The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back wins to ranked opponents, with Tennessee being the latest at home. The game was a thriller, with the Gamecocks kicking a game-winning 48-yard field goal from Malik Orsan.
The win gave head coach Shane Beamer his second consecutive win over ranked opponents for just the third time in his career. As a result of the win, Orsan and one of his teammates, offensive lineman Nolan Hay, is being honored by the SEC with Player of the Week honors.
Orsan was named an SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. The former Southeast Missouri transfer made a 22-yard field goal in the first half, and was a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points, scoring nine of South Carolina's 27 points.
That was Orson's first-ever walk-off field goal attempt, and it gave the Gamecocks a game-winning kick against a ranked opponent for the first time since 2019. That year, former Gamecock kicker Parker White nailed a 23-yarder in double overtime that helped South Carolina upset then-No. No. 3 Georgia in Athens under Will Muschamp.
Hay was named the conference's offensive lineman of the week. The conference highlighted his efforts for helping LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks rack up 344 yards of total offense, as well as 5.5 yards per play, which was the most Tennessee's defense has allowed all season.
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"What a job by [Malik Orsan]," Beamer said after the win via Gamecock Central. "We made it harder on him. What was it, the 34-yard line? I think is where that drive started. And we were in range, but I didn’t want to kick a 51-yard field goal. The drive that we had right there was not great. We had to drive. I think we threw the screen pass on first down and weren’t able to convert. And that brought up what, third and long I think?
“And then a heck of a job by [LaNorris Sellers] getting us into a more manageable kick, and then [Malik Orsan] going in there and making that kick. Just an unbelievable performance."
Next up for South Carolina is a road trip to take on the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. This marks the second time this season that South Carolina has had players honored by the conference, as Sellers and EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart did so with their win against Florida two weeks ago.
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