The South Carolina football team (3-5) fell to the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) 29-22 at home Saturday evening in a back-and-forth contest where the Gamecocks held the lead in the fourth quarter.
Starting off the game, the Gamecocks opened up passing efficiently. Redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers completed four out of his first seven passes on the opening drive, leading to redshirt senior placekicker William Joyce hitting a field goal.
After forcing a three-and-out on the Crimson Tides' opening possession, the Gamecocks looked to build a lead. However, on the first play of the drive, Sellers' pass was tipped by graduate running back Rahsul Faison and into the hands of redshirt senior defensive back DaShawn Jones, who took it back for a pick-six.
Faison quickly responded, reeling in a 33-yard catch in addition to his longest rush of the game with a burst of 13 yards. The drive came up empty to begin the second quarter, as Joyce could not split the uprights on a 47-yard attempt.
The Gamecock defense led the way in the first half, limiting one of the SEC's best offenses, while also giving a spark to the team, forcing a fumble on redshirt junior Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
On the ensuing drive, the Gamecocks utilized the Sellers' connection, as freshman wide receiver Jayden Sellers caught a pass from his older brother to convert a fourth down and 12. However, a holding penalty that nullified a Sellers rushing touchdown later in the possession led to the Gamecocks kicking a field goal.
To end the first half, the Crimson Tide threatened to take control of the game. Alabama's offense found a rhythm and had a chance to build on a 14-6 lead in addition to receiving the second-half kick.
The defense continued to put pressure on Simpson, led by sophomore edge Dylan Stewart, who, despite not having a sack, consistently disrupted the Alabama backfield to go along with a tackle for loss.
After a fourth-down stop defensively, the Gamecocks shifted the momentum. Sellers took a shot downfield to junior wide receiver Nyck Harbor for a 54-yard touchdown. Continuing to sustain drives, the Gamecocks knocked in another field goal to re-take the lead 15-14 late in the third quarter.
As the offense found its own rhythm to complement the defense, the run game found its footing. Sellers rushed for 67 yards on 18 attempts in the game, to go along with a 10-yard scramble, making the game 22-14 early in the fourth quarter.
The Crimson Tide answered back, marching down the field for Simpson to find senior wide receiver Germie Bernard in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. Simpson then converted the 2-point try on a trick play beginning with senior running back Jam Miller in the wildcat formation before pitching it to Simpson, allowing him to find redshirt senior tight end Josh Cuevas and tie the game at 22.
As Sellers took the field looking for a two-minute game-winning drive, the Gamecocks elected to run the ball and in turn fumbled on their own 38-yard line.
As the Crimson Tide got the ball in plus territory, Alabama only needed a field goal to go ahead. However, on a wildcat run from Bernard, he took it 25 yards for the game-winning score.
Self-inflicted wounds
Similar to the rest of the season, the Gamecocks' self-inflicted errors proved too much to overcome en route to a win. Early in the second half, the Gamecocks had the opportunity to tie the game on a two-point conversion but ended up burning a costly timeout on a failed attempt.
Despite just five penalties for 40 yards, the untimeliness of said penalties was where it counted, not just taking a Sellers touchdown off the board but ending drives after a seemingly big momentum shift had taken place.
“Practice plus execution equals game-day reality,” said head coach Shane Beamer. “Plays guys made all week in practice we missed them today.”
Defense provides spark
The Gamecock defense held the Tide to just eight yards rushing in the first half to go with 14 points. As the offense lacked consistency early, the defense held them in the game, forcing a turnover to go along with sound coverage.
The defensive line made its presence known also, not allowing Simpson to be comfortable and forcing errant throws. Despite only two sacks, the defense had many pressures to go along with six tackles for loss.
Complimentary football
The Gamecocks controlled the pace of the game throughout, holding the ball for 32 minutes compared to 27 for the Crimson Tide.
In addition, the team helped each other out in the second half, with the offense sustaining drives to give the defense a break and the defense making key plays to give the offense a chance to score.
Outside of the missed kick, special teams had a solid outing, making three field goals to go along with a takeaway by Nyck Harbor on a punt.
“The culture in our program is stronger than ever, and it was on display today,” Beamer said.
Simplifying the offense to create opportunities for its playmakers proved to be successful for the Gamecocks.
What’s next?
The Gamecocks will go on the road next week to face the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 1 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff time is to be determined, and the game will be broadcast on either ABC or ESPN.