October 31, 1998
Williams-Brice Stadium; Columbia, South Carolina
This is probably a game that doesn’t immediately come to mind because let’s face it, Florida and the Florida State games will always be remembered for all the historical memories. However, what Martin was able to accomplish against South Carolina in 1998 was more than impressive.
Although the Gamecocks didn’t have a great team, okay that’s being polite, they sucked. Their only win was against Ball State, the first game of the season. In fact, this might be one of the worst teams the SEC has ever seen. But, it shouldn’t take away the fact Martin had one of the best games of his career.
He started the game picking apart the Gamecock defense. Five completions in a row, actually make that ten in a row. It didn’t stop there, it continued to 15 in a row and then 20 in a row.
I remember watching the game and thinking, “Martin has an opportunity to do something extraordinary here.” He did have a completion that carried over from the Alabama game to help set at the time an NCAA record for 24 straight completions.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Martin finished with 315 passing yards with four touchdowns. Sure, this wasn’t the game that won a National Championship, but it should be remembered as one of the best games of his career.