The nightmare South Carolina fans dreaded all week showed up at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night, and it looked painfully familiar.
The Gamecocks let a 16-point lead slip away and fell to Mississippi State 41-34 in their SEC opener, dropping to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in league play. What started as a dominant first half unraveled into one of those second-half collapses that have haunted this program before.
South Carolina controlled the opening stretch almost from the jump. It had the ball for all but 54 seconds of the first quarter, reached the red zone three times, and built a 16-0 lead.
At halftime, the Gamecocks were still ahead 9 points, which mattered because USC had been 16-4 when tied or leading in SEC games under Beamer. They had 297 yards before the break.
Then the game flipped hard.
Mississippi State opened the second half with a touchdown from Kamario Taylor on third-and-18, and suddenly South Carolina’s 9-point cushion felt like nothing. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, Taylor kept it going with another long conversion and another scoring drive, pushing Mississippi State in front.
From there, the Gamecocks fell apart. LaNorris Sellers threw interceptions on South Carolina’s next two possessions, and both turnovers were the kind that left the broadcast booth searching for answers.
On the SEC Network, analyst Aaron Murray said after the second pick, “This is ...” Murray said after the second pick, searching for the words.
“I don’t know how you don’t see the nickel (safety).”
The third quarter was a disaster for South Carolina. After piling up 297 yards in the first half, the Gamecocks managed just 5 in the third.
Sellers finished 25-for-40 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, but he was outplayed by Taylor, who delivered the sharper, steadier performance in the matchup that had been framed as a duel between two of the SEC’s most gifted dual-threat quarterbacks. Taylor completed 18 of 26 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns, and his only interception came on a tipped ball.
The contrast was obvious. Taylor stayed composed and made plays when the pressure rose.
Sellers, once Mississippi State seized control, never found that same rhythm. South Carolina spent the night searching for someone to stabilize the offense and never got it.
In Other News...
Shane Beamer Addressed What South Carolina Must Fix After SEC Collapse
South Carolinas SEC opener ended with plenty of frustration at home, as the Gamecocks fell 41-34 to Mississippi State after a second-half letdown. Shane Beamer made clear afterward that the way his team played after halftime was the biggest concern, not just the final margin, and he stressed that how South Carolina responds in the days ahead will matter as much as what happened Saturday.
There were still some bright spots to sort through, including the kicking game, where Malik Orsan handled the pressure well in his first game as the starter and connected on all four field-goal tries. Two of those came from beyond 50 yards, a steady showing in a game where South Carolina could not afford to waste points, but the larger issue remains how the Gamecocks correct the slide that cost them a chance to open SEC play with momentum. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Let A Winnable SEC Game Slip Away Fast
South Carolina had Mississippi State right where it wanted it at halftime, up 23-16 and with enough momentum to suggest a winnable SEC game was within reach. Instead, the Gamecocks let it slip in a hurry, with Shane Beamer openly frustrated afterward about settling for field goals instead of finishing drives in the first half.
The collapse came fast once the game flipped back on them. South Carolina managed only five yards in the third quarter while Mississippi State put up 17 points, and LaNorris Sellers two second-half interceptions turned into 10 Bulldogs points. It was the kind of loss that leaves a team thinking about what it had in hand and how quickly it got away. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas SEC Opener Suddenly Carries More Weight Than Expected
South Carolinas SEC opener against Mississippi State on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium already had the feel of an early measuring stick, and now it comes with a little more weight attached. The Gamecocks are trying to get to 3-0 for the first time since 2012, which gives the afternoon a different kind of edge for a team that has looked the part early and now has to carry that into conference play at 4:15 p.m.
There is also the matter of who is expected to be on the field. Dylan Stewart, Jacarrius Peak and Carter Miller are all expected to play, giving South Carolina a better shot at starting SEC play with some continuity, while Mississippi State brings in quarterback Kamario Taylor with strong passing numbers and even a spot in the Heisman conversation. For the Gamecocks, it is the kind of opening conference test that can tell them a lot about where they really stand. [Read more 🡒]