The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up their third straight win on Saturday, knocking off the Vanderbilt Commodores 28-7. Building on last week’s dominant performance against Texas A&M, the Gamecocks outplayed Vandy in all three phases. They also secured bowl eligibility for the third time in four seasons under head coach Shane Beamer.
The Commodores came into the game as perhaps the most surprising team of the year but could not gain any momentum against Carolina. Conversely, the Gamecocks leave Nashville as perhaps the hottest team in the SEC. With game nine in the books, let’s dive into the key takeaways from South Carolina’s dominant showing against Vanderbilt.
Sellers and Sanders Dominant
A week after having career-best games as Gamecocks, quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Raheim Sanders led the way again for Carolina. Sellers threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns on the day, completing 14 of his 20 pass attempts. He also rushed for a modest 38 yards, with only Sanders running for more.
Speaking of Sanders, the Rocket continued his assent against Vandy. The former all-SEC selection followed up last week’s phenomenal showing with an even better one. Sanders led all Gamecocks in rushing, collecting 126 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. If that wasn’t enough he also led all Gamecocks in receiving, with 52 yards and another touchdown.
“Rocket Sanders is healthier now,” Beamer said when asked what led to his breakout performances over the past two weeks. “Been able to knock some of the rust off. For the most part, the perimeter blocking has been better. He just continues to gain confidence. He is having fun.”
These two guys continue to be the engine for the Gamecock offense, and the past two weeks have seen them both make massive strides. Injuries early in the season hampered Sanders a bit, but it’s apparent that that is no longer an issue. With the final stretch of the season coming up, this dynamic pairing in the backfield is hitting its stride at just the right time.
Gamecocks Defense Stifles Pavia
On the other side of the ball, Carolina’s defense put together yet another dominant showing. The Gamecocks limited Vandy to just 274 total yards of offense, their third-lowest output of the season. Carolina also held the Commodores to their lowest-scoring output of the season at just seven points.
The biggest reason for their success against Vandy’s offense was their ability to shut down quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia was limited to just 166 yards passing, and 65 yards rushing. Carolina also forced the quarterback to fumble the ball at the Gamecocks 15-yard line, snuffing out what looked to be a scoring drive for Vandy.
Coming into the game, Pavia was among the hottest quarterbacks in the country. His ability to beat defenses with both his arm and legs posed what appeared to be significant challenges to Carolina. The Gamecocks, however, were more than up to the task. Going on the road and shutting down a quarterback like Pavia is just another feather in the cap for this Carolina defense, and they’ll be looking to add a few more before the season ends.
Carolina Bowl Bound Again
The biggest takeaway from this game is that the South Carolina Gamecocks are going bowling once more. This marks the third time in four seasons under Beamer the team will reach a bowl game, with only last year’s team missing out.
That last part is worth mentioning as many assumed coming into the season the Gamecocks were unlikely to rebound given the difficulty of their schedule. Despite the underwhelming preseason projections, however, Carolina has indeed overcome all odds to secure their spot in bowl season. Beamer touched on the importance of reaching this milestone, and how last season’s letdown makes it a bit sweeter.
“I will say it is extra special tonight just coming off the season we had last year,” Beamer said. “Very few people thought we would, I saw a lot of those preseason projections and it certainly didn’t have us winning six games this season. Having six wins with three games to go. Proud of our guys but just so happy for them.”
While the Gamecocks certainly aren’t settling for only six wins and a bowl game appearance, getting back to this point is a massive accomplishment. It shows that Beamer and his staff have the ability to bounce back from a disappointing season and can build this program for the future.
Final Thoughts
Coming off the bye week, we talked about how crucial it was for Carolina to finish the season out strong. Well, in two weeks they’ve picked up their two most impressive wins of the season, and don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. This is a credit to not only Beamer and his staff, but to the players as well.
It would have been easy to throw in the towel after the blowout to Ole Miss, but they didn’t. Instead, they rolled up their sleeves and got back to work. It speaks volumes to the culture Beamer has created in Columbia and should be commended.
Many will want to look back at the Alabama and LSU games and play this “what if” game. To do so, however, would be a massive disservice to this team. These players have put together a season that few expected coming in, and more importantly, have laid the foundation for the following seasons as well.
