The South Carolina Gamecocks, aiming to salvage some in-state pride after a grueling schedule, will host the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff marks the beginning of a two-game, nonconference home stand against Palmetto State opponents to conclude the 2025 season. The Gamecocks (3-7, 1-7 SEC) face the Chanticleers (6-4, 5-2 Sun Belt) before concluding their season against Clemson in the annual Palmetto Bowl.
Saturday’s contest is also Senior Day, recognizing 23 Gamecocks, and is notable for being the first game since September in which South Carolina has not faced an opponent ranked in the top 15.
Struggles to Finish
A consistent theme for South Carolina this season has been an inability to close out opponents. The team has either led or been within a touchdown entering the fourth quarter in eight of its 10 games.
In their seven losses, the Gamecocks held a lead in the final quarter against No. 23 Missouri, No. 4 Alabama and No. 3 Texas A&M before falling short. They were within a single score at halftime in all seven losses, including the two largest margins against Vanderbilt and No. 14 Oklahoma.
Under Coach Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks hold a robust 24-5 record when leading after three quarters, but that mark has dropped significantly this season, standing at 3-3.
Game Details and Senior Salute
The Gamecocks opened the season with nonconference victories over Virginia Tech and South Carolina State before falling into a difficult stretch of SEC play. Coastal Carolina comes to Columbia bowl-eligible and fresh off a strong Sun Belt campaign.
The game will be televised on SEC Network, with Dave Neal, Fozzy Whittaker and Morgan Uber on the broadcast team. The Gamecock Sports Radio Network features Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs.
Prior to the game, South Carolina will honor 23 seniors. The list includes Cole Rasmussen, a 2020 graduate of Fort Mill High School, and others such as Oscar Adaway III, Nick Barrett, Jared Brown, Colin Bryant, Andrew Colasurdo, Jordan Dingle, Luke Doty, Bradley Dunn, Rahsul Faison, Monkell Goodwine, Jatius Geer, Nathan Harris-Waynick, William Joyce, Buddy Mack III, Chase McCracken, Rodney Newsom Jr., Eriq Rice, Larry Scott, DQ Smith, Chase Sweigart, Bryan Thomas Jr. and Mac Walters.
