South-Carolina

Live updates/game thread: South Carolina vs. Akron (Week 4)

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

Live updates/game thread: South Carolina vs. Akron (Week 4)

South Carolina will have a chance to finish out September strong and go into the bye week with a win.

The Gamecocks (2-1, 1-1 SEC) will face the Akron Zips at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU. They’ll look to bounce back from a devastating loss to LSU last weekend.

GamecockCentral is here at Williams-Brice Stadium to provide live updates throughout the evening.

Gameday Guide: South Carolina vs. Akron

By: Peyton Butt

After a hard fought loss to LSU, the Gamecocks gear up for another week of action at Williams Brice Stadium. South Carolina will host a member of the Mid-Atlantic Conference, the Akron Zips, for a game under the lights Saturday.

Akron (1-2, 0-0 MAC) @ South Carolina (2-1, 1-1 SEC)

When: Sept. 2, 2024 – 7:30 ET
Where: Columbia, S.C. – Williams Brice Stadium (77,559)
Broadcast: ESPNU (Clay Matvick, Steve Addazio)
Local Radio: Gamecock Sports Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Chet Tucker)
Satellite Radio: Sirius/XM Channel 374
Odds: Gamecocks -28
Weather: 85°, Sunny

ALSO SEE: South Carolina in-state target visits for first two games, has ‘amazing experience’

South Carolina vs. Akron Preview Content

How to watch today’s game

Saturday’s game will be broadcasted by ESPNU through the ESPN Network. The Gamecocks will kickoff at 7:30 P.M. under the lights at Williams Brice Stadium.

The ESPNU Network is available nationwide from every major cable, satellite, and streaming provider.

GC LIVE: Thoughts from OC/DC pressers | Looking ahead to Akron

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bV09pNkw-ZA%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Quick Notes from South Carolina Athletics

QUICKLY: After back-to-back Southeastern Conference games, the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1, 1-1 SEC) step out of conference action on Saturday, Sept. 21, when they host the Akron Zips (1-2, 0-0 MAC) out of the Mid-American Conference. The contest is slated for 7:30 pm at Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) in Columbia. A full house is expected for the game as it’s Family Weekend on the University of South Carolina campus and it’s the first night game of the 2024 season.

OVER THE AIRWAVES: This week’s contest will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Clay Matvick will handle the play-by-play with former Temple, Boston College and Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio providing the color commentary. The Gamecock Sports Radio Network features a pair of Gamecock Great quarterbacks in play-by-play voice Todd Ellis (33rd season) and analyst Tommy Suggs (52nd season). Chet Tucker returns for his second year as the sideline reporter.

LET ME REINTRODUCE MYSELF: The South Carolina Gamecocks are off to a 2-1 start this season. They opened with a hard-fought 23-19 win over Old Dominion, then dominated Kentucky in the SEC opener, winning by a 31-6 count in Lexington, the largest road win in the Shane Beamer Era at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were unable to hold onto a 17-0 first half lead last week in a heartbreaking 36-33 setback to No. 16/17 LSU despite rushing for 243 yards, forcing two turnovers and blocking a punt.

ZIP INTO THE WIN COLUMN: Akron enters this week’s contest with a 1-2 mark. The Zips dropped a pair of lopsided games against Big Ten schools Ohio State (52-6) and Rutgers (49-17) on the road to open the season before rallying from a 17-0 first-quarter deficit to post a 31-20 win over FCS-level Colgate last Saturday in their home opener. The Zips final eight games of the season after this week are all MAC contests.

A LITTLE HISTORY: 2024 marks year four of the Shane Beamer Era and the 131st season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 118th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 636-614-44, a .509 winning percentage. Since the start of the 21st century, the Gamecocks are 170-132, a .563 winning clip. In four seasons under Coach Beamer, the Gamecocks are 22-19, a .537 winning percentage, including wins in five of their last seven games.

