3 biggest winners and 3 losers from South Carolina's big Week 1 win vs. Kent State

Week 1 for the South Carolina Gamecocks was a chance for the team to finally put last year's 4-8 nightmare behind it. The Gamecocks did that and then some, defeating Kent State from the MAC 57-0. 

In what was the hottest game ever played in Williams-Brice Stadium, which resulted in a shortened 10-minute fourth quarter, South Carolina was firing on all cylinders during the dominant victory. 

As we begin to put the Week 1 game in our rearview and move forward to next week, let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers from South Carolina's win over Kent State. 

Winner: QB LaNorris Sellers' pass protection 

Sellers looked extremely comfortable behind his new and improved offensive line, and you could tell he was confident. The line allowed only one sack all game, which came in the first possession of the game as things just got rolling. 

Aside from that first possession, Sellers had all kinds of time to throw, which allowed plays to develop downfield. As a result, he was able to throw the ball with poise and accuracy downfield, since the pocket held strong throughout. 

Sellers finished 19-of-23 with 270 yards passing and three touchdowns. The best part about his protection? The Gamecocks weren't even at full strength, as starting left tackle Jacarrius Peak is still rehabbing back from his knee injury. So expect the protection to look even stronger with Peak's return.  

Winner: True freshman Darius Gray, who lived up to the hype

Speaking of Peak, the Gamecocks who Coach Beamer turned to without him for the first week was true freshman Darius Gray. Although the former five-star recruit has only been with the team since the summer, he's been impressing his coaches with his physicality and how well he's grasping it all in a few short months. 

He looked poised protecting Sellers, and showed no signs of any true freshman nerves or jitters getting the starting nod. Coach Beamer had high praise for Gray after the game: 

"There’d be days, and even in practice in August, where it’s a long, physical practice, and he’s hardly even breathing," Beamer said via Gamecock Central of Gray. "He’s just kind of sitting there smiling. And he’s just carried that over to the whole month of August and has continued to get better.

“I mean, he’s a really talented young man. He could probably start at all five positions on the offensive line for us. It was more so, ‘Okay, where do we want Darius? Darius is one of our five best right now. Where do we need him first?’ And we chose left tackle." 

Whenever Peak returns, Gray will be a great option behind him when he needs a breather. He proved the line won't drop off when he has to. 

Winner: Kendal Briles' new offense

There was plenty of anticipation surrounding what South Carolina's offense would look like, as Briles was one of Shane Beamer's biggest offseason hires. You couldn't have asked for a better debut for Briles and the uni, scoring 57 points and getting 645 yards of offense. 

Saturday's game marked the first time the Gamecocks had over 600 yards of offense since South Carolina's 56-12 win over Wofford in 2024. The total yards were also the fifth most total offense in program history, and the most yards head coach Shane Beamer has had on offense. 

After the game, Coach Beamer said in his postgame interview humorously that he expects 57 points every week: 

Of course, Briles knows that he will have to face much tougher defenses than Kent State's. But it was a great first game for the Gamecocks' new offensive coordinator.

South Carolina freshman TE Caden Ramsey arrested early Monday morning

Loser: Running a clean offense early 

South Carolina's first offensive possession wasn't pretty. It featured a false start penalty and a sack from Sellers, forcing the Gamecocks to punt. In the second possession. Late in the second quarter, receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. was also flagged for a false start penalty.

Of course, when you win 57-0, this doesn't matter too much, and South Carolina's offense obviously ended up having a huge day. But this Gamecock offense will have to go on the road and play in some tough environments, including against Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Getting off to a fast start on offense without mistakes like penalties or giving up sacks will be crucial early in those games to set the tone.   

Loser: South Carolina's run defense can improve 

Kent State was held to 100 yards rushing, and anytime you have a shutout it's obviously a good day defensively. But there were several Golden Flashes that were able to find success running the football against South Carolina. 

KSU quarterback Dru DeShields led the way, getting 27 yards on the ground and averaging nine yards per carry. But running backs Nolan Good and Mason King also combined for 42 yards, including a long run by Good. 

South Carolina's defense will have to face much talented, more mobile quarterbacks this season, such as Alabama's Keelon Russell, Tennessee's Faizon Brandon and Florida's Aarn Philo. It can't allow teams to run the ball effectively, either. The run game will have to get a lot better as the season progresses.   

Loser: Getting after the quarterback on defense

Speaking of quarterbacks! South Carolina's defense registered just one total sack on the day, from Anthony Addison. Kent State's offensive line managed to hold up pretty well against South Carolina's front, as well. 

For South Carolina to win a lot of games this season, having an effective pass-rush will be key. Including the aforementioned quarterbacks, the Gamecocks also will see the likes of Oklahoma's John Mateer, Texas A&M Marcel Reed and Georgia's Gunner Stockton. 

If South Carolina can't have a stronger pass rush, the defense is going to have a long season. Of course, South Carolina's lackluster pass rush could likely be due to the continued absence of EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart, who is still rehabbing from his back injury. The pass-rush should hopefully get better when he returns.  

Top 25 predictions: South Carolina expected to burst into rankings after Week 1 win

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow