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Another Bad Week for Beamer, Gamecocks

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Straight Up Sports is a collection of retired Sports Broadcasters, Sports Writers and Reporters all from South Carolina. And we are talking about “Award Winning” contributors with decades of experience. Of course, we will be heavy on the sports news of our region, but there are NO limits to what our members may contribute.

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Another Bad Week for Beamer, Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For a second time in three weeks, South Carolina blew a big lead at home to lose a football game, as No. 24 Kentucky rallied from 17 points down to beat the Gamecocks 35-34 in overtime Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey threw a 6-yard TD pass to Henry Boyer…
Clemson Falls Short Against No. 4 Miami

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson had its chances. Against No. 4 Miami, the Tigers showed flashes of a team capable of competing with one of the nation’s best. The defense came up with stops, true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds continued to show growth and Bryant Wesco Jr. delivered a career day. But when Clemson needed to…
Slow Start Dooms Paladins in Loss to Wofford in Rivalry Showdown

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Despite what a pair of SEC schools might claim, the Deep South’s oldest college football rivalry was renewed for a historic 100th time on Saturday afternoon as the Wofford Terriers jumped on Furman from the start and held off a late rally by the Paladins to score a 32-25 win. Led by…
Tigers Host No. 4 Miami is Key ACC Showdown

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson seeks to earn a home victory against an AP Top 5 opponent for the fifth time in Death Valley’s illustrious history tonight when the Tigers welcome the No. 4 Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes in prime time. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Clemson is set for 7:30 p.m., on ABC. The game will…
Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry: Wofford at Furman

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Deep South’s oldest football rivalry will be renewed today when the Furman Paladins play host to the Wofford Terriers in a Southern Conference clash at Paladin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. The contest will mark the 100th football meeting between the Upstate South Carolina schools, who played the first…
Kentucky is Moment of Truth for Gamecocks, Beamer

Is this the moment of truth in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday? Maybe it is. After dropping its first two SEC games to Mississippi State and Alabama, South Carolina hosts No. 24 Kentucky in a game that has more than just winning and losing at stake. It could also go a long way in deciding head…
Duke Poised for Another ACC Title Run

Miami has lived up to expectations and is far and away the best team in the ACC after the first month of the college football season. That much is beyond argument. Determining who is the second-best team behind the fourth-ranked Hurricanes isn’t nearly as clear cut. A case can be made for Virginia, which won…
Pitt-Virginia Tech Open Huge Week 5 in ACC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Week 5 of ACC football kicks off under the Friday night lights, as undefeated Pitt travels to undefeated Virginia Tech for a 7 p.m., showdown on ESPN. Both teams enter the matchup at 4-0, making the ACC clash one of only two games nationally in Week 5 featuring a pair of undefeated…
Clemson Faces Biggest Test Since Week 1

CLEMSON — Clemson weathered multiple rain delays, a cross-country trip and an unsettled quarterback situation through the opening stretch of its season. Now, the Tigers are preparing for a test that could provide a much clearer picture of just how far they have come in the last month. Clemson (3-1, 2-0 ACC) opened its season…
Win or Lose, USC Fans Flock to Big George

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Roughly two hours before kickoff of every home game at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, like clockwork a tricked-out golf cart arrives with “Heisman Trophy Winner” displayed on its sides. George Rogers, the greatest player in University of South Carolina history, clambers out accompanied by his trademark laugh, then sits at a table…
Clemson Excited About Opportunity to Play No. 4 Miami

Since its embarrassing season opening loss to No. 11 LSU, Clemson has won three consecutive games. The Tigers have looked particularly well in the last seven quarters where they have outscored North Carolina and Cal by a combined score of 49-16. Even more impressive is the fact the defense has not allowed a touchdown in…
Beamer’s Seat a Lot Warmer in Columbia

Things are not going well in Columbia for South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks have lost seven straight SEC games and 11 of their last 13 against Power Four opposition, including Saturday’s 49-18 loss at No. 8 Alabama. They have lost eight straight games against P4 opponents overall. Obviously, losing to a top…
Around the SEC: Texas, Florida Stay Undefeated

