South Carolina Dominates Coastal Carolina in In-State Showdown as Season Nears End
South Carolina returned to Columbia for its final two matchups of the season, both coming against in-state opponents. The Gamecocks kicked off this home stretch by hosting the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at 4:15 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. Their regular-season finale will follow on November 29 against archrival Clemson in the Palmetto Bowl.
The Gamecocks entered the weekend still reeling from their stunning 31–30 collapse against No. 3 Texas A&M — a loss that officially dropped them to 3–7 and eliminated them from bowl contention. Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium with a far different outlook. Despite suffering a 45–40 setback at Georgia Southern, the Chanticleers had already secured bowl eligibility at 6–4.
Live game-by-game coverage was provided throughout the afternoon on The Insider’s Forum.
Injury Update
South Carolina came into the matchup without one of its most explosive weapons. Top wide receiver Nyck Harbor was ruled out after being seen pregame in “sweatpants and a hoodie,” per Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News.
Because this was a non-conference contest, the Gamecocks were not required to release an official availability report before kickoff.
Game Recap
First Quarter
South Carolina 7, Coastal Carolina 0 (14:46)
The Gamecocks received the opening kickoff — and immediately put points on the board. On the very first offensive play, LaNorris Sellers connected with his brother Jayden Sellers for a 75-yard touchdown bomb.
South Carolina 13, Coastal Carolina 0 (14:46)
The Sellers-to-Sellers connection struck again moments later to set up another scoring chance. LaNorris drove the offense to the 1-yard line before punching it in himself. A two-point attempt afterward was unsuccessful.
South Carolina 20, Coastal Carolina 0 (7:27)
The Gamecocks kept rolling, moving downfield quickly and finishing the drive with a short “tush-push” run by tight end Brady Hunt.
Second Quarter
South Carolina 27, Coastal Carolina 0 (9:14)
Freshman wideout Donovan Murph hauled in the first touchdown catch of his career, snagging a pass from Sellers in the back of the endzone.
South Carolina 34, Coastal Carolina 0 (5:05)
LaNorris Sellers continued to dominate in the red zone, scoring again on a 5-yard keeper.
South Carolina 37, Coastal Carolina 0 (0:00)
Kicker William Joyce drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired, sending the Gamecocks into halftime with a commanding shutout lead.
Third Quarter
South Carolina 37, Coastal Carolina 0 (1:44)
South Carolina converted a fourth-down attempt late in the period and turned it into another short-yardage touchdown — once again via the tush-push with Brady Hunt.
Fourth Quarter
South Carolina 37, Coastal Carolina 7 (9:37)
Coastal Carolina finally spoiled the shutout when they returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
READ MORE ON THE GAMECOCKS VICTORY OVER COSTAL CAROLINA AFTER TOO MANY LOSS AND OC ISSUES
In the span of 55 days, the college sports world witnessed four SEC head coaches lose their jobs, A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces capture another WNBA championship, and both the NBA and NHL launch their new seasons.
During that exact stretch — from Sept. 28 to Nov. 22 — one thing didn’t happen: South Carolina football did not win a game.
That changed in Game 11. With bowl hopes officially gone, the Gamecocks finally snapped their drought, rolling past Coastal Carolina in a 51-7 domination that put them back in the win column.
For South Carolina fans, the victory felt like a long-overdue sigh of relief. The team had been the target of national jokes all week after their stunning 27-point meltdown against No. 3 Texas A&M. Saturday’s matchup offered the perfect opportunity to reset — and the Gamecocks didn’t waste a second.
On the very first play, LaNorris Sellers launched a strike to his younger brother Jayden, who sprinted 75 yards for his first career touchdown. And the Sellers-to-Sellers connection wasn’t done. Halfway through the first quarter, Jayden already had two catches for 117 yards, nearly doubling the 143 total yards he brought into the game.
The next drive saw the older brother take over. LaNorris punched in his fourth rushing touchdown of the year, though a missed two-point attempt left the score at 13-0.
Jayden’s breakout sparked a wave of firsts throughout the night. Tight end Brady Hunt logged his first touchdown of the season, and receiver Donovan Murph grabbed his first career touchdown reception soon after.
As the first half wound down, Williams-Brice Stadium relaxed into celebratory mode. Fans performed a stadium-wide wave while Coastal’s Bryson Graves nearly turned the ball over. The Chanticleers missed a 56-yard field goal, while South Carolina closed the half with a 47-yard kick, pushing the score to 37-0 at the break.
The halftime stat sheet told the story: South Carolina had racked up 419 total yards, the most they’d produced in any game this season. Their 37 first-half points were just shy of their season-best mark (38 vs. SC State).
Under interim offensive coordinator Mike Furrey, the offense has now posted its two highest yardage totals of the year in back-to-back weeks. Their 579 total yards against Coastal were the most since a 608-yard explosion versus Wofford in 2024.
The second half carried on with the same momentum, though at a slower pace. Coastal mounted a six-minute, 15-play drive that stalled on fourth down. South Carolina answered with a long, steady march of their own, capping off the possession with another short-yardage tush-push touchdown — the second such call under Furrey’s revitalized offense.
By the time the fourth quarter began, the Gamecocks had already put up 44 points, their highest total of the season entering a final period. That cushion allowed Shane Beamer to rest LaNorris Sellers for the remainder of the game.
Coastal finally spoiled the shutout after returning a blocked punt for a score. But South Carolina wasn’t done yet — Bradley Dunn punched in one more touchdown late, giving the Gamecocks their first 50-point performance since the 2024 Wofford game.
In the end, it was dominant, cathartic, and — after nearly two months of frustration — exactly what South Carolina needed.
How to Watch: South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
- Kickoff: 4:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
- TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Fozzy Whitaker, Morgan Uber)
- Streaming: Log in via your provider on the ESPN app or espn.com/watch
- Radio: 107.5 The Game (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Chet Turner); also available statewide on the Gamecock Sports Network
- Satellite Radio: Channel 190 (Gamecock Sports Network)
