No. 11 South Carolina football will host the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sept. 13 at Williams-Brice Stadium. This highly touted matchup will be each team's first SEC matchup of the 2025 season.
The South Carolina Gamecocks has begun its 2025 campaign undefeated after claiming wins over the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-11 during week one’s neutral-site matchup and South Carolina State 38-10 in its second home game. Meanwhile, the Commodores also enter Saturday's game with an undefeated record, including two 20-plus point victories over Charleston Southern and Virginia Tech.
“The non-conference games are over, and the SEC is a different animal,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “Our leaders have made it very clear that (it’s) SEC play. And there’s just a different feel and a different intensity.”
From a historic perspective, the South Carolina Gamecocks has dominated the Vanderbilt Commodores in its head-to-head matchups. In the Beamer era alone, the Gamecocks is 4-0 against Vanderbilt, which includes 28-7 and 47-6 wins in the past two seasons. South Carolina is 30-4 all-time against Vanderbilt, with the Commodores’ last victory dating back to 2008.
However, with the Vanderbilt program on the rise under head coach Clark Lea, Beamer said the 2025 Commodores squad is the best Vanderbilt team that his Gamecocks has faced yet.
“(We) got a really good Vanderbilt team coming in here. Certainly the best Vanderbilt team that we’ve played in my time as the head coach,” Beamer said. “(They've) improved from last year … They’ve been in this system now for a while.”
Vanderbilt has emerged as a threat to its SEC opponents under Lea. From what was once a 2-10 program in 2023, the Commodores flipped the script in 2024 to notch a 7-6 record, which included a monumental 40-35 win over Alabama. The seven-win season also marked the first since 2018 that the Commodores participated in a bowl game.
Offensively, South Carolina looks to get more connected as a group as redshirt junior offensive linemen Boaz Stanley and Cason Henry have directed attention to improving its communication as a group.
“(It) all boils down to communication and using your technique the correct way,” Henry said. “As I said, (the) offensive line is a five-in-one kind of game.”
While on the defensive side of the ball, the South Carolina defense has allowed 19 points and one touchdown so far this season. Despite the success, senior defensive back DQ Smith said the defense is still looking to improve week in and week out.
“We’re trying to improve everything right now,” Smith said. “Just get everybody on the same page and just hopefully continue to dominate how we (did) the last two weeks.”
The special teams crew also will look to keep its momentum going into SEC play. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain has emerged as one of the most feared returners in college football as a result of his three punt return touchdowns so far this season. No other returner has more than one.
Vanderbilt graduate quarterback Diego Pavia is entering Williams-Brice with a chip on his shoulder in 2025. During a podcast interview with Bussin’ With The Boys this past offseason, hosted by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Pavia said the matchup against South Carolina was the game he had “circled” on his calendar.
Last year, in his first season with Vanderbilt after transferring from New Mexico State, Pavia threw for nearly 2293 yards and led all SEC quarterbacks with 801 yards on the ground.
“He’s a stud … I’ve got so much respect for him,” Beamer said. “He’s such a competitor … He loves the moment. He loves competing.”
The Commodores returned eight defensive starters from its 2024 team, along with multiple skill position players on the offense. Vanderbilt's defense has given up the sixth-fewest yards in all of Division I football this year.
Offensively, the Commodores returned graduate tight end Eli Stowers, whose 638 receiving yards led the team in 2024. Vanderbilt also brought back the team's lead running back in junior Sedrick Alexander from last season, who recorded 586 rushing yards and six total touchdowns.
Beamer said he is looking forward to the game and the impact that Gamecock Nation can have on its environment.
“I need to challenge our fans to make sure that Williams-Brice on Saturday is even more hostile than what they faced (last week),” Beamer said. “Should be a beautiful night for football. Prime time SEC Network game … (it) will be a fun night in Columbia.”
What’s next?
No. 11 South Carolina football hosts the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.