South Carolina’s offense looks different this time around, and the biggest reason is on the sideline.
A year ago, the Gamecocks were leaning on chaos. Big throws, long scrambles, not much in between.
That was enough to keep things interesting, but it also left them far too dependent on splash plays to stay on schedule. This season, with Kendal Briles running the show, the approach has shifted toward the run game and shorter passing concepts, and the results have been better.
South Carolina is up to a 52% success rate and is scoring 45 points per game, though that comes with the obvious caveat that Kent State and Towson were part of the opening stretch. Still, last week’s 34-point showing in a loss to Mississippi State showed the offense can move the ball.
The issue was finishing drives, with the Gamecocks stalling in the red zone too often.
Briles arrived after South Carolina moved on from offensive coordinator Mike Shula. He brings a long, winding resume that has taken him from FAU to Houston to Florida State to Arkansas to TCU and now Columbia.
His background is rooted in the veer-and-shoot under his father, Art Briles, and he has typically been fast-tempo and RPO-heavy. Even so, he has usually adjusted his system to fit the quarterback and head coach he’s working with, which makes his past stops only partly useful when trying to forecast what comes next.
The quarterback remains LaNorris Sellers, now in his third year as the starter. He hasn’t quite matched the buzz he carried into 2024, but he’s still operating as a veteran SEC quarterback with real upside.
Sellers has thrown for 648 yards, completed 62.8% of his passes, averaged 7.5 yards per attempt, and posted five touchdowns against three interceptions. The numbers are solid rather than spectacular, but his legs remain a major weapon.
He has 172 rushing yards on 23 carries, and his ability to create outside the structure of the play is still one of South Carolina’s best ways to flip a drive.
He’s spreading the ball around to a familiar-looking group. Nyck Harbor, Donovan Murph, Mazeo Bennett Jr., tight end Brady Hunt, and running back Matt Fuller have all been part of the mix.
Harbor remains the headliner: a 6-foot-5, 240-pound receiver with the kind of track numbers that make him stand out even in a crowded sport. He was clocked at 22.4 mph and owns an 10.11-second 100-meter dash.
After catching 618 yards worth of passes in a featured role last year, he’s trying to turn the physical gifts into production that finally matches them. Bennett and Murph, both longtime South Carolina players, have moved into larger roles after spending earlier years as rotational pieces.
The most important change, though, has been in the backfield. Matt Fuller barely flashed as a freshman last season, but he has grown into the lead runner and given the offense a sturdier base.
At 221 pounds, he has brought both power and efficiency, rushing for 272 yards at 7.2 yards per carry while adding 93 receiving yards. Against Mississippi State, he was a centerpiece, logging 17 carries and seven catches and accounting for a major share of the offense.
Alabama allowed 22 points to South Carolina last year, and the matchup still looks fairly balanced on paper. The Gamecocks found the end zone twice in that game, once after a short field and once on a deep strike to Harbor.
Alabama’s defense has also shown some of the same traits this season, including giving up a few deep shots against Florida State. South Carolina may be a little stronger on the ground than it was a year ago, while Alabama appears a bit better against the run.
If the script plays out in a familiar way, Alabama should be able to handle most of the short passing and RPO stuff, but Sellers’ running ability and a couple of explosive throws could still put points on the board. A South Carolina total in the 21-24 range feels like the cleanest expectation.
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