Tyler ButlerCOLUMBIA, S.C. — A two-hour lightning delay couldn’t stop South Carolina from powering past South Carolina State on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. The No. 10 Gamecocks rode explosive special teams and a stingy defense to a 38–10 victory in the in-state clash.
The star of the night was true freshman Vicari Swain, who turned the game with not one but two punt return touchdowns. His 64-yard return gave South Carolina its first lead, and just minutes later he added a 42-yard score that electrified the stadium.
South Carolina’s defense added its own highlight when Jaron Willis scooped up a fumble and sprinted 46 yards for a touchdown, putting the game out of reach. Offensively, quarterback LaNorris Sellers had a modest night — throwing for 128 yards with a touchdown pass to Vandrevius Jacobs — but the Gamecocks didn’t need much production with their defense and special teams carrying the load.
For South Carolina State, the night was about grit. The Bulldogs struck first with a field goal and later found the end zone on a nine-yard pass from Ryan Stubblefield to Nicholas Sowell in the fourth quarter. Despite the loss, SC State walked away with a $500,000 guarantee — a financial boost for a program with an annual budget of around $13 million.
Head coach Shane Beamer was pleased with the result but admitted his team must be sharper. “We can’t expect punt returns and defensive scores to win every week,” Beamer said postgame. “We’ve got to execute better offensively as we move into SEC play.”
South Carolina improves to 2–0, but the performance left questions about how long the Gamecocks can hold onto their Top-10 ranking. For now, they own in-state bragging rights, with special teams and defense proving they can change a game in an instant.
