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by WILL FOLKS
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With stratospheric preseason expectations and its loftiest preseason ranking in more than a decade weighing heavy in the air, No. 13 South Carolina unexpectedly found itself in a pitched battle against unranked Virginia Tech for three quarters on Sunday afternoon (August 31, 2025).
Head coach Shane Beamer‘s Gamecocks (1-0, 0-0 SEC) were forced to rely on special teams – and a stultifying fourth quarter defense – to seal their 24-11 win over the upstart Hokies. Still, it’s safe to say the second of two ACC v. SEC 2025 Alfac Kickoff Games held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia was far more competitive than anyone expected.
At least right up until the moment wasn’t…
South Carolina served notice on the first possession of the game that all of the preseason hype surrounding star quarterback LaNorris Sellers was justified. Sellers hit on all three of his passes for 54 yards on the opening drive – which he capped with a fifteen-yard touchdown run.
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Comin' thru ? pic.twitter.com/bY7CEckCso
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) September 1, 2025
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After its hot start, though, South Carolina’s offense sputtered – amassing just 25 yards on its next four possessions. When things finally did start clicking again for first-year coordinator Mike Shula late in the first half, the Gamecocks had to settle for a field goal after Sellers’ nine-yard touchdown pass to junior wideout Nyck Harbor was controversially overturned via video replay.
Virginia Tech – which entered the game a 7.5-point underdog – had plenty of chances to score an upset over South Carolina. Fourth-year head coach Brent Pye‘s team actually out-gained South Carolina by two yards – and managed to match or exceed South Carolina’s intensity in the trenches through the first three quarters. On several drives, the Hokies’ defensive line overpowered the Gamecocks’ front five – registering four sacks and seven tackles for loss on the afternoon.
Miscues doomed the upset bid, though. Two costly interceptions by redshirt senior quarterback Kyron Drones – one early in the red zone and one on the Hokies’ final drive of the game – cost Virginia Tech dearly.
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But it was an illegal formation penalty on the third play of the fourth quarter which proved to be the decisive blow. And fittingly for this rivalry – renewed after a thirty-five year hiatus – that blow fell on special teams.
Beamer is, after all, the son of legendary Hall of Fame head coach Frank Beamer – who coached for nearly three decades at Virginia Tech. His Hokie programs pioneered “Beamerball,” an aggressive approach to special teams play that relied heavily upon unconventional scoring methods to win games.
Despite having good field position following Virginia Tech’s punt, Beamer chose to make the Hokies kick it again following the illegal formation – betting Pye’s coverage team would be winded. He was also betting redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain would be eager atone for a muffed punt earlier in the game that nearly led to disaster for the Gamecocks.
Both bets paid off… bigly.
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The spark ? pic.twitter.com/X4xOWtbsMV
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) September 1, 2025
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“You never like to have your cover team go twice in a row,” Pye said after the game. “You just don’t want that. I didn’t like it when it happened. And then our gunners, you’ve got to take your shot. You’ve got to finish. I don’t know if they assumed that he wasn’t going to catch the ball or that he was going to fair catch it, but they came off the gas instead of taking their shot, which makes the guy go sideways and gives the rest of your coverage team a chance to make the play. Certainly disappointing.”
Swain’s 80-yard house call gave the Gamecocks a two-score lead – and after holding Tech to a field goal on the ensuing drive, Sellers and Harbor got their redemption for the touchdown so rudely taken away from them in the first half.
With 7:42 left on the clock and the Gamecocks clinging to a six-point lead, Harbor showcased his world class speed on a deep post route – with Sellers hitting him nearly in stride for a 64-yard touchdown strike that effectively put the game on ice.
Sellers finished 12 of 19 for 209 yards with the one touchdown pass. He added 25 yards on the ground and another score. While those numbers may not have lit up the scoreboard, his Heisman odds soared after Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Texas’ Arch Manning both faltered in their season openers last weekend.
Sellers’ performance also drew praise from a former winner of college football’s top honor.
“LaNorris Sellers is a nightmare for defenders and defensive coordinators,” 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III wrote on X. “It’s not just his ability as a runner and his improvement in the passing game. His STRENGTH in the pocket and how hard it is to bring him down once you get to him is SO DEMORALIZING.”
South Carolina welcomes FCS foe S.C. State to Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday (September 6, 2025) for its home opener. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT with the SEC Network providing coverage.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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