Have the Gamecocks Finally Found Their Run Game?

For one reason or another, South Carolina has struggled to run the ball so far in 2025. But the team did find success against Kentucky, is that repeatable this weekend?

Sep 27, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Oscar Adaway III (27) rushes against the Kentucky Wildcats at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

It's no secret that running the ball has not been a strength of the South Carolina offense through the first half of the season. However in their last game against Kentucky, that part of the offense began showing it's potential. Is this a sign of things to come, or will the struggles rear their ugly head once more this weekend?

Prior to the matchup against Kentucky, South Carolina averaged 80.25 yards per game on the ground with the season high coming against South Carolina State (125 yards). It was their second 100+ yard performance after posting 119 rushing yards against Virginia Tech the week before. However after that 125-yard performance, the doors came off this rushing attack.

In back to back losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri, the Gamecocks had a total 75 rushing yards in both games. Not an average of 75-yards, 75 total yards through two weeks which included a negative 9-yard performance against Missouri. In fairness, South Carolina was trying to play catch up and dealt with some injuries, but it still doesn't excuse those performances. However at 2-2 and all momentum seeming to go away from the team, something changed. South Carolina went from no running game, to its best performance of the year.

Against the Wildcats, South Carolina ran the ball 48 times for a season high 178 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers led the team 81 yards on the ground, followed behind Matthew Fuller who added 48 yards. Rahsul Faison found the end zone twice in that matchup.

Sellers is obviously the cheat code here. Disclaimer here, when talking about rushing statistics, college football does include sack yardage against your rushing total. This is not the same in the NFL. But for Sellers his mobility is his greatest strength. Whether it's a keeper on the read option, a quarterback draw, or a scramble from the pocket, he is one of the most dangerous runners in the country.

For the running backs, no one has separated themselves in the way Raheim Sanders did last fall, but the room has talent to threaten teams with a by committee approach. Faison and Adaway III are the leaders in the room and offer the ability to be threats in the passing game. If they can find a way to be an efficient rushing unit, it can help make the lives of a talented receiving unit much easier.

South Carolina had an entire bye week to get healthy and find a way to consistently run the football. Question is, however, is the Kentucky game a sign of things to come? Or an outlier in what happens to be a struggling unit in 2025?

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