South Carolina Dominates Virginia Tech in Season Opener
South Carolina defeated Virginia Tech 24-11 in Week 1, with the Gamecocks pulling away decisively in the fourth quarter. The home team covered the spread as a 7-point favorite in a game that finished well under the 52-point over-under.
Virginia Tech struck first with a safety in the opening quarter, but South Carolina answered with a touchdown to lead 7-2 after one. The Gamecocks extended their advantage to 10-2 at halftime behind a strong defensive performance and a 30-yard run by Rahsul Faison that set up scoring opportunities.
The Hokies managed only a field goal in the fourth quarter, while South Carolina's offense exploded for 14 points in the final period. The decisive moment came when LaNorris Sellers connected with Nyck Harbor for a 64-yard touchdown reception. Sellers also led a scoring drive with a 16-yard run late in the game.
Virginia Tech's Kyron Drones led all passers with 221 yards but was intercepted early. Harbor led all receivers with 99 receiving yards for South Carolina, while Oscar Adaway III rushed for 60 yards.
RECAP:
AI-generated recap · Aug 23, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Virginia Tech | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
 South Carolina | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Virginia Tech | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 15-35 | 12-19 |
| Pass Yards | 221 | 209 |
| Rush Yards | 115 | 125 |
| Total Yards | 336 | 334 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| 3rd Down | 8-18 | 4-12 |
| Penalties | 4-40 | 8-51 |
| Possession | 34:17 | 25:43 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Maurice Brown II for 14 yds to the SC 39 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 20 yds to the VT 41 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the VT 40
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Brady Hunt for 20 yds to the VT 20 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the VT 19
Oscar Adaway III run for 4 yds to the VT 15
LaNorris Sellers run for 15 yds for a TD (William Joyce KICK)
Marcellous Hawkins run for 2 yds to the VT 27
Kyron Drones run for 5 yds to the VT 32
Virginia Tech Penalty, False Start (Johnny Garrett) to the VT 27
Kyron Drones pass incomplete to Donavon Greene
South Carolina Penalty, Defensive Offside (5 Yards) to the VT 32
Nick Veltsistas punt for 45 yds , Vicari Swain returns for 4 yds to the SC 27
Rahsul Faison run for a loss of 2 yards to the SC 25
Rahsul Faison run for 1 yd to the SC 26
LaNorris Sellers run for 13 yds to the SC 39 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Michael Smith for 7 yds to the SC 46
South Carolina Penalty, False Start (-5 Yards) to the SC 41
Mason Love punt for 49 yds, downed at the VT 10
Kyron Drones pass complete to Takye Heath for 4 yds to the VT 14
Marcellous Hawkins run for 5 yds to the VT 19
Kyron Drones pass complete to Donavon Greene for 25 yds to the VT 44 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass complete to Ayden Greene for 36 yds to the SC 20 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass intercepted Fred Johnson return for 2 yds to the SC 2
Rahsul Faison run for no gain to the SC 2
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Kelvin Gilliam Jr. and Kody Huisman for a loss of 2 yards for a SAFETY
Mason Love kickoff for 47 yds , Isaiah Spencer return for 12 yds to the VT 45
P.J. Prioleau run for 1 yd to the VT 46
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Virginia Tech Penalty, Personal Foul (Kyle Altuner) to the VT 31
Jeremiah Coney run for no gain to the VT 31
Nick Veltsistas punt for 46 yds , Vicari Swain returns for a loss of 4 yards to the SC 19 Vicari Swain fumbled, recovered by SC Vicari Swain
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the SC 20
Oscar Adaway III run for 3 yds to the SC 23
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
Mason Love punt for 53 yds , Tucker Holloway returns for 5 yds to the VT 29
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass complete to Takye Heath for 6 yds to the VT 35
South Carolina Penalty, Defensive Offside (5 Yards) to the VT 40 for a 1ST down
Marcellous Hawkins run for 1 yd to the VT 41
Kyron Drones pass complete to Donavon Greene for 37 yds to the SC 22 for a 1ST down South Carolina Penalty, Personal Foul (Peyton Williams) to the SC 11 for a 1ST down
Cameron Seldon run for a loss of 1 yard to the SC 12
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
John Love 29 yd FG GOOD
South Carolina Penalty, Delay of Game (-5 Yards) to the SC 20
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Brady Hunt for 5 yds to the SC 25
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
LaNorris Sellers run for 4 yds to the SC 29
Mason Love punt for 55 yds , Tucker Holloway returns for no gain to the VT 16
P.J. Prioleau run for 9 yds to the VT 25
P.J. Prioleau run for no gain to the VT 25
Marcellous Hawkins run for 4 yds to the VT 29 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass complete to Benji Gosnell for no gain to the VT 29
Marcellous Hawkins run for 7 yds to the VT 36
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Nick Veltsistas punt for 43 yds, fair catch by Jalon Kilgore at the SC 21
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Oscar Adaway III for 8 yds to the SC 29
Oscar Adaway III run for 6 yds to the SC 35 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 23 yds to the VT 42 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 2 yds to the VT 40
