The South Carolina football team lost to the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels 27-3 on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks struggled to find consistency on offense, while the Rebels took advantage of big plays down the field with its passing attack.
"The most disappointed I've ever been as a head football coach in the way that we played," head coach Shane Beamer said.
On the game's third possession, the Rebels got the ball in South Carolina territory after a Gamecocks' failed fake punt attempt. The Rebels responded with a five play, 36-yard drive that was capped by a three yard touchdown run by senior running back Henry Parrish Jr., giving Ole Miss a 7-0 lead.
"Thought that we had a good call. It's something that we've been repping since August," Beamer said of the fake punt. "Not very good on my part. Certainly wish I could have that one back."
South Carolina's second drive also ended in a turnover when Rebels junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen recovered a fumble by redshirt senior quarterback Robby Ashford. Ole Miss followed the turnover with an eight play, 59-yard drive, highlighted by a 29-yard catch from redshirt senior wide receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells Jr. Ole Miss took a 14-0 lead when fifth-year defensive tackle J.J. Pegues rushed for his third touchdown of the season on a one-yard run.
After both teams turned it over on downs on consecutive possessions, the Gamecocks got into field goal range after redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers rushed for a 30-yard gain. The drive ended with a successful 40-yard field goal from sixth-year kicker Alex Herrera, making the score 14-3 Rebels.
Ole Miss' offense regained momentum on its next drive when senior quarterback Jaxson Dart found fifth-year wide receiver Tre Harris for a 57-yard gain. The Rebels drove the ball down to South Carolina's two-yard line but were held out of the end zone. Fifth-year kicker Caden Davis converted a 24-yard field goal to give Ole Miss a 17-3 advantage.
South Carolina's offense struggled to find success in the first half. The Gamecocks gained just 125 yards in the half, and Sellers went 6-9 passing for 51 yards.
"In the first half, we had some shots plays called down the field and weren't able to quite connect," Beamer said. "I don't know about where LaNorris' eyes were on some things, but certainly there's some details that we have to clean up from a route running standpoint."
Things began to unravel for South Carolina at the end of the first half when Dart found fifth-year wide receiver Jordan Watkins for a 41-yard gain, setting the Rebels up at the Gamecocks' two yard line. Peagues capped the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the contest, giving Ole Miss a commanding 24-3 halftime lead.
The Gamecocks found some momentum early in the third quarter when it went on an 11 play, 56-yard drive. Sellers was 5-5 for 43 yards passing on the drive, but lost yardage on a third down scramble in the red zone. Trailing 24-3, the Gamecocks opted for a field goal attempt, and Herrera missed a 38-yard try.
In the third quarter, both teams traded scoreless possessions. The Rebels took a 27-3 lead when Davis converted a 44-yard field goal, his second make of the game.
South Carolina's longest drive of the game came late in the third quarter when it went on a thirteen play, 69-yard drive that included a 16-yard rush from Sellers. However, the drive ended when Rebels senior cornerback Trey Amos intercepted Sellers at the Ole Miss six-yard line. The Rebels then went on a long drive to run out the clock and clinch the victory.
Wells Jr. has eventful return
Rebels wide receiver Wells Jr., who played two seasons for the Gamecocks before transferring to Ole Miss last offseason, returned to Williams-Brice Stadium for the first time as a visitor.
His biggest play came on a 66-yard catch where he appeared to be headed for a touchdown but fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. For the game, Wells Jr. was targeted 10 times, catching three passes for 97 yards.
In his 16 games as a Gamecock, Wells Jr. caught 71 passes for 965 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named First Team All-SEC by the league's coaches after the 2022 season.
Ole Miss offense converts big plays
In the game against the Rebels, South Carolina's defense struggled to contain Ole Miss' powerful offense. Ole Miss' passing attack connected on six plays of 15 yards or more in the contest. Dart went 14-27 for 285 yards while Harris, who entered the day as the nation's leader in receiving yards, caught three passes for 81 yards.
"I thought they played well," Beamer said of the defense. "We put them in some tough spots in the first quarter field position-wise with the fake punt and the turnovers, but for the most part I thought they did okay."
In total, Ole Miss gained 425 yards on offense, 140 on the ground and 285 through the air. Despite the Rebels impressive performance, the Gamecocks still held Ole Miss below its season average of 607.2 yards per game.
Beamer said he wished the Gamecocks would've forced more turnovers against the Rebels.
"We knew that the turnover margin was gonna be critical in this game," Beamer said. "I wish we could've gotten takeaways, but for the most part I thought they did a good job."
Penalties plague Gamecocks
After committing several critical penalties in its most recent SEC game against LSU, the Gamecocks continued to make mental mistakes against the Rebels. For the game, South Carolina committed eight penalties for 80 yards.
"We talked all week about being the most poised and disciplined team," Beamer said. "We were undisciplined to say the least today, and that starts with me as the head coach."
South Carolina's defense was flagged for offsides five times. The offense committed several mistakes that stalled drives, including two offensive pass interference calls. Coming into the game, the Gamecocks ranked 115th nationally in penalty yards, averaging 74 per contest.
"Multiple offsides penalties, a taunting penalty, two offensive pass interference penalties," Beamer said. "Really disappointing, and that is completely on me. We all need to look ourselves in the mirror, but I've got to do a better job."
What's next?
South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) will continue conference play on Oct. 12 when it travels to face the Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1, 1-1 SEC). Kickoff from Bryant-Denny Stadium is set for 12 p.m., and the game will be televised on ABC.