Garnet Wire

Gameday picture · Week 3 · SEC

MSST at SC

Sat, Sep 19, 4:15 PM · SECN · Williams–Brice Stadium

Final: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34 (ESPN). Next: at Alabama · Sat Sep 26, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, Bryant–Denny. Ball security and late answers before Tuscaloosa.

Final · Sep 19

Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34

Final at Williams–Brice — Bulldogs win the SEC opener.

Final: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34.
Time of possession: South Carolina 34:15 · Mississippi State 25:45.
First downs: 21–19. Total yards: 431–393.
South Carolina: 149 rush / 282 pass (25-of-40). Mississippi State: 135 rush / 258 pass (19-of-27).
Turnovers: South Carolina 2 (2 INT) · Mississippi State 1 (INT).
Quarter scores: South Carolina 13–10–0–11 · Mississippi State 0–14–17–10.
Scoring swing: Mississippi State scored 27 unanswered across the third quarter and early fourth before South Carolina’s late touchdown and field goal.

ESPN box

Remembrance · Sept 20, 2001

First major college football game after September 11

South Carolina and Mississippi State took the field — remembrance, unity, and American pride.

September 20, 2001 — South Carolina vs Mississippi State.
Cited by @GamecocksOnline as the first major college football game following the attacks of September 11.
Official athletic department remembrance video posted September 11, 2026.

GamecocksOnline UofSC video Towel Weather

Series · through Sep 19

Entering Sep 19: South Carolina led 10–7

18th all-time meeting at Williams–Brice.

First meeting: Oct 17, 1992 in Columbia — Gamecocks 21–6.
Last meeting: Sep 23, 2023 in Columbia — Gamecocks 37–30.
Last Bulldogs win: Sep 10, 2016 in Starkville — 27–14.
Since 2000: South Carolina has won 8-of-9.
At home since 2000: Gamecocks 5–0 in the series.
Sep 19, 2026: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34 (ESPN).

Hail State notes Hail State series SC athletics WIS

Flashback · Nov 2, 2013

No. 14 South Carolina 34, Mississippi State 16

Williams–Brice. Connor Shaw threw four touchdown passes; the defense forced five turnovers.

Shaw TD passes to Shaq Roland (14, 43), Damiere Byrd (6), and Jerell Adams (4).
Elliott Fry field goals from 44 and 37.
Five turnovers forced; 20 points off turnovers.
School-record-tying 15th straight home win.

Hail State box SC quotes AP

Recruits in attendance

High-school prospects cited for this Saturday at Williams–Brice.

Maleek Miller · WR · 2027 · Dutch Fork
Offers · Wake Forest · North Carolina · NC State · Cincinnati · USF
Source Rating Offers
Confirmed
Riggs Savage · TE · 2028 · Powdersville
Offers · Louisville · Georgia Tech · Indiana · Penn State · South Carolina
Source Offers
Planned
Brody Lorenzo · OL · 2028 · Dutch Fork
Offers · NC State · North Carolina · Cincinnati · ECU · Appalachian State
Source Rating Offers
Planned
Kelvin Millington · CB · 2027 · North Oconee
Offers · Virginia Tech · Georgia Tech · Texas Tech · Pittsburgh · South Carolina
Source Rating Offers
Confirmed
Alvin Holland · OL · 2028 · Suffolk VA
Offers · South Carolina · Penn State · Virginia · Virginia Tech · Georgia Tech
Source Offers
Planned
Sam Walker · OL · 2028 · Carrollton GA
Offers · South Carolina · Clemson · Georgia Tech · Alabama · Ohio State
Source Rating Offers
Planned
Flourish Odin · DL · 2028
Offers · South Carolina · Arkansas · Duke · Florida State · Tennessee
Source Rating Offers
Planned
DeNairo Girton Jr. · S · Great Mills
Offers · Indiana · Maryland · Penn State · South Carolina · Wake Forest
Source Rating Offers
Planned

Spread

SC -6.5

Market desk line

Total

57.5

Win

64%

Mississippi State

desk projection

Gamecocks

Desk implied 32–26 · SC −250 / MSST +210

Kick weather

86°F

Hot afternoon · first SEC Saturday · lo 70°F

15% precip

Window

SECN

Final: MSST 41–SC 34. Next · @ Alabama · Sat Sep 26, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Lebby tempo vs a Briles first SEC script.

