South Carolina forced three turnovers deep in its own territory to help freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain win his first career start as the Gamecocks held on to beat East Carolina 20-15 on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

East Carolina receiver Zay Jones caught 22 passes for 190 yards, coming within one reception of tying the NCAA record for a game.

He didn't get another chance after South Carolina (2-1) recovered an on-side kick with 2:29 left and ran out the clock, thanks to running back David Williams' 25-yard burst on fourth-and-1 from the ECU 40.

McIlwain, taking over for senior Perry Orth, scored on two zone-read runs in the first half and completed 16 of 28 passes for 195 yards. He did not commit a turnover.

East Carolina (2-1) scored on a 4-yard pass from quarterback Philip Nelson to receiver Devin Anderson with 2:29 left to pull within 20-15. A two-point try failed.

Nelson completed 44 of 58 passes for 400 yards, but a lot of his good work was undone by red-zone mistakes.

South Carolina cornerback Jamarcus King intercepted a first-half pass in the end zone, cornerback Chris Lammons picked off a throw at the South Carolina 1 on the first possession of the second half, and defensive back D.J. Smith recovered a fumble in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

The Gamecocks' special teams chipped in, too, as defensive lineman Ulric Jones blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter.

East Carolina outgained South Carolina 519 to 312.

The Gamecocks scored on their first snap, thanks to an 80-yard kick return by A.J. Turner that set up the offense at the 9. McIlwain scored on a 9-yard keeper. About four minutes later, McIlwain scored on a similar play, this time from 10 yards, for a 14-0 lead.

South Carolina's other points came on two field goals by Elliott Fry, including a 39-yarder with 6:24 to go for a 20-9 lead.

East Carolina had won six of its past eight games against Power Five conference teams, including a 33-30 victory over North Carolina State last week.