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by ERIN PARROTT
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With a pair of non-conference victories under its belt, No. 11 South Carolina shifts its focus to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) grind this weekend as the Gamecocks open league action at home against Vanderbilt.
South Carolina is looking to start the season with three consecutive victories – something the program hasn’t done since 2012, when a Steve Spurrier-coached squad racked up six straight victories to open the season. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2017 – and its first win over South Carolina since 2008.
The Gamecocks’ string of 16 straight wins over Vandy is the longest winning streak by one conference opponent over another… ever. All-time, South Carolina is 30-4 against the Commodores.
Following South Carolina’s 38-10 victory over FCS foe South Carolina State and the Commodores’ 44-20 win over Virginia Tech this past weekend, both teams are entering this conference opener with momentum.
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Despite a weather delay that dragged on for nearly three hours, fans stuck around as South Carolina stormed past the undermanned Bulldogs in their home opener – although questions linger over an offense that delivered just two touchdowns, requiring the defense and special teams to provide the bulk of the scoring.
Were head coach Shane Beamer and offensive coordinator Mike Shula keeping their full playbook in the bag? Or is South Carolina’s offense simply not as potent as many thought it would be this season?
Trailing 3-0 in the second quarter, South Carolina turned to standout punt returner Vicari Swain for a momentum shift. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defensive back from Carrollton, Georgia delivered – twice.
On the first kick, Swain slipped past a tackler and sprinted 64 yards down the South Carolina sideline to put the Gamecocks on the board.
Minutes later, he struck again – scooping up a partially blocked punt and dashing 42 yards untouched into the end zone for his second score of the night.
Swain’s back-to-back performance marked back-to-back games with punt return touchdowns – adding to the 80-yard return he delivered in South Carolina’s season opener against Virginia Tech. He’s already tied the school’s single-season record for punt return scores and earned conference special teams player of the week honors twice.
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Vicari Swain with back-to-back punt returns for touchdowns for @GamecockFB… (three in a row dating back to last week’s score against @HokiesFB). Electric stuff for ?? https://t.co/6F7ZewyPxs
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) September 7, 2025
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Although South Carolina struggled offensively during the first half of the game, things picked up in the third quarter when running back Oscar Adaway III pushed through the Bulldog defense following a hand-off from quarterback LaNorris Sellers – scoring the game’s first offensive touchdown from five yards out.
With the Gamecocks on top 24-3 midway through the third quarter, the offense was outshined again when linebacker Jaron Willis returned a fumble for a 46-yard touchdown.
While the usually explosive Sellers threw six incompletions in his first eight attempts – and finished the game with a meager 128 yards passing – the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Heisman Trophy contender was able to locate wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs for a 35-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Even though an ugly win is still a win, Beamer expects more from his star quarterback – and his offense – as South Carolina heads into its SEC opener against Vanderbilt this Saturday (September 13, 2025).
“We know we have to be a lot better,” said Beamer. “We can’t rely on our defense and special teams to score three touchdowns a game.”
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After finishing 2024 with a 9-6 overall record and a 3-5 mark in SEC play, Vanderbilt enters its clash with South Carolina brimming with confidence.
“We know that we can beat them and we’re gonna go in there and do it,” offensive tackle Bryce Henderson said this week.
Vanderbilt will rely on senior quarterback Diego Pavia – who has amassed 468 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and five touchdowns so far this season – to offensively guide the team for his second year with the Commodores after transferring from New Mexico State in 2023.
Like Henderson, Pavia drew the ire of Gamecock fans when he circled this matchup on the Commodores’ 2025 schedule during the preseason.
On offense, wideout Tre Richardson has been integral to the Commodores’ attack – with 128 receiving yards, 33 rushing yards and one touchdown. Vandy also features running back Sedrick Alexander – who has racked up 1,113 rushing yards, 397 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns over his Vanderbilt career.
After South Carolina’s defense stole the show last week, Vanderbilt’s defense is counting on potential 2026 NFL draft pick Randon Fontenette to lead its efforts against Sellers and the Gamecock offense. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker from Freeport, Texas has logged 46 solo tackles for 76 total and 3.5 sacks for his career with the Commodores.
Saturday’s conference opener is another sellout at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina – with ticket prices soaring ahead of tomorrow night’s 7:45 p.m. EDT kickoff. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart handling the play-by-play, former Commodore quarterback Jordan Rodgers providing the color commentary and Cole Cubelic working the sidelines.
Oddsmakers have South Carolina pegged as consensus 3.5-point favorite – a line which has moved in Vandy’s favor the closer we get to kickoff – with ESPN’s matchup predictor giving the Gamecocks a 65.1% chance to extend their dominance in this series.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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