South-Carolina
Grading all performances from South Carolina's road win at Vanderbilt
It was around this time two years ago when South Carolina traveled to Nashville in search of its sixth win and got it to become bowl eligible for a second straight season.
Fast forward to now, the Gamecocks entered this past Saturday in a familiar position. After only winning five games in 2023, they won their sixth game of the year on the road at Vanderbilt to earn a bowl bid for the first time since 2022.
South Carolina stormed into Nashville and picked up a 28-7 win over the Commodores. Now with six wins, the team is 6-3 (4-3 SEC) on the year with three games to play in the regular season.
Let’s grade each position group and the coaching staff and break down how they performed this weekend.
[GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days and 50% off first year]
Quarterback: A
As the season moves along, LaNorris Sellers continues to only show signs of improvement and growth. It’s remarkable how far he’s come since his first start of the season.
Sellers put together another solid performance on Saturday, completing 14-of-20 (70%) of his passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. His downfield vision was on full display in the win as he completed six passes for at least 14 yards per play.
Specifically, the one play that has everyone talking was his insane 51-yard pass that nearly didn’t happen coming out of halftime. At his own 15-yard line, he broke away from a potential sack and rolled out to his left with some room to run. Rather than scramble for a few yards, he saw Jared Brown downfield and hit him up for the big gain.
For the second straight game, Sellers wasn’t sacked at all. He only ran for 38 yards and did have one turnover on a first quarter fumble. But he was more than productive enough to help guide the Gamecocks to a big win.
Running back: A
Saturday proved to be another fantastic game for Rocket Sanders, who finished with 178 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. His first touchdown came two plays after Sellers’ 51-yard pass, where Sanders ran home free to the end zone for a 33-yard score.
He’d score again in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run to extend the lead. Then in the fourth quarter, he caught a dump off pass from Sellers and took it 43 yards for the game-icing touchdown. Whether it was the way he cut, how physical he was, how hard he ran, Sanders was nearly impossible to bring to the ground. He’s now up to 11 touchdowns on the season.
Let’s not forget about Oscar Adaway III, who quietly had a nice game as the team’s backup running back. He only ran for 34 yards on eight carries, but he had a lot of short yardage runs on early downs that made things easier for the Gamecocks to convert on third down. Adaway averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Wide receiver: B
There weren’t any huge performances from the receivers in this game. It was much more of a collective effort and a few guys making some plays. Nyck Harbor led all receivers/tight ends with 43 yards on three catches. His big play came when he hauled in a 23-yard pass in the second quarter to put the Gamecocks in the red zone and score on the next play.
Gage Larvadain also had three catches and finished with 34 receiving yards. He caught one pass for 10 yards and another for 20. As aforementioned, Brown’s 51-yard catch from Sellers in the third quarter would be his only of the game. Vandrevius Jacobs was the only other receiver to be targeted and make a catch (one catch for six yards).
[See the Gamecock discussion on The Insiders Forum!]
Tight end: B+
As the offense continues to look better each game, so does Josh Simon. The sixth-year tight end caught three passes for 40 yards and hauled in a 17-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
Simon has been a great option for Sellers in the passing game as of late. This is what many expected out of him this year. He’s now up to 27 catches for 357 yards and five touchdowns this season. When he’s targeted, he makes plays. He’s averaged 13.2 yards per catch through nine games.
While Brady Hunt and Michael Smith weren’t targeted, they were both pretty good as blockers when they were on the field. As pass blockers, Hunt earned a 66.8 grade and Smith finished with a 67.4 grade, according to PFF. Their run blocking wasn’t anything great, but again, they still made enough of an impact to help in the win.
Offensive line: B+
It feels like the entire perception of the offensive line has changed within the span of two weeks. For the second straight game, South Carolina didn’t surrender a single sack. Three starting lineman finished with pass blocking grades of 72.6 or higher, which is pretty good.
While he only played 28 snaps, Tree Babalade was a major force up front, finishing with a game-high 80.1 pass blocking grade. With Josiah Thompson a little banged up, it’ll be interesting to see who starts at left tackle against Missouri this weekend. But it’s certain that Babalade should a solid chance to start after his performance.
Torricelli Simpkins III had a great game and earned SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. He graded out a team-high 93 percent with 11 knockdown blocks and eight pancakes. He’s been one of the best additions the team made from the transfer portal.
South Carolina finished with 452 total yards of offense, 214 rushing and 238 passing. With how well the offense is operating, the offensive line has undoubtedly played a big part in this recent string of success.
Defensive line: A
It may not have been a giant statistical performance for the defensive line, but the group was about as disruptive as it could be. Vanderbilt’s offensive line allowed 11 quarterback hurries, which made things tough on quarterback Diego Pavia.
Pavia showed some flashes with a few nice plays here and there, but he didn’t have a great game, mainly due to how often the defensive line was in the backfield. He was sacked twice, once by Kyle Kennard on a strip sack fumble and another from Bryan Thomas Jr.
Even with how banged up the unit was with guys going in and out, it was still an overall great showing. This game really showed just how strong South Carolina’s depth is and that nearly anyone can come in and make an impact.
