South Carolina Football: Week 3 Analysis of the Gamecocks’ Stunning Loss to Vanderbilt
South Carolina entered Week 3 riding high as the nation's No. 11 team, but a shocking 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt brought them crashing back to reality. The defeat snapped a 16-game winning streak that the Gamecocks held over the Commodores since 2008. It also exposed issues in all phases of South Carolina's game. Vanderbilt dominated nearly every aspect of Saturday's game, from controlling the line of scrimmage to winning the turnover battles, in a statement win that left the Williams-Brice Stadium crowd stunned. What was expected to be the first conference win for the Gamecocks ended up being a comprhensive breakdown of what needs to change going forwards.
Below, we break down the Gamecocks' performance on offense, defense, special teams, as well as coaching. We'll also examine the turning points that defined the matchup and what the indications are for South Carolina heading into Week 4 and more SEC play.
Offense: Early Promise Turns into Offensive Struggles
It was quick, but South Carolina's offense showed some promise early on, before the offense began to sputter. The Gamecocks opened with a crisp touchdown drive, highlighted by some strong running from senior Rahsul Faison. Faison ended up finishing with 74 rushing yards on 15 carries, scoring South Carolina's only touchdown. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a Heisman-hopeful, started off efficient, completing 6-of-7 passes for 94 yards. On the opening possessions, Sellers looked poised and the Gamecocks mixed play-calling well, moving the ball into Vanderbilt territory on three of their drives in the first half.
However, that initial momentum quickly fizzled out due to mistakes and a critical injury. Sellers threw a costly interception in the red zone with the score tied 7-7, giving up a chance to put South Carolina ahead. Worse, late in the second quarter, Sellers went down hard from a helmet-to-helmet concussion. At that point, South Carolina was trailing just 14-7, but the offense just never recovered after losing its star quarterback.
After losing Sellers, backup QB Luke Doty, a sixth-year senior, was called to action, but struggled to get the offense back on track. Doty threw for 18-of-27, 148 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT. While he appeared to be gaining some traction in the passing game, the Gamecocks failed to score a single point after the first quarter. Drives repeatedly stalled due to turnovers and miscues. In total, South Carolina had four turnovers on offense, two interceptions (one by each QB) and two lost fumbles (including a fumble by Doty). It seemed like every time the Gamecocks approached scoring range, a self-inflicted mistake derailed them. “Way too much self-inflicted stuff,” Coach Beamer said, noting that in the SEC “when you turn the ball over four times… you’re going to get your butts kicked." That certainly proved to be true on Saturday night.
If South Carolina is to compete in the SEC moving forward, they will need to clean up the turnovers, capitalize on the scoring opportunities, and have a better contingency plan for their quarterback situation.
Defense: Outmuscled and Inconsistent
South Carolina's defense turned into an undisciplined and inconsistent performance for Week 3, quite uncharacteristic of the unit. The squad had their hands full from kickoff, as the Commodores marched 73 yards on the game's opening possession for a touchdown. Although the defense seemed to settle in briefly with the score remaining 7-7 through the first quarter, Vanderbilt would go on to score 24 unanswered points, controlling the line of scrimmage and the ability to sustain drives. In total, the Commodores held the ball for nearly 36 minutes, leaving the Gamecock defense worn down by the fourth quarter.
Third-down defense was an issue for the Gamecocks, as Vanderbilt converted 6-of-12 third downs, five of those in the first half alone. Repeatedly, South Carolina stopped the Commodores on first and second downs, only to let them off the hook on third down situations. Missed assignments and lapses in coverage contributed to at least eight explosive plays by the Vandy offense. Jamezell Lassiter's 44-yard touchdown exemplified South Carolina's breakdown in containment and tackling, seemingly sucking the life out of the home crowd in Columbia.
Physically, the Gamecocks were outmuscled at the point of attack. Even when South Carolina had the chance to bring pressure, the often failed to complete plays. Vanderbilt's Pavia had the mobility, operating comfortably with quick release passing game. By the end of the game, the wear and tear on the Gamecocks manifested in mental mistakes as well, as they were flagged eight times for 85 yards, many on defense. A particularly frustrating moment came when star freshman defender Dylan Stewart was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after shoving a Commodore. That loss of composure reflected a defense that was pushed to their breaking point.
While South Carolina's defense showed that it can make some plays, the lack of consistency on third downs, the breakdown on big plays, and lapses in discipline all contributed to a disheartening effort on Saturday night. As the Gamecocks face a stretch of SEC opponents, they will need a much sharper, more complete defensive performance.
Special Teams: Missed Opportunities in the Kicking Game
This time, special teams did not provide much relief for South Carolina, and in some cases, they compounded the team's trouble. The most glaring miscue was the missed field goal in the first half. In a game where the offense was sputtering, that missed opportunity loomed large for the Gamecocks.
Punting and kick coverage was neutral, but even so South Carolina still failed to gain an advantage. When the Gamecocks did punt, they were unable to flip the field in a way that could spark a shift in momentum.
On kick returns, the Gamecocks were not as successful as their first two games for the season. Notably, head coach Shane Beamer did not draw up any risky special teams play in this game. There were no fake punts or surprise onside kicks to be seen. South Carolina seemed content to play it safe in the kicking game, and unfortunately, it provided no spark in the matchup.
Cleaning up the kicking execution and finding ways to build momentum with special teams will impact the game in a positive way, which will be important as the season progresses.
Coaching and Decisions: Under the Microscope
Every time a ranked and favored team is upset, especially by an unranked team, the coaching staff's decisions and game plan comes under scrutiny. Shane Beamer and his staff, especially Mike Shula, are no exception after a loss in Week 3. In terms of game plan and preparation, the coaches appeared to have the team ready to play in the opening stages. The offense's early success and the defense forcing a punt on Vanderbilt's second drive showed promise. However, as adversity hit, the Gamecocks' coaching fell short in a few areas.
One major challenge was adapting once Sellers went down. Even with a QB2 in place, the Gamecock offense was built around Sellers' dynamic dual-threat ability. So, when Luke Doty stepped in, the play-calling did not immediately adjust his different skill set. South Carolina opened the second half with a quick three-and-out possession, which later Beamer criticized. “I don’t like the way that we started the second half offensively with a three-and-out,” he said, adding that he opted to punt on 4th down there hoping the defense would respond. That decision can be heavily debated, arguing that a more aggressive call might have kept the game closer, but it reflects Beamer's confidence in the squad at the moment, given the circumstances. These are the fine lines that coaches are judged on in big games.
Conversely, when the coaches were willing to take risks, the players couldn't convert, and when they played it safe, Vanderbilt seized the opportunity. The Gamecocks coaching staff now faces an important task in the weeks ahead, regrouping and adjusting.
Looking Ahead: Implications for South Carolina’s Season Trajectory
The most pressing concern is the health of LaNorris Sellers, as his status is unknown at this time. If Sellers is cleared, the Gamecocks can hope that his presence will reinvigorate an offense that was averaging modest points in the first two games. If he is out for an extended period of time (which is unlikely), South Carolina will have to rally behind Luke Doty or another backup QB, significantly retool the offense.
With the upset behind them, South Carolina's path forward in 2025 suddenly looks a bit more challenging, but not hopeless. This early-season stumble revealed the weaknesses that could be fatal to SEC title hopes if left unaddressed. The good thing is, it's only September. Although Week 3 was a harsh performance and the next stretch of games is a tough one, there is still a lot of season left. The talent and coaching know-how are there, now is the time to translate those qualities into cleaner, smarter football. If the Gamecocks can do that, the narrative for the 2025 campaign can still be rewritten.