COLUMBIA — South Carolina football captain Debo Williams said during the preseason that he wanted total domination from the Gamecocks' defensive unit this season .
"I want complete domination, we are going for donuts, zero on the scoreboard," Williams said at SEC Media Days.
That didn't happen Saturday in the Gamecocks ' 23-19 win over Old Dominion, but the defense made a key play when it mattered most.
Freshman Dylan Stewart lifted South Carolina's defense, showcasing the preseason expectations of being a 5-star recruit.
Stewart, a 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, showed off his mobility along with his strength, which resulted in huge plays for South Carolina on Saturday.
The game-winning touchdown from LaNorris Sellers was a result of Stewart's strip sack on Monarchs quarterback Grant Wilson. Stewart took Wilson down at the six-yard line and the ball came out, allowing defensive tackle DeAndre Jules to recover the ball.
That was the second of two forced fumbles for Stewart in his rookie debut. The other came in the second quarter. Jalon Kilgore, a sophomore defensive back said he could tell all game Stewart was looking to punch the ball out, and Kilgore told Stewart just to keep trying. Wilson ran to the ball, which meant more opportunities to force a fumble.
"When I saw him strip it, saw Jules pick it up, blood started rushing through my body I was so excited for him to make that play," Kilgore said.
Stewart's final stat line was four tackles, three of them solo, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 tackles for a loss.
"No, I do it in practice," Stewart said when asked if anything he did on Saturday, surprised him. "Practice how you play."
Stewart, from Washington, D.C., was a five-star recruit according to 247Sports. He was expected to impact the Gamecocks as a freshman, but preseason messages from coach Shane Beamer didn't necessarily indicate it was going to be the Dylan Stewart show right from the jump.
On Saturday, Georgia Tech fifth-year transfer Kyle Kennard started as edge rusher, with junior Jatius Geer. Kennard set the tone for Stewart to match, as Kennard forced a fumble within the first minute of play. Kennard finished with five total tackles, four solo, 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles.
After the game, Beamer emphasized how important it is that this season, South Carolina has more guys that can rush the passer than the Gamecocks did last year. Both Stewart and Kennard received a game ball from Beamer.
"I'm super proud of him tonight, he had a great game, I'm proud to see what he's done, he's one of the best freshman I've ever laid my eyes on," Kennard said of Stewart.
CHEMISTRY ON OFFENSE: Why South Carolina football's quantity of receivers isn't helping QB LaNorris Sellers
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How freshman Dylan Stewart saved South Carolina football opener with late forced fumble
Local South Carolina State
Most Popular
Comments / 0