South Carolina went through the first half of the season seeing different receivers lead the team in different games. It would be Shaq Roland one game, Nick Jones another, Bruce Ellington another.
Those days are gone. The Gamecocks have heard the word, and his name is Byrd.
Damiere Byrd had the first 100-yard receiving day of his career, doing most of the damage on a 76-yard touchdown throw-and-catch that was the longest throw of Connor Shaw’s season. He stuck around for three more catches and 45 more yards, increasing his season totals to a team-leading 384 yards on 19 catches.
Byrd has caught a touchdown in three straight games and has logged days of 74 yards, 98, 57 and 121. Credited by coach Steve Spurrier for getting LASIK surgery during the offseason, Byrd is shedding the tag of “a track star playing football.”
“I attribute it to Damiere working on catching the ball through the summer and through preseason practice and so forth, and now getting opportunities,” Spurrier said earlier this week. “He’s caught the ball real well, learning how to run routes a little bit better, this, that and the other.”
Road woes: Shaw lost a chance to make his record as a starting quarterback on the true road a bit better. Shaw is now 2-5 on the road for his career, the two wins coming against UCF and Arkansas this season. He is 3-0 in neutral-site games.
Shaw also may have lost his pursuit for USC’s career record for wins when he sustained a knee injury late in the game. Spurrier called it a knee sprain afterward, but another evaluation is forthcoming.
Shaw has 22 career wins. Todd Ellis holds the record with 24.
Jinx: Shaw also threw his first interception of the season when he rolled left and tried to get a ball to a receiver behind two defensive backs. Much of the talk this week was how Shaw had done better taking care of the ball and wasn’t getting the credit he deserves.
The pick broke a streak of 177 pass attempts without an interception.
Keep on truckin’: Mike Davis posted the sixth 100-yard game of his season with a touchdown jaunt in the second half, where he put on a video-game move to juke one defender out of his cleats. He finished with 137 yards and one score on 21 carries, and caught two passes for 16 yards.
“I can’t say I was surprised,” Davis said. “Whatever the game plan was, I guess we stuck to it.”
It was the first time this season USC had a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game.
Familiar: Freshman running back Jamari Smith switched to defense during preseason camp but has switched back to tailback. USC is trying to redshirt freshman running back David Williams. Coaches also moved Smith back to offense so he could be the No. 3 back and not tempt coaches to use Williams, who dressed Saturday.
Brandon Wilds is expected to return within two weeks, but Smith will back up Mike Davis and Shon Carson until then. He is back in his original No. 26 jersey.
Injury report: As expected, free safety Chaz Elder (concussion) and center Cody Waldrop (ankle) did not make the trip. Kadetrix Marcus started in Elder’s place while Clayton Stadnik again took over at center.
Linebacker Skai Moore (concussion) played but did not start, as did wide receiver Bruce Ellington (foot). Patrick (ankle) was replaced by Will Sport as a starter and did not play but defensive tackle J.T. Surratt (ankle) started after being deemed ready during warm-ups. Linebacker Kaiwan Lewis (leg) played but did not start.
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