Week 7 turned into another busy snapshot for Gamecocks across the NFL, with South Carolina alumni showing up in just about every phase of the game.
On offense, Rico Dowdle kept busy for Pittsburgh in its 16-10 win over New Orleans, logging nine rushes for 41 yards and adding six catches for 45 yards. Jalen Brooks chipped in one reception for 35 yards in Arizona’s 30-16 loss to Denver, while Nick Muse made the most of limited touches for Atlanta, finishing with two receptions for two yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ 29-20 win over San Francisco.
Special teams also got its share of attention. Kai Kroeger handled six punts for 277 yards in Houston’s 27-21 overtime loss to the New York Giants.
Defensively, the Gamecocks were all over the field. Brandon Cisse posted seven tackles, including five solos, in Green Bay’s 20-17 loss to Detroit.
Keisean Nixon added four solo tackles in that same game, while D.J. Wonnum finished with two tackles for the Lions in the win.
Seattle got strong production from two former Gamecocks in its 20-3 win over Kansas City. Ernest Jones piled up nine tackles, including five solos, and Nick Emmanwori added four tackles, including two solos.
Elsewhere, Jadeveon Clowney recorded two solo tackles in Houston’s overtime defeat, Kingsley Enagbare notched six tackles and half a sack in New York’s 28-25 loss to Miami, and Tonka Hemingway posted one solo tackle and a sack in Las Vegas’ 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Demetrius Knight had one of the bigger plays of the week, finishing with eight tackles, including two solos, and one interception for 14 yards in Cincinnati’s 35-13 win over Baltimore.
In Other News...
South Carolinas Tennessee Breakthrough Now Carries One Huge Pressure
South Carolinas win over No. 11 Tennessee gave Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks a signature moment, but in the SEC, a breakthrough like that can quickly become a trap. Around the league, several teams have taken down ranked opponents only to stumble in the very next game, and that is the kind of swing Beamer knows can erase momentum fast. For a program trying to build something real, a victory that once felt like a turning point cant become the high point.
Now the challenge shifts to Oklahoma, where South Carolina has to prove the Tennessee result was a step forward and not just another example of the leagues so-called SEC Flu. Beamer has already acknowledged that danger, but his message is simple enough: enjoy the win, then move on. In a conference where every week seems to punish anyone who gets comfortable, the Gamecocks biggest test may be how well they handle the noise after their biggest recent breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Just Got Another Reason To Celebrate That Tennessee Win
South Carolinas win over Tennessee already stood out as one of the programs most important early-season results, and now it has another layer of recognition attached to it. Nolan Hay, the fifth-year offensive lineman who started at center in the 27-24 victory over the No. 11 Volunteers, was named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America.
Hays work up front helped the Gamecocks put together 344 total yards and average 5.5 yards per play against one of the nations better defenses, the kind of efficiency that made the upset possible. It also marked the second time a South Carolina player has picked up the weekly honor, a small but meaningful sign that the performance in Knoxville resonated well beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Dawn Staley Finally Addressed The Geno Handshake Drama
Dawn Staley has had time to unpack the postgame handshake moment with Geno Auriemma from South Carolinas win in the 2026 Womens Final Four, and her comments put the episode in a different light than the one it briefly took on in the aftermath. Staley said she did not realize Auriemma was expecting a second pregame handshake, and she made clear the awkward exchange was about more than a single missed greeting.
The larger backdrop, of course, is the rivalry itself and South Carolinas recent run of success against UConn, which has only sharpened the edge between two of the sports most accomplished coaches. Staley also emphasized her respect for Auriemma, but her reflections suggested there were deeper tensions sitting underneath the public moment, which is what made the whole scene resonate well beyond one game. [Read more 🡒]