The South Carolina football team (3-4) looks towards another conference matchup against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) at Williams-Brice Stadium this homecoming Saturday.
Following their most recent loss to Oklahoma 26-7, the Gamecocks look to bounce back against Alabama and earn a second conference win. Meanwhile, Alabama heads into this Saturday with a 37-20 win against the then-No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers. The Crimson Tide aim to continue their overall six-game and conference four-game winning streak following their lone loss of the season against Florida State during week one.
The biggest challenge the Gamecocks face heading into the game will be a red-hot Alabama offense.
Alabama’s junior quarterback Ty Simpson has thrown a 70.2% completion rate for 1,931 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only one interception this season. The Crimson Tide averages 35.14 points per game, leaning heavily on the passing play where they average 297.143 passing yards per game with 22 total touchdowns. Alabama ranks seventh out of 16 in the SEC for points scored per game.
“They’re just staying on the field, and they’re operating at a high level and their defense isn’t having to be out there long because the offense is moving the ball efficiently and protecting it,” head coach Shane Beamer said.
In comparison, South Carolina’s offense averages 20.14 points per game, with 191.1 passing yards per game for five touchdowns. The Gamecocks rank last in the SEC for points scored per game. While sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers faces a tough opponent in Simpson, he has thrown a 64.7% completion rate for 1,134 yards and five touchdowns, with two interceptions on the season.
Sellers will likely look for redshirt sophomore wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs and junior wide receiver Nyck Harbor to find a way past Alabama’s defense. Common targets of Sellers, they make up almost half of the team’s 1,338 receiving yards, with a combined 621 yards.
While Sellers and the offense are looking for more of an output on the scoreboard, the Gamecock defense will look to try to stop the depth that Alabama’s wide receivers showcase. Senior wide receiver Germie Bernard leads the Crimson Tide with 472 total receiving yards, scoring five touchdowns on the season so far.
Other notable wide receivers include sophomore Ryan Williams, who is second to Bernard in receiving yards, with 423 yards. Redshirt junior Isaiah Horton is another player the Crimson Tide pass to, with five receiving touchdowns for 272 yards.
The Gamecocks' defense looks to remain strong once more as the team faces the Crimson Tide. Alabama’s defense has a total of 13 sacks for a loss of 89 yards, seven interceptions, five forced fumbles and 37 tackles for loss, while South Carolina's defense has 15 sacks, eight interceptions and eight forced fumbles.
Though both the Gamecocks’ offense and defense will be put through yet another test this week, concern remains surrounding a few injured players. Sophomore linebacker Dylan Stewart suffered a hip injury during the game against Oklahoma. Stewart, a standout on the defense, has recorded 27 tackles, three and half sacks for a loss of 30 yards and two forced fumbles on the season.
There is also concern surrounding South Carolina’s starting offensive linemen. Redshirt junior Cason Henry, senior Nolan Hay and freshman Shedrick Sarratt Jr. did not start against Oklahoma.
To add insult to injury, the three offensive linemen who replaced Henry, Hay and Sarratt Jr., including redshirt senior Nick Sharpe, junior Trovon Baugh and redshirt sophomore Tree Babalade, were declared hurt with unreported injuries against Oklahoma.
However, Beamer is optimistic about all of them, except for Henry. Beamer said he’ll be out, not thinking he’ll return this season.
Even with a change-up in the offensive line, sixth-year offensive lineman Rodney Newsom Jr. said that he and the rest of the offensive lineman are working to improve and concentrate on their objective week by week.
“I think the biggest thing for us is just to maintain the focus going in these next couple of weeks, so we can pick up the performance so we can move the ball better,” Newsom Jr. said.
With the changes in the line-up, the injury list continuing to grow and a true threat from Alabama’s offense, senior defensive back DQ Smith said the team needs to focus on the future and not looking back on the past.
“Getting back on track, trying to get everybody on the same page, we’ll be good going down the stretch," Smith said. "Just continue to work hard in practice, watching film, obviously and just getting ready for the next one."
Historically, Alabama has come out on top against the Gamecocks. Their most recent face-off in 2024 resulted in a 27-25 loss for the Gamecocks. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 14-3, with their most recent loss coming in 2010 when the then-No. 19 Gamecocks defeated the then-No. 1 Crimson Tide 35-21.
What's next?
The South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4, 1-4 SEC) will face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide 6-1, 4-0 SEC) on Oct. 25 at Williams-Brice Stadium. With the kickoff set for 3:30 p.m., the game will be broadcast on ABC.