If there is something to take away from the South Carolina Gamecocks' 24-11 win on Sunday, August 31, against the Virginia Tech Hokies, never underestimate the defense and special teams. In what was a slog of a first half, the Gamecocks' defense held strong all game, limiting the Hokies to 11 points and only allowing 336 total yards (221 passing, 115 rushing). Special teams also showed out, encapsulating what "Beamer Ball" means to Gamecock Nation.
Peyton Williams and Fred Johnson made their marks in the first game of the season, with each having their first interceptions of the season. While the Gamecocks' offense did not turn the ball over, the defense had two turnovers, both interceptions. They were giving Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones fits all game. While they gave up 221 passing yards, they did not let Drones get going, limiting him to 15 of 35 with an average of 6.3 yards per attempt.
Even the rushing attack kept running back Marcellous Hawkins at bay with 58 yards on 15 attempts (3.9 average). Dylan Stewart was a madman all game, just breaking up plays in the backfield. He had seven total tackles, two solo, one and a half tackles for loss, and one sack. Whether it was stuffing the run or getting to Drones, the Hokies' offense had nothing to stop the sophomore edge. Stewart right from the jump showed why he is on the Walter Camp watchlist for 2025. Johnson added 10 total tackles, six solo, along with his interception in the game. We cannot forget DQ Smith, who had five solo tackles, finishing with six total on the day.
The defense, as a whole, had 41 solo tackles, 67 total with two sacks, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Talk about being a bend but don't break defense, making clutch plays as well.
What really stood out, however, was the Gamecocks' special teams, which had the most questions entering the season. It was unclear who would be the kicker, punter, or even the returners. As the game went on, it was evident that concerns should be put to bed. Gamecocks' punter Mason Love was an absolute machine throughout the game. He had five punts all game, totaling 239 yards with an average of 47.8 yards per punt. Out of the five punts, three were inside the 20-yard line for the Hokies. Love's longest punt went 55 yards. Talking about being in Love with the coffin punts from Mason.
Breed: Different pic.twitter.com/0I5syG22c0
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) August 31, 2025
If there was a game-changing moment for the special teams, it was the 80-yard punt return from Vicari Swain. Out of his three punt returns, this was easily the most electric. Furthermore, this is what "Beamer Ball" looks like in full display. Weaving through the Hokies' coverage team, while getting excellent blocks as he ran it back to make it 17-8 at the time. It's safe to say that "Beamer Ball" will once again live strong for the Gamecocks, and that Vicari is just built differently in embracing that moniker.
If we have to mention the punt team, we cannot forget the kicker. William Joyce went three-for-three on the extra point, while having only to kick one field goal all game. He went one-for-one as he nailed a 27-yard kick. Easy work for a kicker who was only needed four times all game, going 100% across the board. Overall, the defense and special teams did their job, keeping the Gamecocks in the lead until the offense started to roll and took it from there. A total team win, and now the Gamecocks are 1-0 after Week 1.
Note: This is my final article with Garnet & Cocky, and I wanted to tank Gamecock Nation for reading my stories for the last few weeks. Big thank you to Lauren Beasley for being a great site manager and someone to work with. Thank you to Fansided for giving me a chance to dive into college sports for the first time as well. I cannot wait to see where the site goes and want to thank everyone once again. Oh, and Go Gamecocks!