Oscar Adaway III run for 9 yds to the VT 31 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 1 yd to the VT 30 South Carolina Penalty, Offensive Holding (Donovan Murph) to the VT 40
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Elhadj Fall for a loss of 14 yards to the SC 46 LaNorris Sellers fumbled, recovered by SC Josiah Thompson , return for 0 yards
Rahsul Faison run for 30 yds to the VT 24
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 15 yds to the VT 9 for a 1ST down
Rahsul Faison run for no gain to the VT 9
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
William Joyce 27 yd FG GOOD
Kyron Drones run for 3 yds to the VT 28
Kyron Drones run for 6 yds to the VT 34
Kyron Drones run for 2 yds to the VT 36 for a 1ST down
South Carolina Penalty, Defensive Offside (Dylan Stewart) to the VT 41
Jeremiah Coney run for 3 yds to the VT 44
Kyron Drones run for no gain to the VT 44
Jeremiah Coney run for 1 yd to the VT 45
Kyron Drones pass complete to Ayden Greene for 8 yds to the SC 47 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass complete to Ayden Greene for 9 yds to the SC 38
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
John Love 56 yd FG GOOD
End of 2nd Quarter
Mason Love kickoff for 65 yds , Thomas Williams return for 16 yds to the VT 16
Marcellous Hawkins run for 8 yds to the VT 24
Marcellous Hawkins run for 3 yds to the VT 27 for a 1ST down
Marcellous Hawkins run for 7 yds to the VT 34
Marcellous Hawkins run for 1 yd to the VT 35
Kyron Drones run for 8 yds to the VT 43 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
P.J. Prioleau run for 5 yds to the VT 48
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Nick Veltsistas punt for 35 yds, punt out-of-bounds at the SC 17
Oscar Adaway III run for 3 yds to the SC 20
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Oscar Adaway III for 15 yds to the SC 35 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Brady Hunt for 15 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 5 yds to the VT 45
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the VT 44
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete
Mason Love punt for 37 yds, fair catch by Tucker Holloway at the VT 7
Marcellous Hawkins run for no gain to the VT 7
Marcellous Hawkins run for 11 yds to the VT 18 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass complete to Cameron Seldon for 5 yds to the VT 23
Kyron Drones pass complete to Cameron Seldon for 3 yds to the VT 26
Kyron Drones run for 4 yds to the VT 30 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass complete to Donavon Greene for 32 yds to the SC 38 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones sacked by Dylan Stewart for a loss of 7 yards to the SC 45
Virginia Tech Penalty, Personal Foul (Donavon Greene) to the VT 40
Marcellous Hawkins run for no gain to the VT 40
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Nick Veltsistas punt for 42 yds, fair catch by Michael Smith at the SC 18
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Donovan Murph for 21 yds to the SC 39 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Braydon Bennett and Emmett Laws for a loss of 10 yards to the SC 29
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Brady Hunt for 5 yds to the SC 34
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Kemari Copeland and Ben Bell for a loss of 10 yards to the SC 24
Mason Love punt for 45 yds, fair catch by Tucker Holloway at the VT 31
P.J. Prioleau run for 1 yd to the VT 32
Kyron Drones sacked by Jatius Geer for a loss of 4 yards to the VT 28
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Virginia Tech Penalty, Illegal Formation (-5 Yards) to the VT 23
Nick Veltsistas punt for 57 yds , Vicari Swain returns for 80 yds for a TD (William Joyce KICK)
Mason Love kickoff for 65 yds , P.J. Prioleau return for 20 yds to the VT 20
Kyron Drones run for 1 yd to the VT 21
Kyron Drones pass complete to Cameron Seldon for 10 yds to the VT 31 for a 1ST down
Marcellous Hawkins run for 7 yds to the VT 38
Marcellous Hawkins run for 4 yds to the VT 42 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass complete to Isaiah Spencer for 28 yds to the SC 30 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones run for 6 yds to the SC 24
Kyron Drones run for 2 yds to the SC 22
John Love 39 yd FG GOOD
Rahsul Faison run for 9 yds to the SC 34
Rahsul Faison run for 2 yds to the SC 36 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 64 yds for a TD (William Joyce KICK)
Mason Love kickoff for 55 yds , P.J. Prioleau return for 13 yds to the VT 23
Marcellous Hawkins run for a loss of 2 yards to the VT 21
Kyron Drones pass complete to Ayden Greene for 7 yds to the VT 28
Kyron Drones pass complete to Ayden Greene for 13 yds to the VT 41 for a 1ST down
Jeremiah Coney run for 11 yds to the SC 48 for a 1ST down
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass incomplete
Kyron Drones pass intercepted Peyton Williams return for 23 yds to the SC 47
LaNorris Sellers run for a loss of 1 yard to the SC 46
Oscar Adaway III run for a loss of 2 yards to the SC 44
LaNorris Sellers run for 16 yds to the VT 40 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the VT 39
South Carolina Penalty, False Start (-5 Yards) to the VT 43
LaNorris Sellers run for 1 yd to the VT 42
Oscar Adaway III run for 7 yds to the VT 35
LaNorris Sellers run for 6 yds to the VT 29 for a 1ST down
TEAM run for a loss of 1 yard to the VT 30
TEAM run for a loss of 3 yards to the VT 33
TEAM run for a loss of 2 yards to the VT 35