South Carolina finally broke through in SEC play on Saturday night, rolling past Kentucky 35-13 at Williams-Brice Stadium. The win snapped a two-game skid and pushed the Gamecocks back above .500 at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Much like earlier victories this season, non-offensive touchdowns proved to be the difference for Shane Beamer’s squad.
The game nearly opened with fireworks when Brandon Cisse got his hands on an interception, but he couldn’t complete the catch. Kentucky took advantage of the reprieve, as running back Seth McGowan capped the drive with a 20-yard score — his fourth straight game with a touchdown.
The Gamecocks answered right away. LaNorris Sellers led a gritty drive that included two third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion before Rahsul Faison punched in the tying touchdown. Sellers nearly had a costly mistake when one of his passes deflected into the air, but Vandrevius Jacobs bailed him out by hauling it in.
Early on, South Carolina’s defense had no answers for McGowan, who racked up 50 yards on just five first-quarter carries. But the tide turned once the Gamecocks began pressuring Kentucky’s freshman quarterback Cutter Boley.
The breakthrough came when Dylan Stewart strip-sacked Boley, and Jatius Geer scooped the loose ball for a 41-yard touchdown. Just two plays later, Gerald Kilgore picked off Boley and returned it for another score. By the time Kentucky’s next drive ended on downs, South Carolina had flipped the game on its head.
The Wildcats coughed up the ball four times in their final five drives of the first half, including Faison’s second touchdown. A 10-7 deficit quickly snowballed into a 28-7 South Carolina lead heading into halftime.
The third quarter brought little offense from either side, with Kentucky’s lone highlight being a 41-yard field goal late in the period. But Sellers provided a spark on the final play of the quarter, hitting Jacobs for a 59-yard strike. Jacobs stood out as one of the few reliable options in the passing game, finishing as one of only two receivers to record multiple targets.
Sellers also showcased his legs, rushing for a season-high 81 yards and accounting for 70% of South Carolina’s total yardage. Faison added his third touchdown of the night in the second half to seal the win before Luke Doty closed out the game under center.
By night’s end, the Gamecocks’ defense and opportunistic playmaking had turned a rocky start into a convincing first SEC victory of 2025.
