Going to this one, I had hope, thinking that Kentucky was at least as terrible as the Gamecocks this year.
I was wrong.
When you cough the ball so many times and show no resistance in defense, disappointment tends to occur.
I will pause in the destruction of the attack knowing that, despite everything that went wrong, the Gamecocks left six points on the board with missed goals and kicked less than Kentucky. You simply cannot let any team operate in a short field …
Let’s not forget that Luke Doty was starting his second college game too.
Oh, and because of a sighting penalty that happened in the second half, the Cocks will be without Jammie Robinson in the first half of their first game of the 2021 season (unless South Carolina gets a game of bowling).
A lot of bad things happened, but there was a silver lining, at least!
Let’s dive into the last edition of game balls of the year.
Offensive game ball: Kevin Harris
The only man who never fails to give hope to Gamecock fans.
Taking an average of 10 yards per load, Kevin Harris ran for 210 yards and added a touchdown.
He also became the ninth Gamecock to run 1,000 yards in a season, the first since Mike Davis in 2013. In addition, he joined Marcus Lattimore and George Rogers as the only Gamecocks to have several 200-yard racing games in one season.
These are definitely names that you want to be mentioned in the school’s history. Imagine if the Cocks played 12 games …
Fortunately, Harris will return to Columbia next year, but will likely share representatives with MarShawn Lloyd.
Have a season, Kevin!
Defensive game ball: N / A
In a game where Kevin Harris left, Kentucky ran for MAIS, matching for 291 yards on the ground.
You have to try to be that bad.
In addition, the Cocks made a guy who couldn’t pass the ball, Terry Wilson, look very comfortable out there, allowing 201 yards in the air. This doesn’t look bad on the surface, but look at recent game statistics and you may feel a little worse.
South Carolina also failed to register a single withdrawal.
Definitely a forgettable performance.
Honorable mentions: N / A
I thought Joyner played a respectable game, but he also fumbled (not as if it mattered in the end).
Amos also played very well for an expensive change of pace, but I feel that recognizing someone for 60 meters running is a bit much.
I would have loved to see more Shi Smith and Nick Muse too, but I am happy for everyone who continued to fight for this team and did not choose to leave.
It’s not the best way to end the year, overall.
For the Beamer era!