The SEC had four ranked-on-ranked matchups in Week 4 of the college football season, including No. 1 Texas’ 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee. Twenty-first-ranked Florida beat Ole Miss, while No. 10 LSU beat No. 23 Texas A&M and No. 24 Mississippi State knocked off No. 19 Missouri, as well. The fourth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs rolled…
Around the ACC: Championship Race is Wide Open

The race to the ACC Championship Game appears to be wide open, thanks to Wake Forest’s stunning 30-27 victory over No. 16 Louisville on Saturday. Clemson, of course, beat Cal on Friday night, while Virginia Tech, under first year head coach James Franklin, rallied from behind to beat Boston College in a nor’easter. In Saturday’s…
Russell, No. 8 Alabama Rout Gamecocks

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Keelon Russell threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score as No. 8 Alabama beat South Carolina 49-18 on Saturday night. Ryan Coleman-Williams caught two TD passes, and Red Morgan returned an interception for a score for the Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference). Russell completed 21 of…
Terriers Suffer Heartbreaking Loss

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With 1:46 to play, Wofford kicker Sam Spence sent the Terriers sideline into a celebration when he nailed a 53-yard field goal for what appeared to be a huge conference win. However, Tennessee Tech’s Jax Leatherwood found Eric Weatherly 40 seconds later for a 15-yard touchdown pass as the 10th-ranked Golden Eagles…
Paladins’ Late Rally Falls Short

RICHMOND, Va. — Senior Aziz Foster-Powell rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries, as No. 19 Richmond survived a Hail Mary pass attempt into the end zone on the final play to escape with a 13-9 victory over Furman Saturday afternoon at Robins Stadium. After taking over possession with under a minute to go in the…
Wasn’t Pretty, Tigers Earn Win at Cal

Nearly 2,500 miles from home and well past midnight on the East Coast, Clemson found a way to make the long trip to California worth it. It was far from a clean night for the Tigers. The offense struggled to find a rhythm at times, turnovers came early and both teams had trouble moving the…
Can ‘Pack Recover from Vanderbilt Disaster?

The football facility located in the South end zone of NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium is named after a guy named Murphy. It’s an appropriate title, considering the Wolfpack’s long-time relationship with the concept we all know as Murphy’s Law. Its teams, especially those on the football field, have turned the phrase “Anything that can go…
Clemson Has Chance at History Against Golden Bears

It is not often Clemson travels to the West Coast to play a football game. In fact, it has only happened three previous times, the last coming in the 2019 College Football National Championship. However, that is exactly what is happening tonight when Clemson visits Cal’s Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. Kickoff is set for…
Clemson Travels West for Crucial ACC Matchup

CLEMSON — Clemson football departed Wednesday morning for the West Coast, making its first trip to Cal and its second ACC matchup of the season. The Tigers enter Friday night’s matchup at Cal following a 28-20 comeback victory over North Carolina in a game that became the longest in Memorial Stadium history after three separate…
What We’ve Learned to Start College Football Season

This isn’t a hot take but I’ve always maintained that it’s impossible to know a team’s real identity in college football until a month into the season. Preseason pollsters set the table and tone with guesses, as to how good respective teams are without having seen anything. Sure, preseason polls are the norm in every…
Gamecock Fans Want Changes, That’s Life in SEC

South Carolina opened SEC play last week with a loss for a whole lot of reasons. The Gamecocks gave up 251passing yards and four touchdowns to Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor. They gave up three sacks on the offensive line. As a team they were penalized nine times and the defense allowed State to convert…
College Football Slowly Destroying its Game

College football took another shot late Monday night, when reports surfaced that Clemson and Georgia were canceling their future matchups, with no plans to play anytime soon. It was another blow to college football, which slowly is driving their fans away from the game. Big money has turned the sport into a circus, with players…
USC’s meltdown: Anomaly or 2025 repeat?