Unit matchups

Quarterback

Sellers starting QB · Taylor dual-threat thru 2 (ESPN/SI).

Offensive line

Peak targeted back this week. If he sits, Lebby's front can wreck the first drive.

Receivers

Harbor vs an SEC secondary. Taylor will test the nickel the other way.

Front seven

Stewart's status is the swing. Lebby wants the ball out fast.

Secondary

Tempo is the test. Miss State will throw it early and often.

Special teams

Hidden yardage in a one-score SEC opener.

Players to watch

Kamario Taylor QB
Dual-threat; ~581 pass yds, 7 TD, 0 INT through 2 (ESPN/SI).
MSST
Fluff Bothwell RB
Team leading rusher through 2: 165 yards (ESPN/SI).
MSST
Anthony Evans III WR
Leading receiver through 2: 239 yards, 14 catches, 2 TD (ESPN).
MSST
Marquis Johnson WR
Vertical threat; ~60-yard TD vs ULM cited (SI / Hail State).
MSST
J.J. Hill RB
118 rush yards through 2; part of three-back run game (SI).
MSST
LaNorris Sellers QB
Starting QB · first SEC Saturday.
SC
Nyck Harbor WR
Starting WR · room thinned by season WR outs on the card.
SC
Dylan Stewart EDGE
EDGE · missed Weeks 1–2; Available.
SC
Jacarrius Peak OL
OL · missed Weeks 1–2; Available.
SC

Key injuries

Jayden Sellers WR · SC
Season-ending lower body. Mid-August.
Out
Jayden Gibson WR · SC
Season-ending lower body. Oklahoma transfer.
Out
Jackson Repp WR · SC
Walk-on, also lost in the same stretch.
Out
Dylan Stewart EDGE · SC
Back; missed Weeks 1–2. Available.
Available
Jacarrius Peak OL · SC
Knee; missed Weeks 1–2. Available.
Available
DJ Black WR · SC
Available.
Available
Carter Miller C · SC
Available.
Available
Maurice Brown II TE · SC
Available.
Available
Tony Brown DB · SC
#43 · Available.
Available
Lucian Anderson III QB · SC
#15 · Out.
Out
Jalewis Solomon DB · SC
#16 · Out.
Out
A.J. Holloway LB · SC
#32 · Out.
Out
Josiah Thompson OL · SC
#74 · Out.
Out
Caden Ramsey TE · SC
Suspended after racing arrest (Beamer Sep 8). Sat reinstatement not listed.
Out
Ethan Sanchez PK · SC
Not available; eligibility still working (SportsTalkSC Tue). No return date listed.
Out
Zakari Tillman LB · MSST
#7 · Out (was Questionable).
Out
Kelley Jones CB · MSST
#1 · Available.
Available
Ayden Williams WR · MSST
#11 · Out.
Out
Diesel Moye DL · MSST
#99 · Out.
Out

What the tape says

Final: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34.
Ball security and late-game answers — clean it up before Bryant–Denny.
Next: Alabama · Sat Sep 26, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Road SEC week — same bar, next chance.

History

All-time series: South Carolina leads 10–7 entering the 18th meeting.
Since 2000: Gamecocks 8-of-9, including 5–0 at home.
Last meeting: Sep 23, 2023 — South Carolina 37, Mississippi State 30.
Sep 19, 2026: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34 (ESPN).

Efficiency Matchup · Week 3

SC vs MSST

Advanced + SP+ ratings · South Carolina vs Mississippi State

market · DraftKings

SC -4

O/U 59.5

SP+
SC
SC
16.9
MSST
10.0
Off success
SC
SC
0.592
MSST
0.581
Off explosiveness
MSST
SC
1.227
MSST
1.289
Off line yards
SC
SC
4.203
MSST
3.793
Def success allowed
SC
SC
0.270
MSST
0.331
Def stuff
SC
SC
0.245
MSST
0.157

Metric	SC	MSST	Edge
SP+	16.9	10.0	SC
Off success	0.592	0.581	SC
Off explosiveness	1.227	1.289	MSST
Off line yards	4.203	3.793	SC
Def success allowed	0.270	0.331	SC
Def stuff	0.245	0.157	SC

PPA compare unavailable this week. Unit grades stay on RosterCompare.

Charted two-deep

Charted names for Jeff Lebby's Mississippi State. Open a row for the cited notes.