Three key games
1. Fourth down conversion
South Carolina’s second possession stalled at the Akron five-yard line. Shane Beamer kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-2. Michael Smith ran a short out and Robby Ashford threw him a pass in the flat. It only gained three yards, but it was a big win. South Carolina scored a touchdown on the next play, but it also showed that the Gamecocks could trust Ashford in the passing game.

2. Touchdown Akron
Nearly a quarter of the Zips’ total offense came on a single play. Ben Finely threw a jump ball to Adrian Norton, and Judge Collier misplayed it. The ball flew over his head, Norton caught it, and Akron scored a touchdown. For a while, that was enough to scare the Gamecocks.

3. Robby Ashford decides the game

South Carolina led 29-7 at the start of the fourth quarter and the game still felt a little dicey. Ashford tied it with a 36-yard touchdown run. He faked the handoff, all the defenders followed the running back, and Ashford raced around the left side for a 36-yard touchdown. That ended any slim hopes Akron had of a comeback and the Gamecocks pulled their starters.

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Two game balls
Robby Ashford
Ashford has quietly put up some pretty impressive statistics: 15-21 for 243 yards, 16 carries for 133 yards and three total touchdowns. It wasn’t always the prettiest game for Ashford, but he was very effective and avoided turnovers.

Dalevon Campbell
Campbell had a 27-yard pass early in the fourth quarter that set up Ashford’s 36-yard touchdown run, but Campbell gets a play ball for chasing a punt in the third quarter. He managed to knock the football out of bounds at the one rather than letting it bounce into the end zone for a touchback. In the grand scheme of things, it may not have made much of a difference, but tough plays like that deserve recognition.

A burning question
Will LaNorris Sellers and/or Rocket Sanders be available in two weeks?
As effective as Robby Ashford has been, he’s still a more limited version of Sellers, and Sanders could be South Carolina’s best offensive player. South Carolina has a week off to recover, which played a role in the decision not to use Sellers. On the other hand, Sanders was limping badly on his injured left ankle and didn’t seem able to play, although Shane Beamer said it doesn’t appear to be a long-term injury. It will still be a tough task against Ole Miss, but without a QB1 and RB1, it could be almost hopeless.