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Shane Beamer knew what was coming late Saturday when he walked into his post-game press conference. How could he not? If there were any doubts, the Williams-Brice Stadium scoreboard that showed Mississippi State’s 41-34 win over favored South Carolina – and the boos from the home crowd that began raining down early…
Clemson Rallies to Down Tar Heels

CLEMSON – For two-plus quarters on Saturday, Clemson’s offense looked stagnant. So did freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds, which is to be expected considering the Tigers were going up against North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and defensive guru. However, something happened on the way to what looked like…
Taylor Rallies Bulldogs Past South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kamario Taylor threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns as Mississippi State rallied from 16 points down to beat South Carolina 41-34 Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks (2-1, 0-1 SEC) created a 16-0 lead on LaNorris Sellers’ touchdown pass and three field goals by first-time kicker Malik Orson in the SEC…
Bulldogs Hold Off Furman Rally to Remain Unbeaten

GREENVIILLE, S.C. — Sixteenth-ranked South Carolina State stopped Furman quarterback Connor Ackerley two yards short on a fourth-and-10 play with 2:20 remaining to hold off the 24th-ranked Paladins 20-17 Saturday night at Paladin Stadium. The Bulldogs’ victory marked just the second time they have come to Greenville and beat the Paladins. Furman had won 8…
Bad Day at the Office for Wofford

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Chattanooga ran for 310 yards, while running backs Kevin Lalin and Jordan Wyche both went over 100 yards on the ground with a touchdown each, as the Mocs rolled to an easy 41-7 victory over Wofford on Saturday at Finely Stadium. Chattanooga scored 31 points in the second quarter, including a 26-yard…
Freshman QB Leads Tigers in Important ACC Opener

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson has one of its most important ACC openers in a long time, and the Tigers are going with a freshman quarterback to get it done. With the program facing scrutiny following a blowout loss at LSU in Week 1 and then a lackluster performance in Week 2 against Georgia Southern, head…
Gamecocks Host Important SEC Opener

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina remains home for the third consecutive week and this week opens SEC play against Mississippi State Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Below are some things to know for the 4:15 p.m., kick in Columbia. GROUND AND POUND The Gamecocks rushed 41 times for 416 yards (9.9 avg) against Towson last week,…
Mensah Sets ACC Record, ‘Canes Survive at Wake

Darian Mensah connected on his first 24 passes on the way to setting Atlantic Coast Conference records for consecutive completions, and fifth-ranked Miami’s defense came up with four straight fourth-quarter stops to beat Wake Forest 33-20 on Friday night. Mensah completed 30-of-34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns, including a 9-yarder to Joshua Moore…
ACC has Full Slate of Games on Saturday

CHARLOTTE — ACC Football continues in Week 3 with a full Saturday slate, featuring 10 games from noon through primetime, including four matchups against Power Four non-conference opponents, three conference contests and three nationally ranked ACC teams in action. Saturday’s schedule is highlighted by Florida State traveling to Tuscaloosa to face No. 10 Alabama at…
Pitt Runs All Over Syracuse

Damon Ferguson Jr., La’Vell Wright and Mason Heintschel ran for touchdowns, and Pittsburgh continued its perfect start with a 27-13 win over Syracuse on Thursday night. The Panthers (3-0, 1-0 ACC) piled up 245 yards on the ground despite playing without injured starting running back Boosier Turner to make Pat Narduzzi a winner in his…
Gamecocks Get Good News Ahead of Mississippi State Game

COLUMBIA, S.C. — It appears South Carolina might be getting back two of its starters–one on offense and one on defense–when they host Mississippi State Saturday (4:15 p.m.) at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia to open SEC play. Right now, defensive end Dylan Stewart and offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak are listed as probable for Saturday’s game.…
Freshman QB Embraces Role in Tigers’ ACC Opener

CLEMSON – By the time Tait Reynolds took the field in Death Valley last Saturday night, Clemson fans had already spent two hours waiting for football. The Tigers’ scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff against Georgia Southern was pushed back two hours after a pair of lightning delays. Then, early in the first quarter, another delay of…
Lopez Right Fit for Wake Forest

Square peg. Round hole. That, in the most basic of terms, sums up Gio Lopez’s experience at North Carolina last season. An accomplished dual threat quarterback during his two seasons at South Alabama, Lopez proved to be the wrong fit to run Bill Belichick’s pro-style offense. His struggle to become a pocket passer became an…
Clemson will Start Freshman Against Tar Heels

