FINAL SCORE: South Carolina Fights Hard, But Falls Short to Alabama Crimson Tide, 29-22

The South Carolina Gamecocks and Alabama Crimson Tide have concluded another thriller. Though they took a late lead, the Gamecocks fell short to the Tide with a final score of 29-22. Though the fourth quarter had multiple lead changes, the Gamecock offense was stalled out and was no match for the Tide.

LaNorris Sellers made some huge plays through the air throughout the entire game and went 17/31 with 213 passing yards, a touchdown, and interception. While the offensive line still struggled to give Sellers clean pockets, he was able to use his unrivaled athleticism to extend plays and keep the Gamecocks in the game. Not many quarterbacks outside of Sellers would have been able to withstand the pressure the Tide consistently applied throughout the game.

While the Gamecock running back struggled on the ground if you look at the box score, some of the most critical downs of the day were won on the ground. Rahsul Faison, Matt Fuller, and Oscar Hadaway all combined for under 50 yards, some of the most critical first downs of the game were picked up on the ground. Sellers was also a standout on the ground, once again leading the Gamecocks in rushing with over 67 yards on the ground, which would have been over 100 if not for his loss of yards via sacks.

Though he had just one reception, Nyck Harbor’s 54 yard touchdown was arguably the biggest play of the game. Harbor has shown the ability all season to break games open with his unrivaled combination of size and speed. Though he struggled on the ground, Faison put up 47 receiving yards, which mostly came from short dumps and screen passes that turned into big gains, as Faison made defenders miss.

The Gamecocks defense were the true stars of the game. Facing Heisman front runner Ty Simpson accompanied by an overwhelmingly talented roster, the Gamecocks stifled the elite offense. With the exception of the one scoring drive in the first half, the Gamecocks kept constant pressure on Simpson and he never looked comfortable. Ultimately, the Gamecock offense was unable to capitalize on the stellar play of their defense, which has been a trend seen throughout the entire season.

The turning point in this matchup came in the 4th quarter after the Gamecocks recovered a muffed punt that turned into a LaNorris Sellers rushing touchdown. His score gave the Gamecocks a 22-14 lead. However, on the ensuing drive, Alabama WR Germie Bernard scored a touchdown with just over two minutes and the Tide converted the two point try. The Gamecocks fumbled the ball on the following possession, which led to Bernard once again scoring a touchdown and an impressive fake reverse, giving the Tide the 29-22 lead.

With the devastating loss, the Gamecocks have fallen to 1-5 in conference play this year and sit in week nine with only three wins. At this point, the Gamecocks will be scraping to win six games and be bowl eligible. The road will not be easier, as they head to Oxford next weekend to play the number eight ranked Ole Miss Rebels.

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