Gamecocks Win Thriller

COLUMBIA S.C. — The South Carolina Gamecocks showed their never-say-die moxie on a picture-perfect afternoon.

In front of spirited collegiate students decked out in Gamecock apparel at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday afternoon, the Gamecocks (3-1) were able to escape the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-2) 17-16 thanks to a Parker White 31-yard field goal with four seconds left in the game.

After South Carolina kicked the ball off to LA Tech with just four seconds left in the game, the Bulldogs couldn’t run it back for a miracle win. Gamecock head coach Will Muschamp said he was proud of his team.

“I’m surely proud of the effort of our football team,” Muschamp said. “We have a great culture here. We have a lot of positive things going on.”

The drive culminated in a game-winning field goal directly after LA Tech’s Jonathan Barnes kicked a 25-yard field goal with 55 seconds left in the fourth, which made the score 16-14.

The Gamecock game-winning drive was a thing of beauty, too. With under a minute left in the ball game on third and ten, Gamecock quarterback Jake Bentley took maters into his own hands, scampering 24 yards for a much-needed first down.

This game-defining play was the start of something special, as the drive ended with a game-winning field goal.

Bentley was 22-for-34 with 295 yards and a touchdown.

Other South Carolina scoring plays included a 35-yard touchdown run by Ty’Son Williams with 4:52 left in the fourth and a 28-yard touchdown reception by Ortre Smith from Bentley with 11:06 left in the fourth.

Smith had two receptions for 36 yards, while his counterpart wide receiver Bryan Edwards caught the pigskin six times for 122 yards. Williams rushed the rock for 92 yards.

The Bulldogs kept things interesting, especially after jumping out to a 13-0 lead that lasted until the fourth thanks to an LA Tech quarterback J’Mar Smith three-yard touchdown pass to Teddy Veal with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

The rest of the Bulldog scores were from field goals.

Smith was 23-for-33 for 281 yards and a touchdown, while Veal caught the ball for 110 yards and a score.

Next up for the Gamecocks will be Texas A&M.

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