(Photo credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

Possessing its highest preseason ranking since 2014, South Carolina delivered in its neutral-site season opener last Sunday.

The Gamecocks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to step away from Virginia Tech 24-11 in Atlanta.

No. 10 South Carolina (1-0) carries its first top-10 ranking in 11 years into its home opener vs. in-state FCS foe South Carolina State (1-0) Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

There were some serious questions about USC's defense entering the 2025 season after the team lost SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kennard (11.5 sacks in 2024) and standout defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, one of their five top tacklers. That 2024 unit ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense.

The first test was passed with flying colors. While the Hokies gained narrowly more yards in the game (336) and moved the chains on 8 of 18 third downs (44.4 percent), the Gamecocks kept Va. Tech out of the end zone, allowing just three field goals in six drives which crossed midfield. They also came away with two interceptions.

'Proud of our guys and the physicality they played with, the effort they played with,' South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said. 'It wasn't always pretty, but you could never question the effort they were playing with.'

After preseason first-team All-SEC defensive lineman Dylan Stewart had just two assisted tackles and a pair of offsides penalties in the first half, he ramped up in the second half with five tackles (two solo), a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers built off his 2024 buzz in his 2025 debut, throwing for and running in a touchdown while racking up 209 passing yards on just 12 completions.

With his strong showing and a few contenders struggling, Sellers had the second-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy one week into the season at +700 on Tuesday, according to BetMGM.

Former sprinter Nyck Harbor, who dropped track this year to focus on playing wide receiver entering his junior season, saw that decision immediately pay off in the season opener. He recorded three catches for a career-high 99 yards in the win, and put the game away with a career-long 64-yard touchdown catch on a deep ball that allowed him to show off the jets.

SC State head coach Chennis Berry enters 2025 coming off a prestigious season which saw him become the first coach in program history to lead the team to a conference championship in his first season.

The Bulldogs finished the season 9-3 with a 28-7 loss to Jackson State in the program's second appearance in the Celebration Bowl.

SC State eked out a 16-15 home win over Wofford in its opener last week thanks to a 12-yard pass from Ryan Stubblefield to Shamontae Burgess with less than 90 seconds left in the game and a missed field goal at the wire by the Terriers.

This will mark the fourth meeting between South Carolina and SC State, with USC winning each of the first three matchups by 24 points or more.

'We'll get a chance to go down to Columbia, and play against a really good Gamecock football team, which is a top-15 team in America,' Berry said. 'They have some players, but like I tell our guys and our coaches, 'ball is ball.' It's football. We've got to go out and execute the game of football.'

--Field Level Media