How Does South Carolina Pull Off the Upset Over Alabama on Saturday?

Could an upset be brewing this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama? The Gamecocks and Crimson Tide have played back to back great games in 2024 and 2025 with both coming down to the wire. Will this be the year South Carolina finishes the job? If so, how do they get the job done?

First let's look at the history of this matchup in each of the last two years. In 2024, South Carolina was 3-2 coming off a blowout loss at home to Ole Miss. Meanwhile, Alabama was 4-1 coming off a great comeback against Georgia, but an upset the following week against Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks were 21.5-point underdogs, but that didn't matter.

LaNorris Sellers found Nyck Harbor on a 33-yard touchdown pass to bring the came within two. A failed two-point conversion put all the pressure on South Carolina to get an onside kick, which they did. Unfortunately three plays later, Sellers was intercepted near the end zone which ended the game in a 27-25 loss. The bright side was instead of laying down, that game propelled the 2024 squad to a late season run which included six straight wins.

Last season, the (3-4) Gamecocks were coming off back to back losses and welcoming an Alabama team that rattled off four straight top 20 wins, and looked like one of the best teams in football. Once again, the records meant nothing as the Gamecocks held a fourth quarter lead just to fall short in the end.

What this means is South Carolina has been able to play Kalen DeBoer's Tide well through two games. However, playing well and getting the job done are two different things. If Shane Beamer wants to get the season back on the tracks with a win, the Gamecocks must do these three things.

1. Limit Turnovers

This is by far the most important battle South Carolina must win on Saturday. It is what effectively lost them the game against Mississippi State. If Sellers doesn't throw two interceptions, one of which was slightly tipped, on back to back drives, that game looks very different. The secondary the offense will face this weekend is a much better unit than the Bulldogs' group of defensive backs. Not forcing the ball into unnecessary windows, hitting the open man, and throwing it away if the play breaks down is imperative in this game. Win the turnover battle and you're likely in this game in the fourth. A repeat of last week and this can get ugly fast.

2. Put Pressure on Keelon Russell

Keelon Russell has lived up to the five-star hype that was attached to his name coming into last season. As we broke down in yesterday's early look at the Tide, he is hyper accurate, has a good arm, and can extend plays when given the chance. South Carolina's defense cannot allow him to have a clean pocket on every passing down. This is a primetime moment for the edge rushers on this team, specifically Dylan Stewart. The pass rush must get home and affect Russell all night long.

3. Finish Drives With 7, Not Field Goals

Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer celebrates a field goal against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Good news for South Carolina is that Malik Orsan looks automatic as a kicker after last week's start. The bad news? The Gamecocks had three drives early on against the Bulldogs last week that finished inside the 30 with a field goal instead of touchdowns, two of which were stalled inside the 12-yard line. Orsan is a nice safety net to have, but when opportunities are handed to you, finish them. Kendal Briles and Sellers will have to go all out on finding the endzone to pull off a big upset.

Beating any top ten team on the road is no easy task. Beamer's Gamecocks can make life easier on themselves if they play a clean game and hit the layups when available.

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