The 3-2-1: Three key plays, two game balls, one burning question from South Carolina's win over Mississippi State

Three Key Plays
1. Horsecollar tackle
South Carolina had already gone 98 yards for a touchdown, but could it go 99? South Carolina picked up a first down, but then Mississippi State appeared to have forced a punt by sacking Spencer Rattler on third down. But a personal foul penalty on Nathaniel Watson for a horsecollar tackle gave the drive a second life. The Gamecocks made the most of and scored to take a 14-0 lead.

2. Illegal formation on the defense
With one second left in the first half, Mississippi State lined up for a 54-yard field goal. Kyle Ferrie’s kick had nowhere near the distance and bounced harmlessly into the end zone. But there was a flag on the play. South Carolina was lined up over the snapper. Mississippi State got five yards plus an untimed down. Ferrie boomed the second chance through the uprights. Between the rekick and the failed two-point conversion just seconds earlier, South Carolina gifted Mississippi Stet four points in the final 38 seconds of the half.

3. Fumble
After Mississippi State fought back to tie the game, South Carolina retook the lead on a short field goal. The Bulldogs had been able to move the ball effectively in the second half, so the lead felt very precarious. Jordan Strachan hit Will Rodgers as he threw. The football still went forward, and most of the players stopped, thinking it was an incomplete pass. Judge Collier wisely scooped the ball up and returned it to the Bulldog 22. Replay showed that Rodgers pushed the ball forward with an empty palm, making it a fumble. South Carolina converted the turnover into a touchdown and a two-possession lead.

Two Game Balls
Spencer Rattler
Rattler completed his first 17 passes, with three going for touchdowns, and the first icompleteion probably should have been defensive pass interference He got a lot of help from Xavier Legette, who turned two catches into touchdowns of 75 and 76 yards. Rattler finished the game 18-20 passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed four times for 67 yards before sacks. Rattler now has six touchdowns and four incompletions in two home games.

Alex Huntley
South Carolina gave up 30 points, but started to rattle Mississippi State quarterback Will Rodgers in the fourth quarter. Huntley was a big part of that. He finished with three tackles, two sacks, and two passes broken up. Both sacks and pass breakups came in the second half. It was enough to slow down Mississippi State and hold onto the lead.

One Burning Question
Can South Carolina continue to get enough from the run game and pass rush?
The numbers weren’t necessarily pretty. South Carolina rushed 47 times and averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Adjusted for sacks and kneeldowns, the Gamecocks still only got 3.9 yards per carry. But it was enough to make Mississippi State honor the rushing attack, especially a week after not even trying to run on Georgia. Mario Anderson had 88 yards on 26 carries, so maybe South Carolina has found its lead back. 

On the other side, the Gamecocks’ pass rush has been almost as invisible as the ground game. Although they gave up 30 points and 519 yards, the Gamecocks got four sacks and were able to make Rodgers uncomfortable, including a strip-sack that essentially clinched the game.

If South Carolina can continue to get that kind of production and ride Rattler’s hot streak, the Gamecocks might be able to make some noise in the SEC.

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