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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michelle R. Martinelli

South Carolina returner escaped so many Texas A&M players for stunning 100-yard kickoff return

South Carolina (Organization) Xavier Legette BEAMER BALL Texas AM Gamecocks

There is, perhaps, no better way to open a college football game than what South Carolina’s Xavier Legette did against Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia. It was perfect, brilliant and absolutely jaw-dropping.

On the literal very first play of the game — not the Gamecocks’ opening drive but the opening kickoff itself — Texas A&M’s Caden Davis kicked the ball 65 yards into Legette’s hands in the end zone.

Legette took off, but at first, it looked like he’d get halted somewhere around the 15-yard line. NOPE.

With some initial solid blocking help from Jalen Preston, among others, Legette scooted through some chaos to the right sideline and escaped at least two tackles in addition to a mess of Aggies trying to slow him down. Again, it looked like he’d go down around the 35-yard line, and again, NOPE.

And by the time Legette cross his team’s own 40, he had a wide open field ahead of time, cruising to the opposite end zone for a stunning 100-yard kickoff return.

Just, wow. 10/10, no notes — except for Texas A&M’s tackling.

And according to the Greenville News, it was South Carolina’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Deebo Samuel did it in 2017.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

College football fans were in absolute awe.

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