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IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2024 season is South Carolina’s 33rd year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the SEC prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned the SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. The Gamecocks are 110-149-1 (.425) all-time in SEC regular season play but posted a 42-38 (.525) record in conference action from 2010-19. Under Coach Beamer, the Gamecocks are 11-15 in SEC play, a .423 winning percentage.

TOUGH SLATE: South Carolina again has one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2024, as seven of its 12 regular-season opponents were ranked in the nation’s preseason top-20. The Gamecocks’ 2024 slate includes contests against preseason top-20 teams Alabama (5/5), Ole Miss (6/6), Missouri (11/11), LSU (13/12), Clemson (14/14), Oklahoma (16/16) and Texas A&M (20/20).

GAMECOCKS VS. ZIPS: This is the second gridiron battle between the SEC’s South Carolina Gamecocks and the Akron Zips, out of the Mid-American Conference. South Carolina was a 28-3 winner in 2018, the only previous encounter between the two squads.

IT TOOK AN ACT OF GOD: South Carolina and Akron met on Dec. 1, 2018 in Columbia in the only previous meeting between the two schools. The game was added to the schedule after both teams had early season contests called off due to weath- er. The Gamecocks were slated to host Marshall on Sept. 15, but that game was canceled due to Hurricane Florence. The Zips were scheduled to play at Nebraska on Sept. 1, however that game was canceled due to lightning.

SO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GAME?: Deebo Samuel scored three times, two on touchdown passes from Jake Bentley and a third on a fumbled snap in the end zone while the Zips were in punt formation, as the Gamecocks wrapped up the 2018 regular season with a 28-3 win over Akron on Dec. 1. The game which was played on a wet, cold December afternoon, was marred by seven turnovers. Bentley finished the day completing 14-of-27 passes for 199 yards. Mon Denson rushed 17 times for 110 yards and Rico Dowdle added 86 yards on 13 carries. Bryan Edwards caught five passes for 109 yards. The Carolina defense had 11 tackles for loss including five sacks in the contest. The Gamecocks, under the leadership of Will Muschamp, would go on to lose to Virginia in the Belk Bowl to finish the season with a 7-6 mark, while Akron, led by head coach Terry Bowden, wrapped up its season with a 4-8 record.

HISTORY OF THE ZIPS: The team was established in 1891 when the school was known as Buchtel College and later became the University of Akron in 1913. In 1926, the athletic teams were named the Zippers after rubber boots manufactured by the B.F. Goodrich Company, which was headquartered in Akron at the time. The name was shortened to “Zips” in 1950.

MAC ATTACK: The Mid-American Conference is currently made up of a dozen schools. The Gamecocks are 9-3 against teams that currently comprise the MAC, but the game against Akron in 2018 was their first since matchup with a MAC opponent since the 2000 season. Eleven of the previous 12 matchups with MAC opponents were held at Williams-Brice Stadium, with the lone exception being the 1975 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando against Miami (Ohio).

WE’RE ON A ROLL: After dropping three of their first four, with all three losses coming to Miami (Ohio), the Gamecocks have won eight-straight games against MAC opponents in a series of games contested between 1977 and 2018.

YOU’RE NOT WORTHY: The Gamecocks are 43-15 in their last 58 non-conference games, a .741 winning percentage, with eight of the 15 losses in that stretch coming against Clemson. The Gamecocks went 2-2 against non-conference foes in 2023 and are 1-0 in non-conference play this season following a season-opening win over Old Dominion.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE: South Carolina has won 39 of its last 46 home games (.848) against non-conference foes. The Gamecocks have won six of their last seven non-conference home games.

THE POWER OF FOUR: Since the turn of the century, the Gamecocks have a 55-4 mark (.932) against teams not currently in a Power-4 conference. The only four losses in that stretch came to UConn in the 2010 Papajohns.com Bowl, to The Citadel in 2015, to USF in the 2016 Birmingham Bowl and to Appalachian State in 2019. It should be noted that UConn was in the Big East, which was a BCS automatic qualifier during the 2009 season.