Linebacker: A
The streak of A+ grades for the linebackers will end at two games after Saturday. But between Demetrius Knight Jr., Debo Williams, and Bam Martin-Scott, they all good performances.
Knight had seven tackles and one pass breakup. Williams had four tackles and one tackle for loss. Martin-Scott also had seven tackles and 0.5 TFL, but he made a great play in the fourth quarter to deflect a pass from Pavia in the air to turn the ball over on downs.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Missouri football game]
Secondary: A
Outside of giving up one pass for a 33-yard gain, South Carolina’s secondary did a fantastic job of keeping Vanderbilt’s offense from finding the big play in the passing game. Of Pavia’s 16 completions, only five of them went for between 10-20 yards. Otherwise, it was a lot of short yardage passes and incompletions.
Stepping up for an injured DQ Smith, backup defensive back Peyton Williams slid into his starting role and didn’t miss a beat. He finished with seven tackles and broke up two passes, one of which came on a fourth down stop in the third quarter.
Judge Collier, Jalon Kilgore, and O’Donnell Fortune each had a pass breakup, as well, further reinforcing the point that the secondary shut down Vandy’s passing attack.
Special teams: B+
Alex Herrera missed his only field goal attempt of the day from 42 yards out in the first quarter. It’s not ideal to see him miss from that distance.
Kai Kroeger only punted twice and averaged 48 yards per punt. His game-long went for 57 yards, which went out of bounds at the one-yard line after the Commodores nearly gave the ball back to the Gamecocks on a fumble.
Coaching: A
In this recent run of success over a three-game win streak, the coaching has been very good. As always, it starts with head coach Shane Beamer, who continues to prove why he’s a great leader for this program. He’s now 10-4 as the program’s head coach during the month of November.
While offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ play calling might get a little too cute or fancy at times, there’s no question his offense has been way better since the bye week. Over the last two games, the Gamecocks have finished with 530 yards against Texas A&M and 452 yards against Vanderbilt. With three games to go, it’ll be interesting to see what’s next for the unit and what other tricks Loggains will have up his sleeve.
And as usual, defensive coordinator Clayton White and the defensive staff continue to put the defense in the best positions possible to be successful. South Carolina still hasn’t pitched a complete game shutout this season, but it’s getting awfully close to doing so after giving up seven points on Saturday.
USA TODAY 250th anniversary travel guides and American stories
USA TODAY marks America’s 250th with travel guides, culture, history, and local stories.
As the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary, one of the efforts underway is America’s Time Capsule.
The time capsule project is led by America250 and meant to bring together carefully selected artifacts and documents from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and each branch of the federal government.
This national project is designed to capture the story of the United States at this historic 250th birthday, according to America250.
Here’s what South Carolina contributed to the national project.
What did South Carolina put in the America250 time capsule?
South Carolina is marking the nation’s 250th anniversary by contributing two historic items to the national America’s Time Capsule project, according to America250.
As part of the SouthCarolina250, which is the state’s initiative for the U.S.’s 250th celebration, commemoration effort, the state has provided a commemorative challenge coin and an official SC250 lapel pin.
Both will be buried inside the capsule on July 4, along with items from other states. And it is set to be reopened 250 years later in 2276.
Where will the Americ250 time capsule be buried?
The ceremonial burial of America’s Time Capsule is set to take place at Independence National Historical Park, located at 599 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, according to america250.org.
What else is in America’s 250th anniversary time capsule
As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, the national time capsule has been filled with items meant to capture the character and diversity of the country in this moment.
The collection spans a range of items, from archival letters and state proclamations to student work from the America’s Field Trip contest, uncirculated currency, and even pieces of national sports memorabilia.
Time capsule engineered to last centuries
As planners work to ensure America’s Time Capsule endures for the next two and a half centuries, engineers and archivists have focused heavily on long‑term preservation.
The capsule itself is a cylinder‑shaped stainless‑steel vessel, precision‑designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in partnership with archival scientists at the Library of Congress, according to the Institute.
Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com.
In Laurens County, a dual-sided historic marker stands next to a mailbox off the side of the road. The name Jonathan Downs was commemorated on one side, while the other side was signed with the story of Lindley’s Fort in the American Revolution.
The Battle of Fort Lindley took place July 15, 1776, some 1,800 feet away from the modern-day historic marker. Private farmland now sits where the battle ensued, but physical pieces of history and oral retellings of the battle have continued to propel the story in Laurens County lore.
Loyalists to the British crown and Cherokee citizens planned an attack on a group stationed at the fort. The Little River Regiment used the fort as their base. Loyalist Capt. David Fanning described the scene as a “fort built with logs” in his autobiographical retelling of the Revolutionary War.
Cherokee land had continually been encroached on, which pushed members of the tribe to retaliate.
The loyalists who joined in the attack were dressed as Native Americans. They – along with other South Carolina backcountry loyalists – were referred to as Scopholites. The group took action at midnight for what became a two-hour fight in one of the first conflicts of the Cherokee War of 1776.