Clemson has a new quarterback, at least for this week. Head coach Dabo Swinney named freshman Tait Reynolds his starting quarterback for Saturday’s nationally televised game against North Carolina. Reynolds came off the bench for an injured Christopher Vizzina and led the Tigers to a 22-7 victory over Georgia Southern last Saturday. Swinney said Vizzina…
Hauser, Rookie QB, Defense Lead Clemson to Victory

CLEMSON, S.C. — Placekicker Nolan Hauser converted a career-high-tying five field goals and Clemson’s defense forced eight three-and-outs as the Tigers outlasted Georgia Southern 22-7 in a weather-delayed game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The game, which ended at 1:07 a.m., on Sunday, was subject to a nearly two-hour pregame lightning delay, resulting in the…
Record Setting Day for Carolina’s Swain

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Vicari Swain had two punt return touchdowns to break the South Carolina career record with five while quarterback LaNorris Sellers and tailback Matt Fuller had long scoring runs as the Gamecocks defeated Towson 45-9 on a rainy Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. The game was delayed by lightning and heavy rain for…
Last-Second TD Lifts Paladins over No. 14 Mercer

MACON, Ga. — Ben Croasdale scored on a 47-yard run with 47 seconds remaining in the game to lift Furman to a 20-13 win over 14th-ranked and defending Southern Conference champion Mercer on Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium. The win by Furman (2-1, 1-0 SoCon) snapped a 12-game league winning streak by Mercer (2-1, 0-1…
ACC Football Set for 9-Game Saturday Slate

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – ACC Football continues its Week 2 schedule with a nine-game Saturday slate on Saturday featuring eight non-conference matchups and one league contest. Saturday’s action is highlighted by a primetime matchup in Atlanta, where Georgia Tech welcomes No. 18 Tennessee to Bobby Dodd Stadium at 7 p.m., on ESPN. The ACC will also…
Around the SEC: No. 23 Missouri Takes Down Rival

The latest edition of the Border War between Missouri and Kansas turned out to be a mere skirmish for a half. Robert Woodyard Jr. produced back-to-back turnovers soon after the break, and Austin Simmons and the potent Tigers offense turned them into touchdowns, helping No. 23 Missouri break open a tie game and roll to…
Around the ACC: BC Wins Red Bandanna Game

The ACC got off to a good start on Thursday with No. 7 Miami’s blowout over Florida A&M, and then the league followed it with four non-conference victories on Friday night, including Boston College’s 28-21 victory over Rutgers in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The ACC also got wins from No. 24 Louisville, No. 25 Virginia and…
Gamecocks-Towson Meet for First Time

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina returns home Saturday night to face Towson in the first ever meeting between the two schools. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Head coach Shane Beamer recently passed College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz for the seventh-most wins in program history with his 34th victory at South Carolina last Saturday, a…
Paladins Open SoCon Play at Mercer

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The “preseason” is over for the Furman Paladins. Saturday is go time in Macon, Ga. Furman hits the road for a second straight week, facing host Mercer in the Southern Conference opener for both teams at 6:00 p.m. The 14th-ranked Bears have won two straight over Furman (1-1, 0-0 Southern), while the…
ACC Friday Night Slate: BC Hosts Annual Red Bandanna Game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –ACC Football continues its Week 2 slate with four games on Friday night, as four conference teams take the field at home in non-conference action. Louisville, still ranked No. 24, welcomes Villanova on ACC Network, NC State takes on Richmond on ESPNU and No. 25 Virginia faces Norfolk State at 7 p.m. The…
Investigations Widen, Belichick Faces Questions

For one brief shining moment, the focus of North Carolina’s football program was finally on the football field. And in a positive way. The Tar Heels shook off another drama-filled summer with a Week 0 win against TCU in Dublin, Ireland. Even though their performance wasn’t overly impressive it was still a victory, which made…
Clemson Looks to Change Perception After Bad First Week

