COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina `s defense accepted coach Will Muschamps challenge and his freshman quarterback made his coachs decision to start him look good as the Gamecocks beat East Carolina 20-15 on Saturday.After last weeks loss, Muschamp said he had to find players who could tackle. His defense did him even better, picking off a pass and recovering a fumble in its own end zone and had another interception at the Gamecocks 1. The Pirates only scored on two of six trips into the red zone and didnt have a play longer than 28 yards.All that was enough to take the pressure off Brandon McIlwain in his first start. It wont be his last. Muschamp is turning the Gamecocks (2-1) over to the freshman.Hes got a lot of poise about him, said Muschamp, who decided it was McIlwains time after the Gamecocks offense looked listless in a 27-14 loss to Mississippi State last week. Hes got a lot of the `it factor you look for at that position.McIlwain ran for 34 yards and two touchdowns and was 16-for-28 for 195 yards passing.And dont go telling Muschamp how East Carolina (2-1) gained 519 yards to South Carolinas 312 yards or how Zay Jones caught 22 passes for the Pirates, setting a school record and finishing just one reception away from the Football Bowl Subdivision record.I dont look at the stat sheet and see how many yards they have. I only care about the score, said Muschamp, emphasizing what he thought were even more important statistics for Jones -- the senior had 190 yards receiving and his longest catch was for 15 yards.The Pirates turned the ball over four times and, after committing just seven penalties in their first two games, committed eight penalties Saturday.What I saw in this game is too many penalties. What I saw was too many turnovers. I saw a team that outgained another and a defense that outplayed the other defense. We didnt pull it through at the end, East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery said.THE TAKEAWAYEAST CAROLINA: The Pirates have no one to blame but themselves. They allowed a South Carolina team that hadnt scored a point in the first half in its first two games to jump to a 17-0 lead after an 80-yard kickoff return by A.J. Turner to set up the game-opening score and an 84-yard drive on the Gamecocks second possession. Philip Nelson was 44-for-58 for 400 yards, but South Carolina had four sacks as he sometimes stayed in the pocket too long.We dont look at moral victories. Were going back to work, said Montgomery, hired at the end of last season.SOUTH CAROLINA: McIlwain looked like a freshman at times with several underthrows and overthrows. But he put two passes in just the right spots on a key fourth-quarter drive that ended with a 39-yard field goal from Elliot Fry -- South Carolinas only points in the final 52 minutes of the game. The freshman also made a key choice, pitching to David Williams on a fourth-and-1 option that sealed the win.Muschamp isnt letting his freshman quarterback talk to the media, so we dont know what he thought about his big day.ZAYS BIG DAYEast Carolina lined Jones up all over the field and he got open wherever he was. But after the game, he said he had no idea how many catches he had or how close to the record he was. Instead, he couldnt believe all the chances his team blew.It hurts to put great drives together and you get to where the money is and you cant cash it in, Jones said.Jones came into the game needing 130 catches to break East Carolinas career record held by Justin Hardy. That seems more likely to be obtainable after Saturdays performance.UP NEXTEAST CAROLINA: The Pirates finish a run of three straight games against Power 5 opponents by traveling to Virginia Tech. East Carolina has beaten the Hokies the past two years and Montgomery expects his team to shake off this loss quickly.We dont look at moral victories. Were going back to work, said Montgomery, hired at the end of last season.SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks play at Kentucky. Its likely the loser ends up near the bottom of the Southeastern Conferences Eastern Division.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org DeSean Jackson Eagles Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Carson Wentz Jersey . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Harold-Carmichael-Inverted-Jersey/ . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Ron Jaworski Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Herman Edwards Eagles Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Duke held on to its comfortable lead in The Associated Press Top 25 while Cincinnati and California are newcomers in the first regular-season poll.The Blue Devils (2-0) received 58 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday, keeping their large lead over No. 2 Kentucky, which was given top billing on one ballot.Defending champion Villanova received five first-place votes and moved up one place to third, replacing Kansas, one of three ranked teams that lost lasst week.dddddddddddd Oregon and North Carolina both moved up one spot to fourth and fifth, while Indiana, which beat Kansas 103-99 in overtime Friday, jumped from 11th to sixth. The Hoosiers were No. 1 on one ballot.Kansas was seventh followed by Virginia, Wisconsin and Arizona. The Wildcats last week beat then-No. 12 Michigan State, which fell to 13th. ' ' '