Stone Blanton Overcomes Adversity, Makes Play Of The Season For Gamecock Defense

South Carolina's football team has struggled defensively this Fall. However, when they needed it most, one of their captains delivered.

In a game I'm sure gave several South Carolina fans heart issues they may or may not have known existed, the Gamecocks managed to find a way to win the ball game 38-28. This defense had its ups and downs, similar to the rest of the season. It seemed at times that they couldn't get out of their way, and Stone Blanton had his struggles as well.

Blanton finished the game with only three tackles, and even he would tell you he needed to do more. While he could have been more consistent in finishing plays, that didn't stop him from going out and continuing to play with maximum effort. It's never easy watching a teammate struggle, let alone yourself, but Blanton didn't let any of that phase him.

Stone Blanton going through a Fall camp drill (5th Aug., 2022) / Alex Hicks Jr. | USA Today Network

That would pay off on Carolina's second-to-last defensive drive of the game on Saturday afternoon where, with Jacksonville State driving in the Gamecock red zone and looking to tie the game or score a go-ahead touchdown potentially, Stone jumped a wheel route for a pick and returned it for six. The play made the Carolina faithful go wild, as the play effectively killed off any remaining hope the Gamecocks from Alabama had of potentially winning the ball game.

After the game, Blanton spoke on the pick six that would seal the game for South Carolina, saying, " It was surreal... it was a play we studied a lot during practice, and [I] saw it and knew it would be a wheel route." As easy as it would have been to keep his head down and feel sorry for himself, he didn't and made a play at the right time, when his team needed it most.

While it wasn't the best win, hopefully, the Gamecocks and Stone Blanton can take this momentum into the next game and continue toward a path of a potential bowl game and come out strong against Vanderbilt next Saturday.

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