Coach Will Muschamp and co-offensive coordinator Kurt Roper played it safe in the early going, but two deep shots down the field turned the tables in South Carolina's favor.
With plenty of inexperience on the South Carolina offense, the Gamecocks will have to rely heavily on the offensive line, one of the team's strongest units.
Defensive guru Will Muschamp will have talented players to aid in his attempt to make the South Carolina defense as strong as it was during the stretch of 11-win seasons.
True freshman Brandon McIlwain and senior Perry Orth lead the way for the quarterback position opening night, but how they will be used will be a question until the offense takes the field.
This year's special teams unit is widely considered one of the best in the SEC and will be a huge key to Gamecock success in the coming season.
In college sports, a swift return to greatness often results from misconduct.
Opportunities abound to watch USC take on the Vanderbilt Commodores with your fellow Gamecock faithfuls.
The high-quality training and cohesive styles of new co-offensive coordinators could eventually turn South Carolina's offense into one of the conference's best.
Anticipate a season full of peaks and valleys for this extremely young but talented crop of South Carolina wide receivers.
Sports editor Adam Orfinger breaks down the Gamecocks schedule for the 2016 season and measures the winnability of each contest.
Sports editor Adam Orfinger interviews Vanderbilt Hustler sports editor Robbie Weinstein to get an inside look at the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Starting tonight, South Carolina begins a new era as a program under rookie head coach Will Muschamp.
After last year's 3-9 season, South Carolina's stretch of three straight 11-win seasons from 2011-2013 seems like a distant memory.
Sports editor Bobby Balboni offers a scouting report on Vanderbilt and outlines what to expect in what could be a closely contested week one matchup.
Even with Skai Moore out for 2016, South Carolina has enough talent at the position to put together a strong unit.
Sports writer Jordan Airington previews all 13 Week One matchups in the SEC.
Junior college transfer Jamarcus King may need to establish himself as a leader in the weak South Carolina secondary right away.