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South-Carolina

Rev. Jesse Jackson returns home to South Carolina to lie in state

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Rev. Jesse Jackson returns home to South Carolina to lie in state

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After a long career of fighting for civil rights, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is visiting his home for one last time to lie in state at the South Carolina capitol on Monday.

The final full honors from the state where he was born is a far cry from his childhood in segregated Greenville, where in 1960 he couldn’t go inside the local library’s much better funded whites-only branch to check out a book he needed.

Jackson led seven Black high school students into that segregated branch, where they sat down and read books and magazines until they were arrested. The branches closed, then quietly reopened for all.

With that action, Jackson launched his career — and crusade — fighting for equality for all. He would catch the attention of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and join the voting rights march King led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Jackson died Feb. 17 at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

The South Carolina services are part of two weeks of events. It began with Jackson’s body lying in repose and the public invited last week to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Chicago headquarters.

After South Carolina, Jackson will be returned to Chicago for a large celebration of life gathering at a megachurch and the final homegoing services at the headquarters of Rainbow PUSH. Plans for a service in Washington, D.C., to honor him have been postponed until a later date.

Nationally, Jackson advocated for the poor and underrepresented for voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders.

Trough his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society. He stepped forward as the Civil Rights Movement’s torchbearer after King’s assassination, and would run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

Jackson continued to be active in his home state, pushing in 2003 for Greenville County to honor King by matching the federal holiday in his honor and in 2015 by advocating for removing the Confederate flag from South Carolina Statehouse grounds after nine Black worshipers were killed in a racist shooting at a Charleston church.

Jackson is just the second Black man to lie in state at the South Carolina capitol. State Sen. Clementa Pinckney was honored in 2015 after he was shot and killed in the Charleston church shooting.

___

Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.

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South-Carolina

A Desperate South Carolina Program Returns to Oklahoma in 2026

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

A Desperate South Carolina Program Returns to Oklahoma in 2026

Sooners On SI will break down Oklahoma’s 2026 schedule, opponent by opponent, for a series dubbed “Know Your Foe.” You can look forward to an opponent breakdown each day. Catch up by checking out the preview for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Former Oklahoma assistant coach Shane Beamer finds himself on shaky ground heading into 2026. This is a make-or-break year for Beamer, whose South Carolina squad retained a great deal of talent while also adding some exciting names.

For Beamer, it could very well come down to how his team performs in his second game in Norman as an opposing head coach.

How the Sooners enter their third consecutive matchup with the Gamecocks could very well tell us how the rest of the 2026 season is going to go. South Carolina is banking on experience to extend Beamer’s future.

How will the Sooners fare against the Gamecocks? But first, some history.

Past Battles

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables talks with South Carolina coach Shane Beamer after a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the South Carolina Gamecocks. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina has been sort of a spotlight game for Oklahoma in their initial two seasons in the SEC.

In 2024, following their second loss of the season, the Sooners returned to Norman with their sights set on rebounding with a win to set up a strong finish. Those hopes were dashed immediately when the Gamecocks scored 21 points in the blink of an eye, leading to a comfortable victory. OU’s season would not rebound.

2025 saw the Sooners in a similar spot. After losing their first game of the season to Texas, OU traveled to Columbia for the first time ever hoping to rebound. They didjust that—setting them up to have an opportunity for a strong finish.

Returning Starters

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers scrambles against Oklahoma. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

The dynamic LaNorris Sellers returned to Columbia despite rumors speculating that he may try and find greener pastures elsewhere. This was more than good news for Beamer. Sellers’ big play ability keeps defensive coordinators up at night.

Wide receiver Nyck Harbor followed suit by returning to South Carolina as well. Harbor gives Sellers and the USC offense a gamebreaking factor that pairs well with Sellers’ capabilities. Last year, Harbor scored six touchdowns and had three games of 100 or more yards receiving.

Edge rusher Dylan Stewart—who OU was able to avoid last year following a hip injury sustained early in the first quarter—also announced he would return for a final season of college ball. At 6-6, 250 pounds, Stewart projects as one of the more talented defensive players in the country.

