rushes, 57 yards, 0 TD SC – Mon Denson; 17 rushes, 113 yards, 0 TD Receiving leader UA – Kwad Smith; 6 catches, 69 yards, 0 TD SC – Bryan Edwards; 5 catches, 109 yards, 1 TD Defensive leader UA – Zaire Jacobs ; 8 total tackles, 1 FF SC – Kingsley Enagbare; 6 total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

Vs. Virginia (Belk Bowl)

See also: 2018 Virginia Cavaliers football team and 2018 Belk Bowl

Virginia Cavaliers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Virginia			0
South Carolina			0

at Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC

• Date: December 29, 2018
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
• TV announcers (ABC): Adam Amin (play-by-play), Anthony Becht (color), Rocky Boiman (color)

Game information
First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter Total Yards UVA – USC – Passing leader UVA – USC – Rushing leader UVA – USC – Receiving leader UVA – USC – Defensive leader UVA – USC –

Rankings

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	RV	24	RV	RV	RV	—	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	RV	24	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	RV	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2019 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
2	36	Deebo Samuel	WR	San Francisco 49ers
6	201	Rashad Fenton	CB	Kansas City Chiefs
6	212	Dennis Daley	OT	Carolina Panthers

Notes and references

1. South Carolina had been ranked in the CFP rankings at the end of the 2017 season, ^[4] but had not been ranked in the AP Poll since September 2014. ^[5]

1. Lowery, Logan (September 12, 2024). "MSU fires Moorhead after two seasons". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2024. All eight of Moorhead's victories in 2018 had to be vacated after 10 football players were reprimanded by the NCAA for academic misconduct involving a former part-time tutor and an online chemistry class.
2. "2018 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
3. Hadley, Greg (November 15, 2020). "From 2016 to now, the highs and lows of the Will Muschamp era at South Carolina". The State. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
4. Robinson, Manie. "South Carolina cracks College Football Playoff Top 25". The Greenville News. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
5. "South Carolina Gamecocks Poll History". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
6. Iacobelli, Pete (November 16, 2020). "South Carolina fires football coach Will Muschamp". AP News. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
7. "Will Muschamp". University of South Carolina Athletics. May 11, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
8. "South Carolina Gamecocks College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
9. "Remixing traditions: How one Gamecock fan gave Sandstorm a 'second life' | Carolina News and Reporter" . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
10. Stories, Local (July 24, 2024). "Rising Stars: Meet Marcus Washington of Columbia". southcarolinavoyager.com. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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