Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina vs. Eastern Illinois
The Shane Beamer Era kicked off in Columbia with a decisive 46-0 win over Eastern Illinois. Here’s a look at what went right and wrong for South Carolina on Saturday.
South Carolina thumbs up
The tight ends: Head coach Shane Beamer had said that tight ends would play a pivotal role in South Carolina’s offense, and those tight ends delivered early. The first two touchdowns of USC’s season were short red-zone throws to Nick Muse and Jaheim Bell, respectively. Muse would score again on a trick two-point conversation following his touchdown. And Bell was used in a variety of ways, including as a fullback and on an end-around rushing play. He broke loose for a 65-yard rushing touchdown late in the game that was called back due to offensive holding.
Special teams: With Beamer’s special teams coordinator background and with his hall of fame father Frank Beamer known for his “Beamer Ball” brand of special teams, it was no surprise to see the Gamecocks make noise in that phase of the game Saturday night. It started in the first quarter on a surprise two-point conversion following USC’s first touchdown. It continued with not one, but two blocked punts by defensive newcomers Debo Williams and Jordan Strachan. Both led to scoring drives.
Zeb Noland: Speaking of scoring drives, USC’s surprise 24-year-old starting quarterback Zeb Noland threw for four touchdowns in the first half to give the Gamecocks a commanding lead. Both Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said before the opener that Noland was efficient in his command of the offense, and he showed poise Saturday. Though he overthrew a couple of receivers early, Noland completed 13 of his 22 pass attempts for 121 yards, and he didn’t turn the ball over.
Jaylan Foster: The former walk-on earned the start at free safety and made an immediate impact, intercepting the ball on the very first EIU offensive play of the game, corralling a pass that cornerback Darius Rush broke up. Later in the first quarter, Foster recovered a blocked punt by Debo Wiliams. In the beginning of the second half, Foster intercepted another deflected pass and ran it back to the 7-yard line — a play that was nullified on an offsides penalty.
Cam Smith: There was some question as to whether the cornerback would suit up for the Gamecocks on Saturday after he cracked a bone in his left foot in early August. Not only did Smith play, but he was active and dominant early, leading the team with four tackles in the first half, including a pair of vicious hits.
ZaQuandre White: With incumbent starting running back Kevin Harris unavailable due to his summer back procedure, White earned the start for the Gamecocks and showcased steady between-the-tackles running as well as strong hands in the passing game. White served as a safety valve for Noland, making a team-leading four catches, including a 10-yard receiving touchdown. He added an explosive 63-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to bring his game total to 133 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The atmosphere: Though the announced crowd of 64,868 at Williams-Brice Stadium fell short of a sellout, compared to the emptiness of last year’s COVID-19 season, the stadium was rocking. Beamer greeted fans with his signature “welcome home” catchphrase on the video screen before the fans launched into traditional towel-waving madness during Sandstorm.
South Carolina thumbs down
Injuries and suspensions: The Gamecocks were without Harris at tailback, which was somewhat unexpected after Beamer said earlier in the week he’d be ready to go. Both his status and quarterback Luke Doty’s status will be hot topics heading into next week’s road trip to East Carolina. In addition, USC play-by-play host Todd Ellis reported before the game that five Gamecocks would miss the game due to suspension, including veteran safety R.J. Roderick.
Penalties: As is the case in most season openers, the Gamecocks dealt with their fair share of sloppiness. While no penalty derailed USC in such a lopsided game, a holding call wiped out a 65-yard touchdown rush by Bell, and an offsides call negated what would have been Foster’s second interception of the game.
This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 10:12 PM with the headline "Thumbs up, thumbs down: South Carolina vs. Eastern Illinois."
