South Carolina is back at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night, and the Gamecocks are pairing the matchup with their annual Salute the Troops game against Towson. Kickoff is set for 7:02 p.m. after last weekend’s 57-0 season-opening win over Kent State.
The school also addressed the fan experience from the opener, saying it understands that many supporters had a rough time getting into the stadium and that changes are being made for Saturday night. Additional updates are expected this week as the program works through those adjustments.
Halftime will bring the Salute the Troops show, with recognition for active-duty soldiers, veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Military displays will also be set up in Gamecock Village before fans head into the stadium.
Gamecock Village presented by Farm Bureau Insurance opens at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Donovan Twins are scheduled to begin around 2:45 p.m., and the area will also feature food trucks, inflatable activities for kids, sponsor activations and a new team store presented by Rally House. Because it’s the Salute the Troops game, there will be special military activations there as well.
The Gamecocks are expected to arrive for Gamecock Walk around 4:55 p.m., with Cocky, the drumline and the spirit teams leading the way into the stadium along Tommy Suggs Garnet Way. Fans can then head to the Gamecock Park Amphitheater for the Pregame Pep Rally, which starts around 5:20 p.m. and features the Mighty Sound of the Southeast and the spirit teams.
There are also a few premium fan opportunities still available. Forever Garnet Memories has an auction closing Tuesday night, with bids open for pregame sideline passes, a ride on the Cockyboose onto the field and the chance to walk with Cocky during Gamecock Walk. Game Day Experiences are available too, including pregame sideline photos on the field and pictures with Cocky or Sir Big Spur.
This week also brings the next YETI Drop Wednesday. The limited-edition YETI Rambler Tumbler for this home game will be announced and made available on the Forever Garnet App, and buyers will receive two bottled Coca-Cola products with purchase.
The tumblers must be bought through the app, picked up on game day inside the gates of Williams-Brice Stadium and cannot be brought back for future games. The purchase limit is four per person.
Fans heading in on Friday have options as well. Stadium tours are available at multiple times, and the Gameday Store inside the Bignon Gameday Center on the corner of George Rogers Blvd. and Key Rd. will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Gastro Pub in the Meredith Family 2001 Club will also be back on Fridays prior to SEC games only for the 2026 season.
South Carolina is directing fans to its game day resources for details on everything from parking and gate entry to guest services, concessions, digital ticketing and the stadium’s ongoing renovation work, including what remains ahead in phase 2.
In Other News...
Beamer Just Sent A Clear Message About South Carolina Leadership
Shane Beamer shook up a familiar tradition by naming six team captains just about 48 hours before South Carolina opens the 2025 season, giving the clubhouse, as much as the locker room, an early read on who the players trust most. The group, chosen by vote, includes quarterback LaNorris Sellers, tight end Brady Hunt, linebackers Fred Johnson and Shawn Murphy, and defensive backs Gerald Kilgore and Peyton Williams, a cross-section of the roster that suggests Beamer wanted leadership spread across the offense and defense.
The timing was no accident. Beamer said the move was designed to address leadership concerns from last season, and the decision also gives the Gamecocks a chance to let those voices set the tone before the first snap matters. The captaincy votes will be revisited after the season, but for now South Carolina has made its priorities plain: establish accountability early, lean on player buy-in and see whether this group can steady the team from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Still Have One O-Line Decision Looming As Peak Nears Return
Jacarrius Peaks arrival was supposed to give South Carolina another experienced option up front, but the N.C. State transfer has spent the opening stretch working back from a knee injury suffered soon after he joined the program. He did not play in the season opener, leaving the Gamecocks to lean on freshman Darius Gray and transfer Dayne Arnett at tackle while the staff managed the line without one of its anticipated additions.
Shane Beamer said Peaks return is expected soon, and once he is healthy, the coaches will sort out where he fits. That creates one more live decision for an offensive line that has already had to adjust on the fly, with the Gamecocks now waiting to see whether Peak slides into a starting job or gives them needed depth as they head deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Delivered The Opening Statement Fans Needed To See
South Carolinas season opener looked like the kind of statement game fans had been waiting to see, with the offense piling up 645 yards and rolling to 57 points. The ground game set the tone, led by Jabree Coleman, while the defense under Clayton White was just as imposing, keeping Kent State under 200 yards and making the afternoon feel one-sided from the opening stretch.
Matt Fuller helped provide the early jolt, even after an illness briefly forced him off the field, and he still found a way to get into the end zone on the Gamecocks first touchdown. The bigger takeaway for Shane Beamers team was how complete it looked on both sides of the ball, and how quickly it turned an opener into a building block for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]