Perception is everything, and right now the perception of the Clemson football team is not a good one. The Tigers are coming off a 41-point loss at LSU, the program’s worst loss on opening night in 30 years. It was also the program’s worst defeat since 2000 and the worst under head coach Dabo Swinney.…
No. 7 Miami Kicks Off Week 2 in ACC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The seventh-ranked Miami Hurricanes kick off Week 2 of ACC Football on Thursday, when they welcome Florida A&M to Hard Rock Stadium for an 8 p.m., matchup on the ACC Network. The Thursday night contest begins a stretch of 14 ACC games across three consecutive days from Thursday-Saturday. Miami enters the week as…
Gamecocks’ O-Line Already Showing Improvement

Granted it was just one game and granted it wasn’t as if South Carolina was playing Georgia or Alabama. However, last Saturday’s performance on the offensive line was one of the better ones in recent memory for the Gamecocks. “Yeah, I thought they did a really good job,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said.…
Around the SEC: Undefeated Week 1

The SEC went 16-0 in Week 1, including nationally televised wins by LSU and Ole Miss. The undefeated opening weekend marked the first time since 1996 that every SEC school won its season opener. LSU, ranked 11th, ransacked Clemson and Dabo Swinney at Tiger Stadium, while Ole Miss kicked a game-winning field goal as time…
Around the ACC: Not a Good Week 1

It was a busy opening week in the ACC, which began on Thursday night with Georgia Tech’s loss to Colorado. The ACC was involved in a primetime game every night through Monday’s game between SMU and Florida State. Unfortunately, the league was involved in five games against Power 4 opponents, and the conference lost all…
Clemson has Bad Night in the Bayou

BATON ROUGE, La. — After all the hype. After all the court room drama. After a two-hour pregame lightning delay, Clemson put on one of the worst performances in the program’s history Saturday night. Of course, No. 11 LSU had a lot to do with that as well, as the Bayou Bengals crushed Clemson 51-10 at Tiger…
Brandon Powers Vols Past Furman

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon accounted for 294 yards of offense and five touchdowns to power No. 20 Tennessee to a 56-9 victory over Furman before a crowd of 101,915 Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. Leading 7-0 in the second quarter, the Vols marched 42 yards on seven plays to double its lead at 14-0…
Wofford Remains Undefeated in Young Season

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — For a second straight week, Wofford used a special teams touchdown to lift it to a victory. This time it was an Ivory Aikens’ 97-yard kickoff return, as the Terriers held on for a 17-13 victory over Gardner-Webb Saturday at Gibbs Stadium. With under a minute to play, Alijah Williams intercepted a pass to…
Gamecocks Shut Out Kent State to Open Season

COLUMBIA, S.C. — LaNorris Sellers threw three touchdown passes as South Carolina beat Kent State 57-0 on Saturday in the season-opener for each team at Williams-Brice Stadium. Sellers, beginning his third season as starting quarterback under a third offensive coordinator, showed no hesitation in running the system installed by Kendal Briles. He looked smooth and…
Will the Real ‘Death Valley’ Stand Up

Clemson opens the season tonight at 11th-ranked LSU, as the ACC’s Tigers visit Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. The game kicks off at 7:49 p.m., EST, on ABC. Last year, the Bayou Bengals took down Clemson 17-10 at Clemson’s Death Valley. Tonight’s rematch will now be played in LSU’s version of Death Valley. But…
Gamecocks Open Season Against Kent State

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina officially kicks off the new season on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium, as the Gamecocks host Kent State at 12:45 p.m. This is just the second ever meeting between Carolina and Kent State. The last meeting took place in 1995 when the late-great Steve Taneyhill led the Gamecocks to a…
No. 7 Miami Routs Cardinal in Season Opener

STANFORD, Calif. — Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney took almost no time to show how lethal a combination they can be this season for No. 7 Miami. Mensah threw five touchdown passes in his Miami debut, Toney set a school-record with 234 yards receiving, as the Hurricanes opened their season with a 45-6 victory over Stanford…
No. 10 Oklahoma overpowers UTEP

NORMAN, Okla. — John Mateer threw three touchdown passes, Isaiah Sategna returned a punt 88 yards for a score and No. 10 Oklahoma overpowered UTEP 51-0 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams. The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions and limited UTEP to 198 yards. Mateer looked sharp, completing 11 of…
ACC Labor Day Weekend Preview

