South Carolina jumped out to a big early lead Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, but Mississippi State stormed back to hand the Gamecocks a 41-34 loss in the SEC opener for both teams.
South Carolina controlled the game early, building a 16-0 advantage behind a touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers and three field goals from Malik Orsan. The Gamecocks carried a 23-14 lead into halftime after Matt Fuller scored on a seven-yard run late in the second quarter.
But the second half belonged to Mississippi State. Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor threw two third-quarter touchdown passes as Mississippi State scored 17 unanswered points in the period to take a 31-23 lead. The Bulldogs eventually stretched the advantage to 41-23 before South Carolina attempted a late comeback.
Taylor finished with 251 passing yards and four touchdowns, while running back Fluff Bothwell rushed for 115 yards. Mississippi State’s offense overcame the early deficit and scored 41 points over the final three quarters.
For South Carolina, Sellers completed 25 of 40 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Fuller led the Gamecocks on the ground with 73 yards and a touchdown and added seven receptions for 85 yards and another score.
The Gamecocks made things interesting late when Sellers connected with Fuller for a 25-yard touchdown and then ran in the two-point conversion. Orsan later drilled a 52-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining to pull South Carolina within seven, but Mississippi State recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
The loss drops South Carolina to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in SEC play, while Mississippi State improves to 3-0 and 1-0 in the conference.
Up next, the Gamecocks hit the road for a major SEC test Saturday night against No. 10 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
