​ Climbing the Mountain : 2024 Rewind pt.3
Next up on the docket was a sunny afternoon date at Bryant Denny Stadium against the Crimson tide. Alabama struck first with Milroe using his legs to punch it in from a yard out early in the first quarter. Sellers and co. couldn’t get anything going for much of the first half as their first three drives stalled out relatively fast (55 total yards). That was until there was 1:37 left on the clock before halftime and Loggains dialed up a 4th & 9 prayer down 14-0. Bama came out in a Cover 3 look, daring the Gamecocks to test their secondary. Sellers pump-faked left, catching Alabama’s safeties flat-footed and a step late rotating over, cheating towards the flat and the deep safety too far back. A deep post to the right sideline was just what the doctor ordered as Lanorris hit Mazeo perfectly in stride to cut the deficit to 7 (14-7). A mere 9 seconds later Kyle Kennard left his imprint on this game. Milroe took the shotgun snap at his own 13 and instantly turned into a deer in headlights as Kyle Kennard blew past Kadyn Proctor hunting the QB down in his own end zone. With Kennard a heartbeat away from flattening him, Milroe chucked the ball into the dirt just milliseconds before. This desperate heave drew the refs arms skyward for intentional grounding. The safety call handed South Carolina two points and a surge of life. Alabama got the ball back with 11 seconds left near midfield, they pushed for one last jab to pad their 14-9 lead. That’s when Jalon Kilgore leapt in front of a crossing route, ripping the pass straight from the receiver, and darting inside the 20 with one tick on the clock. It set up Alex Herrera to drill a field goal as time expired, slicing the deficit to 14-12. Coming out of the locker room, South Carolina marched 85 yards on 16 plays, eating up 8:35 of clock for a Rocket Sanders touchdown on arguably their best drive of the season. Sellers fumbling issues would come back to bite them in this one as he fumbled at the Gamecock 31 setting up the Tide to take the lead at 10:42 in the fourth when Milroe scampered seven yards for a score. A Herrera missed field goal followed by another Alabama touchdown and the Gamecocks trailed 27-19 with just under a minute remaining. With 38 seconds left Sellers took the snap and locked onto Harbor who boxed out corner Mbakwe like a power forward while tightroping the sideline. His right foot grazed the end zone turf on a catch that capped a gorgeous 31-yard LaNorris Sellers laser, pulling South Carolina within 27-25 with 43 seconds left. The two-point try loomed, and Dowell Loggains cooked up a gem once again. Vandrevius Jacobs broke free in the end zone corner but Sellers, scrambling under pressure, overshot his man by a hair. Kai Kroeger stepped up once again, executing a perfect onside kick that bounced into Gamecock hands near midfield, igniting one last glimmer of hope. Two plays later Sellers’ deep heave from the Alabama 47 found Domani Jackson instead intercepted at the two. Sealing the 27-25 heartbreak. Shane Beamer didn’t mince words this offseason about the postgame locker room and how the pain ignited a spark. “That Alabama loss was our breaking point enough’s enough. We’ve got the talent and the work ethic to beat anyone we face; it’s time we start proving it.”
On the horizon was a road trip to Norman in what felt like a must win game before the season started to tilt in the wrong direction. They wasted no time giving freshman QB Micheal Hawkins a facemask full of dirt. Emmanwari jumped the first play from scrimmage making an incredible catch to set the offense up deep in Oklahoma territory. They would score 3 plays later on a Rocket touchdown run and would continue to dismantle the subpar Oklahoma offensive line. The next drive for the Sooners resulted in a big man scoop and score making 14-0 before you could even blink. The young quarterback was getting harassed all day long and didn’t have a counterpunch to neutralize them. The Gamecocks entered the game ranked 12th nationally with 12 forced turnovers on the season and added significantly to that total. Adding four more in Norman and scoring 22 points off those takeaways while committing none of their own. A true masterpiece by the defense holding Oklahoma to 291 total yards, including a measly 53 on the ground against a Sooners rushing attack that averaged just 2.1 yards per carry. While the defense stole the show, South Carolina’s offense played a clean, complementary game. Sellers showed poise beyond his years, completing 16-of-24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown as Josh Simon continued to be his go to weapon down the stretch. The 26 point beatdown marked South Carolina’s largest road win in SEC play under Beamer. This one meant a little extra to Shane, who spent three years at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. Postgame he shared emotional hugs with his children before joining SEC Network’s Alyssa Lang for an interview. “I’m so blessed to be their coach,” he said, his voice cracking with pride. This victory felt like a turning point. The Gamecocks proved they can dominate on the road in the SEC, a category they have struggled in coming in Beamer’s tenure (1-7).
