COLUMBIA — By 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Williams-Brice Stadium was already emptying out. Fans streamed toward the exits late in the third quarter, some perhaps heading across George Rogers Boulevard to the S.C. State Fair — because by then, South Carolina’s fate was sealed.
There was no reason to stay. The Gamecocks had already shown what they’ve been all season: predictable. In a 26-7 loss to No. 14 Oklahoma, South Carolina once again lived down to expectations — a team stuck in repeat mode.
South Carolina continues to miss tackles, keep quarterback LaNorris Sellers in the shotgun, and call run plays straight into the teeth of opposing defenses. The Gamecocks keep finding themselves behind the chains, failing on third down, and pulling out a predictable fake punt that never fools anyone.
They look sloppy, unprepared, and defeated — unlucky at best, uninspired at worst.
If anyone took coach Shane Beamer’s preseason optimism at face value, Saturday’s game was another reminder that the hype has fallen flat.
Now sitting at 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the SEC, South Carolina faces the grim reality of needing to upset Alabama, Ole Miss, or Texas A&M just to have a shot at bowl eligibility. Judging by their latest performance, that goal feels more like a fantasy.
“The Gamecocks’ season might not technically be over,” one observer noted, “but it sure feels that way.”
Offensive Struggles Hit a New Low
The offense bottomed out with a season-low 224 total yards, scoring only seven points — for the second time this year. Despite firing offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley earlier this season, the problems remain.
The crowd made their frustrations clear, raining boos and chanting “Fire Shula!” in reference to offensive coordinator Mike Shula.
New assistant Shawn Elliott has helped reduce penalties, but the offense remains broken. South Carolina gave up six sacks and 12 tackles for loss, managing just 54 rushing yards on 34 carries. Even worse, the Gamecocks were 2-of-14 on third down.
When the pressure mounted, no hero emerged. The defense couldn’t pick up the slack either, surrendering eight third-down conversions on 16 attempts to Oklahoma.
A Familiar Pattern
For a while, it looked like South Carolina might hang in there. The Gamecocks trailed just 14-7 at halftime despite being outplayed across every category.
To their credit, South Carolina cleaned up the flags after drawing 13 penalties against LSU the week prior. This time, they had none in the first half. But even that discipline couldn’t hide the team’s offensive issues.
On their first goal-line opportunity, South Carolina ran three straight handoffs to Rahsul Faison, gaining nothing. On fourth down, Sellers kept the ball — and was stuffed short.
A similar situation arose a quarter later from the 1-yard line, and again, Sellers lined up in shotgun. Finally, on their eighth goal-to-go snap, he threw — finding Nyck Harbor wide open in the end zone for the lone touchdown.
It was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lifeless performance.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the stands were mostly empty. Fans knew the story — because they’ve seen it before.
Next Game:
🏈 South Carolina vs. Alabama
📅 Saturday, Oct. 25 | 3:30 p.m.
📍 Williams-Brice Stadium
📺 ABC