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The ACC’s five-day showcase of college football continues with nine games across Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day Monday. The weekend slate features seven games on Saturday, September 5, followed by a neutral-site top-25 showdown on Sunday, September 6, and an ACC matchup on Monday night, September 7. Saturday’s action includes seven non-conference contests,…
Furman Faces Vols for First Time Since 1942

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman’s football team returns to action Saturday when it takes on the 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a 3:30 p.m. contest at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. The game will mark only the third meeting between Furman and Tennessee, with the last clash coming in 1942. The Volunteers won that contest, 52-7, in a…
No. 7 Miami Heads to Stanford for ACC Opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The ACC’s first Friday night football matchup of the 2026 season features No. 7 Miami traveling to Stanford on Friday, September 4, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. The conference contest continues a stretch of five straight days of ACC football over Labor Day weekend, with 14 teams competing across 12 games from…
Around the SEC: No. 25 Missouri Opens with Easy Win

Austin Simmons threw for 252 yards and four touchdowns in his Missouri debut that lasted less than a half, as the 25th-ranked Tigers rolled to a season-opening 54-14 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday night. Simmons lost the starting job to Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss following an injury last season. So, he transferred to…
Around the ACC: Colorado Stuns Yellow Jackets

The ACC split a pair of non-conference games Thursday night, as Georgia Tech and Wake Forest kicked off Week 1 of the ACC’s football season. The Demon Deacons took down Akron at home, while the Yellow Jackets were stunned by Colorado in a last-second defeat. Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13 In his return home to…
Clemson Has Become ‘America’s Team’ in Week 1

Clemson vs. LSU was already going to be the marquee matchup of college football’s official opening weekend. Events of the past week have only intensified the spotlight on a primetime showdown that is rapidly becoming more than just a game. It’s the classic confrontation between good and evil. At a stadium known as Death Valley,…
ACC Doubleheader Kicks off Week 1

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The ACC kicks off five straight days of football on Thursday with a pair of primetime matchups featuring Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. The Demon Deacons host Akron at 7 p.m., on ACC Network before the Yellow Jackets welcome Colorado to Atlanta at 8 p.m., on ESPN. The Thursday night doubleheader begins a…
No Regrets, CFP is Expectation at Carolina

Last year, Shane Beamer told the media he and his team will be watching the College Football Playoff Ranking show to see where his team would be ranked when the show premiered. Of course, the South Carolina Gamecocks weren’t ranked, as the back half of their season, for many reasons, spiraled out of control. The…
McPherson, USA ready for Solheim Cup

Flexibility, adaptability and determination have always been strengths for LPGA veteran Kristy McPherson. From her start in golf as an 11-year-old growing up in Conway, S.C., she had to be that way. It came with the territory. Still, when the three-time All-American at the University of South Carolina earned her first and only spot on…
LSU Coach Scared About Clemson’s Unknowns

Though everyone just thinks Clemson is going to roll over and allow 11th-ranked LSU to run all over them, Lane Kiffin does not feel that way. LSU’s head coach is a little bit scared about what to expect on Saturday night when Clemson visits Baton Rouge, La. Neither he nor his coaches know what to…
How a Football Team Helped a Community Heal

They gathered on June 13, 2026, as they have every few years over the past 55, in their hometown of Orangeburg, South Carolina. The boys of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High’s 1971 Class AAAA State Football Championship team – now gray-haired fathers and grandfathers – showed up, some two-dozen strong, to relive those long-ago glory days. Indeed, that…
Around the SoCon: Tennessee Tech Gets Big Win to Open Season

The Southern Conference earned a couple of ranked wins on Saturday night to start the college football season. Below is a roundup on what took place in the Southern Conference on Saturday night: No. 17 Mercer 23, East Texas A&M 15 Cameron Goggins returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown to give 17th-ranked Mercer a…
Terriers Blow Out The Citadel to Open Season

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford used a balanced attack to defeat The Citadel 42-14 at Gibbs Stadium Saturday night to open the 2026 football season. The Terriers took a 21-0 lead at halftime and added three touchdowns in the second half to open the new year with a SoCon victory. Wofford had 341 total yards on…
Around the ACC: Virginia Impressive in Win over Wolfpack

