South Carolina’s trip to Tuscaloosa started with a chance to steady the season and ended with another ugly step backward.
The Gamecocks were blasted 49-18 by No. 8 Alabama on Saturday, their seventh straight SEC loss and a night that never offered much reason to believe the slide was about to stop. South Carolina fell to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while the Crimson Tide moved to 4-0 and 2-0.
For a team that had already blown a 16-point lead and been dominated by Mississippi State the week before, this was supposed to be the reset. Instead, South Carolina spent the first half piling mistake on top of mistake until Alabama had built a 32-point cushion before halftime.
The opening 30 minutes were especially rough. Alabama’s receivers found space with ease, and the Crimson Tide hit South Carolina with three big touchdown passes: a 75-yarder from quarterback Keelon Russell to Lazeir Brooks, then scores of 32 and 42 yards to Ryan Coleman-Williams.
South Carolina’s offense had its own chances early and wasted them. The Gamecocks reached the red zone on their first drive, only to be undone by two penalties, a Brady Hunt drop and a missed 45-yard field goal by Malik Orsan.
On the next promising series, USC tried a fourth-down play that never had a chance to work: Sellers acted as if he was waiting for a call from the sideline before Hunt suddenly lined up under center for a sneak. Alabama stuffed it, and Russell answered on the next snap with the 75-yard touchdown to Brooks.
LaNorris Sellers didn’t deliver the kind of game South Carolina needed from its quarterback. He completed 18 of 30 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while adding 72 rushing yards on 13 carries. He was sacked once and also threw a crushing Pick-6 late in the second quarter.
The Gamecocks also hurt themselves with a string of costly, strange moments. They were flagged for delay of game on a fourth-and-4 from their own 30, with the offense lingering as if the sideline was still deciding what to do. On another snap, Alabama defenders were heading off the field and the ball could have been snapped into a 12-men penalty, but South Carolina showed no urgency and Alabama called timeout before anything could happen.
There was also a roughing-the-passer call on edge Dylan Stewart that looked questionable at best. The flag wasn’t the biggest problem; the reaction was. Stewart seemed to wilt after the call, and when Alabama scored two plays later, Shane Beamer appeared to start yelling at him for not jogging off the field before later getting in his face.
Stewart was flagged again in the fourth quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct after appearing to throw a punch at an Alabama offensive lineman following a Crimson Tide touchdown. He was not ejected.
None of that alone decided the game, but it all fit the same pattern. South Carolina was outmatched, overpowered and undisciplined, and the breakdowns kept stacking until the result felt out of reach long before the final whistle.
The loss dropped USC to 2-11 against Power-4 competition since the win over Clemson in 2024, and this one stood out even in that run. No half has been worse than South Carolina’s first 30 minutes at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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Dylan Stewart Has South Carolina Facing A Huge Decision
South Carolina is now dealing with more than just the aftermath of a loss to Alabama. Edge rusher Dylan Stewart was suspended indefinitely by Shane Beamer after multiple incidents in the game, a troubling sequence that included penalties, a sideline argument and physical altercations. For a player whose talent has already made him one of the more important pieces on the roster, the situation has quickly turned into one of the biggest off-field questions facing the program.
Stewarts track record only adds weight to what comes next, since this is not the first time his behavior has drawn scrutiny. He was ejected earlier in 2025 for unsportsmanlike conduct, and he was also flagged for taunting in 2024 after a gun celebration gesture that drew public criticism. South Carolina is expected to decide his future later this week, leaving the Gamecocks to balance discipline, accountability and the reality of what his presence means on the field. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than Its Losing Streak
South Carolina heads into Week 5 trying to steady itself after a two-game skid, but the focus has shifted well beyond the record. The Gamecocks are back at Williams-Brice Stadium to face Kentucky, and the matchup arrives with a bit more edge than usual after a turbulent week around the program.
Dylan Stewart's indefinite suspension following incidents in the loss to Alabama has created a fresh challenge for a defense already trying to get back on track. Kentucky, meanwhile, comes in at 3-1 under new coach Will Stein, riding two straight wins and leaning on a rushing attack that looked sharp against South Alabama, which only raises the urgency for South Carolina to find answers quickly. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Gets A Tough Florida Setup At The Worst Time
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For a team trying to manage the grind of conference play, a daytime trip to Gainesville is hardly an ideal follow-up. The timing will be settled soon enough, but South Carolina already knows the challenge waiting on the other side: a road date in the SEC, on television, and at a time that leaves little room to ease into the matchup. [Read more 🡒]