Thumbs up, thumbs down: Quick reaction from South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
South Carolina’s 16-game win streak over Vanderbilt was finally snapped on Saturday night.
The Commodores walked into a sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium and left with a big 31-7 win over a Top 25 team.
Here are three positive things that stood out in South Carolina’s loss, along with three things that didn’t go the Gamecocks’ way.
Thumbs up
Rahsul Faison: It took three games but the Utah State transfer finally found the end zone for his first time as a Gamecock against Vanderbilt. The seven-yard touchdown was South Carolina’s first, and only, score of the game. He finished with 74 yards on 15 carries in the game.
Nyck Harbor: The speedy wide receiver led South Carolina in receiving yards on Saturday. Harbor finished with four catches for 66 yards.
Justin Okoronkwo: The Alabama transfer had a solid game against Vanderbilt. He finished with four tackles on the night, tying his season-high. Okoronkwo also picked off QB Diego Pavia late in the third quarter for the first interception of his career.
Thumbs down
Gamecocks lose LaNorris Sellers: South Carolina’s starting quarterback was knocked out of the game in the second quarter. Sellers dropped back to pass and was rocked by Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson. Sellers stayed down on the field for a few minutes before he walked off the field with athletic trainers. Officials waited until in the middle of a play — in which Luke Doty and Nyck Harbor connected for a potential big gain — to review the play for targeting, eventually making the call and ejecting Patterson from the game. Sellers did not return to the game. It’s not Sellers’ fault he left due to injury, but it certainly didn’t help things on Saturday night. South Carolina’s offense looked incomplete, to say the least, without Sellers. The Gamecocks failed to put any points on the board for the remainder of the game and turned the ball over three times.
Defense can’t get off the field: Shane Beamer said during the week that Vanderbilt would do its best to drain the clock on offense and keep the ball out of South Carolina’s hands. The Commodores did just that on Saturday. Vanderbilt kept the ball for 35 minutes compared to the Gamecocks’ 24. Vanderbilt was also 6-for-12 on third downs and 1-for-1 on fourth downs compared to South Carolina who was 4-for-12 and 1-for-3, respectively.
Penalties get the best of the Gamecocks: South Carolina had seven penalties for a total of 85 yards in the game. The Gamecocks had two false starts and a substitution infraction on offense. On defense, South Carolina was flagged for pass interference, roughing the passer (twice), holding and unsportsmanlike conduct. Star defensive lineman Dylan Stewart was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter as a result of the latter.