New Faces

Oklahoma receiver Jayden Gibson looks on during a drill at practice. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

With 25 new players via the transfer portal, Beamer left no stone unturned to try and right the wrongs of 2025.

After sitting out the last two seasons due to injuries and some legal trouble, Jayden Gibson landed in Columbia to attempt to revive his career. When he was healthy in 2023, Gibson proved to be a valuable pass catcher with his size and hands.

Big 6-5 tight end Max Drag chose to play for the Gamecocks following a career jumping from Appalachin State to UCF. Drag was primarily used as a blocker, which bodes well for USC’s QB-run oriented attack.

Linebacker Kelby Collins came in from Alabama. In a rotational role, Collins earned two sacks and three tackles for loss last year. Oklahoma saw Collins twice in 2025.

Key Departures

South Carolina State Bulldogs quarterback William Atkins IV escapes the pressure of South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Bryan Thomas Jr. in the second quarter. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Edge rusher Byrant Thomas Jr. entered the draft, taking away USC’s one-two punch at defensive end. Thomas’ blend of size and speed made him a force on the defensive line for South Carolina.

Big play pass catcher Vandrevious Jacobs took his 17 yards per catch talents to South Beach to play for the Miami Hurricanes.

Tight end Michael Smith was on his way to a promising start of his Gamecock career following a solid true freshman outing in 2024, but was limited last season due to injuries.

Schedule Placement

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

For OU, the back half of their schedule begins after hosting USC. With two tough home games bookended by two tough road games, Oklahoma’s matchup with the Gamecocks could prove pivotal for how the rest of the season goes.

If the Sooners navigated their initial brutal three games of Michigan, Georgia and Texas well, then by the time they’ve made it to late October, the Gamecocks should only serve to provide Oklahoma as a final open-book test sort of matchup.

But if OU goes 1-2 or worse in those initial three games, then the Sooners may be fighting for their season’s very life hosting the Gamecocks.

USC finds OU on the crucible section of their schedule. The Gamecocks travel to Knoxville the week before Norman, only to then play Texas A&M, Arkansas, Georgia and Clemson.

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Tessa Johnson injury update for Dawn Staley, South Carolina vs Kentucky

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tessa Johnson injury update for Dawn Staley, South Carolina vs Kentucky

South Carolina women’s basketball starting guard Tessa Johnson was not listed on the injury report Feb. 28 for the Gamecocks’ final regular-season game at Kentucky.

Johnson was practicing on Feb. 27 after missing the 112-71 win over Missouri, but coach Dawn Staley wouldn’t confirm her status for the next game.

No. 3 South Carolina (28-2, 14-1) travels to play No. 18 Kentucky (21-8, 8-7 SEC) on March 1 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network) to close the regular season.

South Carolina called it an “upper body contusion” on social media not long after she was listed as out on the SEC injury report that published an hour before tipoff vs Missouri.

Staley joked that media would post on social media that Johnson was practicing with the starters, setting the tone that she isn’t hiding the latest on Johnson’s health.

Johnson is a junior guard averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. She leads the SEC in 3-point shooting at 45.5%, which is also eighth in the nation.

Johnson struggled in her two most recent games. She went combined 2-of-13 for six points against Alabama and Ole Miss, just after going 8-of-13 for 21 points against LSU.

Staley said sophomore reserve post/center Adhel Tac is day to day dealing with a lower leg injury. Tac hasn’t played since Feb. 5. She’s still using a medical scooter to move around and has been sitting out practices. She was listed as out again vs Kentucky.

Tessa Johnson injury update, status for Kentucky

The Wildcats have talented guards who can score and defend, in addition to post players like 6-foot-5 center Clara Strack, who averages 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Tonie Morgan scores 14.4 points and dishes a nation-high 8.3 assists a game.

Johnson is third in the nation in 3-point shooting at 45.5%. By posing a threat behind the arc, players like Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot get more action in the paint.

Raven Johnson hit a career-high four 3-pointers against Missouri and Maddy McDaniel drained two, but there’s no denying how much Johnson elevates the offense.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

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