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, the third-most rushing yards in a single game in program history. Matthew Fuller (125) and LaNorris Sellers (119) eclipsed the century mark, and the Gamecocks had three touchdown runs of 50-yards or more for the first time in program history (Sellers – 58, Fuller – 55 & Isaiah Augustave – 55).
Through two games, South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks No. 3 nationally in rushing offense averaging 341.5 yards on the ground behind only Army (394.0) and Navy (376.0). The Gamecocks’ 8.5 yard per carry average leads the nation, just in front of Georgia (8.2).
Under Beamer, Carolina is 13-1 when rushing for 200 or more yards.
STINGY DEFENSE
Under sixth year defensive coordinator Clayton White, South Carolina has allowed just one touchdown in the first two games of the season.
The Gamecocks are T-1st in scoring defense with Penn State, allowing just 4.5 points per game. Carolina ranks No. 8 in total defense, allowing 191.0 yards per game.
Against Towson, the Gamecocks allowed just 21 rushing yards, the fourth-fewest single game rushing yards allowed in program history.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State comes into Williams-Brice Stadium after a pair of wins against ULM (62-13) and at Minnesota (38-13).
The Bulldogs (2-0) have seven touchdown passes this season, the most by the Bulldogs in the first two games of the season since 2022. Mississippi State snapped Minnesota’s seven-game home winning streak last Saturday, scoring 28 first-half points and holding the Golden Gophers to a third-quarter touchdown and a pair of field goals.
Mississippi State concludes its road trip after Saturday with a pair of home games against Missouri and Alabama.
Quarterback Kamario Taylor has thrown for 581 passing yards and seven touchdowns in MSU’s first two games of the year. Anthony Evans III has a pair of receiving touchdowns and has 239 receiving yards this season.
Fluff Bothwell has 165 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns. On defense, Jaray Bledsoe has 2.5 tackles for loss while Jalen Smith has a team-best 12 tackles.
35 YEARS IN THE SEC
The 2026 season will mark South Carolina’s 35th year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the SEC prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned the SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season.
The Gamecocks are 114-158 1 (.419) all-time in SEC regular season play but posted a 42-38 (.525) record in conference action from 2010-19.
IT’S SUPERSWAIN
All-SEC punt returner Vicari Swain cemented his name in the record books vs. Towson last week with two punt returns for touchdowns, the fourth and fifth of his career at South Carolina.
He broke a 55-year old school record previously held by Dick Harris (1969-71) for the most career punt return touchdowns. Swain got loose for 58 yards with 9:37 to go in the first quarter and broke away for 45 yards with three seconds left in the third quarter to break Harris’ long-standing program record.
Since 1995, only 32 players have recorded multiple punt return TDs in the same game. Swain is the only player on that list to do it twice (had two punt return TDs in a 38-10 win over SC State last season).
He’s currently No. 2 in the SEC with six returns for 152 yards (25.3 average) through two games. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in his career on Monday.
His five career punt return TDs are T-3rd most in SEC history.
–story and photo courtesy of South Carolina Athletics