Mississippi State’s Hot Start Puts Genuine Challenge in Front of South Carolina’s 3-0 Bid
South Carolina enters Saturday’s SEC opener facing history in more ways than one. Last season, Vanderbilt denied South Carolina a 3-0 start, ending the Gamecocks’ bid by beating them for the first time in 16 meetings. Notably, this isn’t an SEC-wide issue — every other conference school besides Florida (which last opened 3-0 in 2019) has started 3-0 within the last four seasons, with nine SEC teams doing so last year alone.
A Deceptively Easy Path — Until It Wasn’t
When South Carolina’s schedule was first released, 3-0 seemed inevitable. The Gamecocks handled Kent State 57-0 and dismantled Towson 45-9, setting up what looked like a favorable SEC opener against a Mississippi State team that won just one conference game last season.
That assumption has since been upended. DraftKings had South Carolina as 7.5-point favorites last Wednesday; that line has since dropped to just 4 points in South Carolina’s favor.
Mississippi State’s Breakout Season
Following a 38-13 road win at Minnesota, there’s growing belief that Mississippi State (2-0) could be this year’s version of last year’s breakout Vanderbilt team — largely due to sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor. After starting only the final two games of 2025, Taylor has emerged as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, now holding the 10th-best Heisman Trophy odds. He’s completed 38-of-56 passes (over two-thirds) for 581 yards, 7 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, helping Mississippi State score on 17 of its 21 offensive drives this season.
Beamer didn’t hold back his respect for Taylor: “We could talk about him all day. The hype is real. He’s got great size, so he sits back in the pocket. And his arm talent, he can make all the throws on the field.”
Comparisons to LaNorris Sellers
Given the physical similarities between Taylor (6-4, 230) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (6-3, 238), comparisons between the two dual-threat quarterbacks are inevitable this week. USC defensive back Gerald Kilgore embraced the comparison, while expressing confidence in his own quarterback: “Oh yeah, 100%. The size, the strength, the speed, it’s all there. (Kamario’s) put some great things on tape, but that’s something we’ve faced just as good or, in my opinion, better with LaNorris.”
The Defensive Key: Generating Pressure
South Carolina’s defense, which has allowed just 9 points through two games, faces its stiffest test yet against Taylor and a dangerous supporting cast, including RB Fluff Bothwell (27 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs) and WR Anthony Evans III (14 catches, 239 yards, 2 TDs). Beamer emphasized that success hinges on the front four generating pressure — something Minnesota failed to do, allowing Taylor to “sit back in the pocket and smoke a cigar, and then throw the ball downfield.”
Cleaning Up Offensive Mistakes
If South Carolina’s pass rush falls short, the burden shifts to an offense that, despite over 400 rushing yards and 45 points against Towson, was far from clean — committing six penalties, losing two turnovers, and dropping seven passes. Beamer issued a direct warning about those tendencies: “A lot of the stuff we got away with the last two weeks, particularly (against Towson) will get us beat going forward.”
What’s at Stake
Should South Carolina execute cleanly, win the turnover battle, and get its offense clicking behind Sellers, the Gamecocks would accomplish something the program hasn’t done in nearly a decade and a half — opening a season 3-0.
Game Info
- Who: South Carolina (2-0) vs. Mississippi State (2-0)
- When: 4:15 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
- Watch: SEC Network
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