It was not a bad start to the college football season for the ACC on Saturday. North Carolina, Florida State and Stanford all got non-conference wins to open the year, while Virginia looked impressive in beating NC State for the first time since 2012. Here is wrap up off all the day’s game around the…
Gamecocks Beat Clemson for First Time in 12 Years

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the first time since the 2014 season, South Carolina beat Clemson in men’s soccer. Though the 16th-ranked Tigers held a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal, the Gamecocks took advantage of their opportunities when they got them, as they stunned Clemson with a 3-2 victory Friday night in front of a record…
SoCon Commissioner Steps Down

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Southern Conference announced on Friday that Commissioner Michael “M.C.” Cross, Ph.D., has stepped down, concluding a tenure marked by meaningful growth for the league and its member institutions. Commissioner Cross led the conference through a period of significant growth during his tenure. Highlights included a six-year extension of the SoCon’s media rights…
ACC Kicks Off Season with Week 0 Matchups

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference football season kicks off Saturday, August 29, with five ACC teams competing across four Week 0 matchups. North Carolina will open the season on the international stage against TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, while NC State and Virginia meet in the first conference…
Already Moment of Truth for Some ACC Teams, and it’s Only Week 0

The college football season doesn’t officially begin for another week. But don’t tell that to Florida State, NC State, Virginia, Stanford or North Carolina. All five ACC schools are scheduled to play Saturday as part of the clumsily titled Week 0. The Tar Heels face TCU in Dublin, Ireland, Stanford hosts Hawaii, the Seminoles get…
Furman Overcomes Mistakes to Beat Trojans in Season Opener for Both Schools

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Thursday night was the earliest season opener in the 121-year history of Furman football. But after the first half performance by the Paladins offensively, head coach Clay Hendrix might have wished his team had another week of practice before taking the field against nearby Anderson University. Early season games often aren’t pretty…
Sloppy Start for Paladins, but Win Nonetheless

Furman held Anderson to 160 total yards of offense. The Paladins allowed just six yards rushing. They ran for 268 yards and totaled 451 overall. With those kinds of numbers, one might think Furman blew out the visiting Trojans the way a Division I football team is supposed to against an inferior Division II program…
Former Furman Teammates Set to Square Off in Season Opener

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The 2026 college football season will officially take flight in the Upstate Thursday night with an inaugural meeting between two local teams just 35 miles apart. In a matchup between two head coaches who were both college and high school teammates from Commerce, Ga., the Furman Paladins will host NCAA Division II…
Beamer Goes to Bat for his Players, as He Should

One thing is certain in the state of South Carolina – do not mess with any of the players on the Clemson and South Carolina football teams. For years, Dabo Swinney has been known to go to bat for his players a time or two against the media in Tigertown, and Shane Beamer does the…
Gamecocks Win Big Ahead of Rivalry Match

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina men’s soccer team won its home opener Monday night 4-0 against USC Upstate in front of crowd 5,489 at Stone Stadium in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks got two goals from Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, while Loïc Sany Kong and Mika Habel each added one, as well. Angel Lopez and Hugo Febles were awarded assists on two of the four goals. South…
Clemson Soccer Earns Second Win

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson scored two goals within 90 seconds on Sunday, as the Tigers knocked off East Tennessee State 2-0 at Historic Riggs Field. The Tigers’ two goals came from Duncan Wilson and Cooper Hineline, which came at the 66 and 67 minutes of the match. Clemson (2-0) outshot the Buccaneers 13-7 with six shots…
Preseason AP Poll Omission Puts More Heat on Clemson

The ACC didn’t get much love from the voters on the first college football rankings of the new season. Only three teams made it into the Associated Press’ preseason top 25, with defending national runnerup Miami – at No. 7 – the only one to crack the top 10. SMU at No. 19 and Louisville…
Young Players Didn’t Play Well in Clemson Scrimmage

While everyone is worried about who will be Clemson’s new quarterback, head coach Dabo Swinney is worried about a whole lot more, like filling out the rest of his two-deep before his Tigers take on No. 11 LSU on Sept. 5. That was part of Thursday’s objective at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C., as the…
Late Goal Lifts Gamecocks Past Rival Clemson

