Ten minutes before kickoff, South Carolina fans were at their loudest and most excited. Fireworks went off and the student section waved towels vigorously as the Gamecocks took the field, emerging out of the tunnel as smoke billowed out around them.
By the 7:10 mark in the third quarter, App State had opened up a 20-9 lead and had effectively sucked the energy out of the stadium that was so loud hours before. The Mountaineer defense was not letting South Carolina do anything. Although it was only an 11-point game with plenty of time for a comeback left on the scoreboard, Gamecock fans started to leave Williams-Brice Stadium.