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South Carolina's Skai Moore (10) celebrates his interception against North Carolina in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
South Carolina held off North Carolina 17-13 on Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, in the season-opener for both teams.
Here are three things we learned from the game:
1. Skai Moore saves the day for South Carolina ... twice
South Carolina intercepted North Carolina quarterback Marqise Williams three times on Thursday, including twice in the end zone -- both of those by middle linebacker Skai Moore. Moore's second pick came on fourth-and-goal with 3:29 to play, preserving the victory for the Gamecocks.
2. North Carolina's defense is vastly improved under Gene Chizik
The Tar Heels allowed 392 yards Thursday, including 254 on the ground. Nevertheless, UNC showed much more life under first-year defensive coordinator Gene Chizik -- the former Auburn coach -- than they ever did in 2014. The Tar Heels allowed just 17 points, and came up with a huge fourth-down stop of their own to get the ball back with a chance to win in the final eight minutes.
3. Connor Mitch era gets off to rocky start for Gamecocks
It's only one game, but South Carolina appears unsettled at quarterback. Starter Connor Mitch ran for 44 yards on 10 carries, but completed just 9 of 22 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game after a hard hit in the fourth quarter. Kyle Orth ran the offense reasonably well after entering the game, but did not put any points on the board.
NEXT UP: South Carolina hosts Kentucky on Sept. 12 (6:30 p.m., SEC Network). North Carolina hosts North Carolina A&T on Sept. 12 (5 p.m., espn3).