The Studs of Saturday
Other than South Carolina QB Syvelle Newton, here are some players who stood out to me during today's game:
South Carolina WR Sidney Rice: Rice has come under some fire lately for his lackluster performances heading into this weekend. He scored five TDs against FAU, but he hasn't done much since. Today he caught seven passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. With the score tied 3-3 early in the second quarter, the Gamecocks were faced with a 3rd down deep in Vanderbilt territory. They called a Wide Receiver Screen for Rice, and even though Vandy was all over it, Rice managed to make a great move and pick up the first down. A few plays later on second and goal, he caught a ball behind the line of scrimmage and exploded for two yards into the endzone.
South Carolina defenders (J/C)asper Brinkley: You can choose the consonant, but the Brinkley brothers, Jasper and Casper, were awesome today. Jasper, a linebacker, chased down defenders, put nasty hits on the quarterback, and broke up big plays before they could get going. The game was scoreless. First quarter. Vanderbilt had first and goal on the five. Handoff to Cassen Jackson-Garrison. Big stop for no gain by Jasper Brinkley. The Commodores had to settle for a field goal. Casper wasn't much worse. The defensive lineman did a nice job getting into the backfield and setting the tone defensively.
South Carolina DB Carlos Thomas: Fred Bennett will get the publicity most of the time, but Thomas was just as good today. Thomas was matched up with WR Earl Bennett a lot, and he locked him down every time. He also defended a pass at the goal line that would have put Vanderbilt up 7-0, but Thomas' coverage was good enough to force the field goal.
Vanderbilt LB Curtis Gatewood: Gatewood forced a fumble and intercepted a pass today. Just before the end of the first half, Gatewood came off the edge for a blitz, blew past the left tackle, and knocked the ball away from Newton. Just a few plays into the second half, he intercepted an underthrown ball by Newton. His two forced turnovers led to 10 Vanderbilt points.