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For nearly 84 minutes, the Clemson-South Carolina match seemed like it was going to end the same way the previous four had – in a draw. However, at the 83:57 mark, Cuyler Zulauf shot a ball just past Clemson goalkeeper Nona Reason, giving the Gamecocks a stunning 1-0 victory Thursday in front…
Clemson routs No. 3 Paladins in Season Opener

CLEMSON, S.C. — Furman was ranked No. 3 in the country. Clemson was not ranked. However, none of that mattered at Historic Riggs Field on Thursday night. From the start, the Tigers manhandled the Paladins 5-1 in front of 4,323 fans in Clemson, S.C. Clemson used four second-half goals, including two from Xander Sevian to…
Clemson Returns to Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson Softball program has been chosen as one of 11 teams to participate in the 2027 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational from Feb. 18-21 in Clearwater, Fla. The Tigers will be joined in the tournament field by Florida State and Virginia Tech as programs representing the Atlantic Coast Conference. ESPN Events’ owned-and-operated softball…
Furman-Anderson Set to Make Gridiron History

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Next Thursday night is set to be a historic evening at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C. Not only will Furman officially open its 2026 college football season, but the Paladins will do so against nearby Anderson University. Why the history? No matter the score or outcome, this will be the inaugural meeting…
Stanford Trying to Restore QB U

Follow college football long enough and you realize certain schools have established themselves as producers of singular talents at particular positions. Case in point: starting in the 1960s, Heisman Trophy winners Mike Garrett, the late O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen and Reggie Bush helped establish Southern Cal as “Tailback U.” – perhaps the most…
Clemson Women Announce Non-Conference Slate

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson women’s basketball head coach Shawn Poppie announced the Tigers’ non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season on Wednesday. THE HIGHLIGHTS Clemson will open the season with a seven-game November homestand at Littlejohn Coliseum, beginning with Radford, ETSU (Thursday, Nov. 5), UNC Greensboro (Sunday, Nov. 8), South Carolina (Thursday, Nov. 12), Stetson (Sunday,…
Paladins Have Their Quarterback

GREENVILLE, S.C. — While some schools in college football have not decided on who will be their starting quarterback when the season opens in a few weeks, the Furman Paladins are not one of them. Furman head coach Clay Hendrix named transfer Jake Garcia as his new quarterback on Tuesday, as the Paladins get set…
Defense Strong in Wofford Scrimmage

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford’s football team battled through extreme temperatures to complete a short scrimmage at Gibbs Stadium this past Saturday. The Terriers had a short practice and scripted scrimmage of approximately 40 plays. The heat index was above 100 degrees when practice ended at 9:45 a.m. Wofford head coach Shawn Watson said the goal…
Furman Picked to Win SoCon

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Furman was picked to repeat as Southern Conference men’s soccer champions and six Paladins earned a spot on the Preseason All-SoCon Team, it was announced on Monday afternoon by the league office. The Paladins, who swept the SoCon regular season and tournament titles a year ago before advancing to the NCAA College Cup,…
Clemson Plays Coastal in Fall Showdown

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson Baseball will play Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Fall Showdown at Pelicans Ballpark on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, Peak Events announced Monday. The exhibition contests take place during Clemson football’s open weekend. The contests are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. (Oct. 10) and 1 p.m. (Oct. 11).…
Gamecocks Fall at Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team fell 3-0 to Wake Forest Sunday at Spry Soccer Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Gamecocks (1-1-0) saw 22 players hit the field, with senior Reagan Schubach playing the full 90 minutes. Wake Forest’s two second-half goals put the game away. The Demon Deacons (2-0-0) took a 1-0…
Clemson No Closer to Naming Starting QB

In less than three weeks, Clemson is going to open its season at LSU, a place where the home team Tigers seldom lose, especially at night. It also does not help that Clemson will go into Baton Rouge, La., with a new quarterback. Unfortunately, for Clemson, it still does not know who that is going…
Targeting Rule Still Ambiguous, at Least it’s Less Severe

There’s a video currently making the rounds on social media featuring some of the most violent hits administered by Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, arguably the best, most ferocious linebacker in football history. It’s a highly entertaining reel that offers a stark contrast to the way the game has evolved in that virtually every play…