South Carolina’s MarShawn Lloyd ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass and the host Gamecocks blocked two punts for scores in turning away determined Georgia State 35-14 on Saturday in the season opener for each team.
Georgia State took a 14-12 lead after Quavian White intercepted a pass and the Panthers cashed in on quarterback Darren Grainger’s 4-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the third quarter.
But the Gamecocks answered with two quick scores to take the lead for good. Lloyd caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Rattler, who ran for the two-point conversion and a 20-14 lead with 7:20 in the third quarter.
Then Rashad Amos blocked Michael Hayes’ punt and DQ Smith picked up the loose ball and ran 26 yards for a touchdown. Jaheim Bell ran for a two-point conversion and a 28-14 lead.
South Carolina put the game away when Traevon Kenion blocked a punt and Ahmarean Brown ran it 10 yards for a touchdown and a 35-14 lead with 11:30 remaining.
Rattler, a transfer from Oklahoma, completed 23 of 37 passes for 226 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown in his debut for South Carolina. Lloyd ran 11 times for 30 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards.
Georgia State’s Jamyest Williams carried 13 times for 76 yards. Grainger completed only 7 of 29 passes for 111 yards, one touchdown and one interception. White led the defense with two interceptions and a sack.
South Carolina scored first after faking a field goal with blocking back Hunter Rogers taking the snap and getting just enough for the first down at the 2. Lloyd scored on the next play, but a bad snap nixed the extra point and the Gamecocks led 6-0.
South Carolina extended the lead to 9-0 when Mitch Jeter kicked his first career field goal, a 53-yarder.
Georgia State, after turning the ball over on downs and then going three-and-out on their next four consecutive possessions, final got points on a 17-yard throw from Grainger to Robert Lewis with 4:20 left before halftime.
South Carolina was able to tack on a 51-yard field goal at the horn, making Jeter the school’s first kicker with two 50-yard field goals in the same game.
–Field Level Media