Historian Durant Ashmore said the crux of the battle was a clash of culture and a fundamental lack of understanding among the groups.
“One thing that has been very important to understand is the conflicts between cultures – the misunderstandings between cultures – and the deadly consequences that can result from that,” he said.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Troops at the fort had at first not believed word of the upcoming attack when informed by a group of soldiers, according to a pension application of Matthew Brown, who was a 16-year-old boy stationed at a fort about 20 miles away from Fort Lindley. The men were drunk from a night of indulging in rum, which Ashmore said was a common occurrence during the war.
“The Little River Regiment did not believe them. They actually even leveled their guns at them, saying, ‘Who’s telling you such lies as this?’” he said.
Maj. Downs, however, prepped the troops for defense. Downs was a previous member of the First Provincial Congress, Second Provincial Congress, and South Carolina General Assembly.
A sizable chunk of the Patriot troops had already experienced fighting Cherokee citizens during the Anglo-Cherokee War that lasted from about 1758-1761. Soldiers at Fort Lindley responded to the attack by sending out troops in lines of 10. Eventually, the loyalists and Cherokee citizens retreated.
The patriot victory boosted local morale and belief in their cause, but for some unscathed loyalists and Cherokee citizens, the aftermath’s impact trumped the actual battle loss in consequences.
The morning after the battle, troops from the fort found about 30 horses at a campsite. One saddlebag contained the commission papers of Capt. James Lindley. Lindley was a staunch loyalist and the eponymous owner of Fort Lindley.
Six months prior to the battle, he had been captured at the Battle of Great Cane Break. Lindley had promised to not take up arms against patriot forces again, or he would face death. Although he was not captured in the midnight battle, he did succumb to patriot troops at the Battle of Kettle Creek and was hanged for breaking his parole.
As for the Cherokee citizens, their land was further encroached upon and people killed; about 2,000 were killed during the Cherokee War of 1776.
Ashmore said the consequences from escalating conflict were terrible.
“Patriots gathered together with the idea of a plan, the goal of eliminating the Cherokees. Genocide,” he said. “That’s what was preached to the backcountry settlers along with the ability to make their own decisions. A primary motivating factor in the American Revolution is the right of self-determination.”
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Now, private land with cows and sheep sits on the area where the fort once stood. Ashmore said he gives tours just during the winter to avoid the risk of ticks. The area where trenches once helped shield soldiers are still visible.
Some remnants from the fort now reside at the Laurens County Museum in the city of Laurens’ downtown area. The objects, although not individually labeled, will be part of an upcoming opening collection.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Museum docent Julia Sermons said being informed of local history helps shape modern decisions.
“You have to know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going,” she said.
Ashmore, too, saw the same value.
“We are all in the middle of this,” he said. “This history – the important role that South Carolina played in the Revolution.”
An estimated 14 battles took place in Laurens County, according to Ashmore. He has been keeping track of local history for about 6 years. He said the county has set a 50-year plan to help with future record keeping.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Video of SCHSL 5A Division 1 Upper State track and field championships
Here’s video of some of the action from the SCHSL Class 5A Division 1 Upper State boys and girls track and field championships held May 8 at Dorman.
Riley Vaughn of Spartanburg girls Track and Field was named the 2025-26 South Carolina girls Gatorade Player of the Year.
Vaughn won the shot put and discus events at the Class 5A-D1 state championships. She nailed a 13.1 meters on the shot and 41.77 meters on the discus. Her 14.41 in the shot at the region meet was the state’s best for 2026.
The 5-foot-10 junior helped lead Spartaburg to a fifth-place team finish. Vaughn had also competed on the national stage after taking third place in the shot put event at the Under Armour Nationals.
“Unbeaten in the discus throw on home state soil this year, Vaughn achieved success in both throws, but really sparkled in the shot put circle,” PrepCalTrack editor, Rich Gonzalez, said. “Her season-best there was the state’s top mark in the event in seven years and moved her to No. 4 on South Carolina’s all-time list.”
Vaughn is now part of an elite group of athletes who have won the prestigious award, including four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards, and 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix.
Vaughn was also named to the Greenville News’ All-Upstate First Team in girls’ Track and Field for the second consecutive season.
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).
-
Movie Reviews7 minutes ago
Film review: ‘Tuner’ mixes classical music, crime, and Dustin Hoffman | The Jerusalem Post
-
World17 minutes agoRescuers comb Venezuelan quake rubble, thousands reported missing
-
Lifestyle59 minutes agoFormer Vice President Mike Pence believes Washington is more ‘swampy’ under Trump
-
Technology1 hour agoPrime Day’s final hours bring rare discounts on Philips Hue smart lights
-
World1 hour agoVideo shows gaping hole after small plane crashes into towering skyscraper
-
Politics1 hour agoWarren tells Trump to ‘sign the damn bill’ as bipartisan housing package remains stalled in Washington
-
Health1 hour agoCommon food preservatives may raise blood pressure and heart risks, study suggests
-
Sports2 hours agoWho is Alyssa Thomas? WNBA star suspended for punching Caitlin Clark in the throat
