COLUMBIA, S.C. — D.J. Twitty’s 3-yard run in the second overtime lifted the Black team to a 19-17 win over Garnet in South Carolina’s spring game Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Garnet team was trailing 17-3 in the final quarter but rallied behind a Dante Miller six-yard run and a Colin Bryant 45-yard interception return for a score, tying the game at 17.
Overtime would commence with the winning team being the one who could convert a 2-point conversion. Both teams failed on pass attempts from the 3-yard line in the first overtime period, and Black stopped Garnet quarterback LaNorris Sellers just shy of the goal line in the second overtime period. That set the stage for Twitty who ran behind his blockers and powered his way into the end zone for the winning score,
The Black team scored the game’s first touchdown quarterback Spencer Rattler led a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended in a three-yard touchdown pass to transfer tight end Trey Knox. The key play on the drive was a 55-yard connection from Rattler to All-SEC wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. on a 3rd-and-12 from the 23-yard line.
In the second quarter, Rattler engineered another Black scoring drive as Spring Valley product Alex Herrera delivered a 39-yard field goal, giving the Black team a 10-0 lead
Rattler finished the game 12-of-20 passing for 120 yards and a score.
The Black team extended its lead to 17-0 late in the second quarter when redshirt freshman quarterback Tanner Bailey found a wide open Wells Jr. for a 34-yard scoring strike. Wells caught two passes on the night for 89 yards and a score, his first receiving touchdown in Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Garnet team, led by quarterback Luke Doty, scored its first points as the first half ended on a Mitch Jeter field goal.
The next scoring drive came with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter as Miller gave the Garnet its first touchdown of the night on a drive helped by a 50-yard completion on fourth down from Sellers to D.J. Black on a 4th-and-4 play.
Bryant stepped in front of a Braden Davis pass on the Black team’s next possession and went 45 yards untouched to tie the game 17 with 5:44 left in regulation.
Scoring Plays:1st quarter: 8:38 – Black: Trey Knox 3-yard pass from Spencer Rattler (Alex Herrera kick)2nd quarter: 6:46 – Black: Herrera 40-yard field goal2nd quarter: 1:11 – Black: Antwane Wells Jr. 34-yard pass from Tanner Bailey (Daniel Lester kick)2nd quarter: 0:00 – Garnet: Mitch Jeter 23-yard field goal4th quarter: 8:44 – Garnet: Dante Miller 6-yard run (Jeter kick)4th quarter: 5:09 – Garnet: Colin Bryant 45-yard interception return (Jeter kick)Overtime: Black: D.J. Twitty 3-yard run
2023 SOUTH CAROLINA SPRING GAME AWARDS
Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring: Spencer RattlerRex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring: T.J. SandersJim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring: DQ Smith and Juju McDowellThe President’s Outstanding Student-Athlete Award: Tyreek Johnson and Kai Kroeger
Harold White GPA Award:Offense: Colten GauthierDefense: Joseph ByrnesSpecial Teams: William Joyce
Most Improved Award:Offense: Dakereon Joyner and O’Mega BlakeDefense: O’Donnell FortuneSpecial Teams: Bradley Dunn
Gamecock Toughness Award:Offense: Nick Gargiulo and Josh SimonDefense: Tyreek Johnson
South Carolina Spirit Award:Offense: Juju McDowellDefense: Alex Huntley and T.J. Sanders