Missouri Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks
· NCAA - FootballSellers throws career-high 5 TD passes, No. 23 South Carolina beats No. 24 Missouri 34-30
“You've got ‘Superman’ back there,” the message read, Beamer said.
Sellers may not be the “Man of Steel,” but he's certainly making a major impact for No. 23 South Carolina. And he showed that again on Saturday night with his career-best showing in a 34-30 victory over No. 24 Missouri.
Sellers, a redshirt freshman who took over the starting job from NFL rookie Spencer Rattler, threw for 353 yards and five touchdown passes, the last Raheim Sanders took 15 yards to the end zone with 15 seconds to go as they twice rallied from behind in the fourth quarter.
One play in particular floored Gamecocks defensive tackle Alex Huntley where Sellers twisted out of a sack on the next-to-last scoring drive before hitting tight end Brady Hunt for 11 yards on thrid-and-10. “Did he get sacked?” Huntley recalled saying.
“The second he got out of it, I knew something good was going to happen,” he said.
Sellers has done that more and more the past month after the Gamecocks stood 3-3 after a loss at Alabama on Oct. 12. He's led the way as South Carolina collected wins against Oklahoma (35-9) and ranked teams in Texas A&M (44-20) and Vanderbilt (28-7).
“It's about staying calm, not budging, not flinching,” said Sellers. “Taking one play at a not and not worrying about the outcome.”
That steady approach pulled out a game South Carolina would typically lose.
Twice Missouri took a lead in the final period and twice the Sellers and the Gamecocks answered back with success.
The Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3) have won four straight Southeastern Conference games for the first time since Steve Spurrier was coach in 2012. But it’s now one of Spurrier’s hires with the Gamecocks in Beamer who has South Carolina as the hottest team in the powerhouse conference.
The Tigers (7-3, 3-3) final lead came after Brady Cook’s 37-yard TD pass to Luther Burden III with 1:10 to go for a 30-27 lead.
Sellers, though, was far from done. He hit on passes of 10 and 39 yards to bring the Gamecocks to the Missouri 21. After Sellers’ 7 yard run, he flipped the ball to Sanders who bulled his way across the goal line to send the crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium into a frenzy.
“We were scoring,” said Sanders, nicknamed “Rocket," an Arkansas transfer who's had six of his 11 rushing TDs in the four-game win streak.
Missouri’s last chance ended with Cook was picked off by Jalon Kilgore with 5 seconds left as the Gamecocks beat three consecutive ranked teams for the first time in program history.
Missouri’s Nate Noel ran for 150 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it didn’t hold up.
The Tigers had defeated Oklahoma 30-23 last week on an scoop-and-score fumble with 22 seconds left. They nearly pulled out their second straight dramatic victory.
“I just think there's a relentlessness that our team plays with, believes in,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Just didn't have enough tonight.”
South Carolina: The Gamecocks will need plenty of chaos, along with a victory in two weeks at No. 17 Clemson, to make their case as a playoff team. There’s no doubt there are few teams in the SEC who’d want to face South Carolina now.
“Say that again,” when asked about that run. “I like the sound of that.”
The streak ends next game when it takes on Wofford, an Football Championship Series team. But the Gamecocks can make it four out of five when they play rival Clemson, ranked 17th, in two weeks.
South Carolina: Hosts Wofford on Saturday.
How To Watch
How can I watch Missouri Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks?
- TV Channel: Tigers at Gamecocks 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on SEC Network.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
FG | 1st Period 10:00 | Blake Craig 38 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 1st Period 7:27 | Nyck Harbor 26 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Alex Herrera Kick) | |
FG | 1st Period 2:41 | Blake Craig 37 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 2nd Period 1:57 | Joshua Simon 6 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Alex Herrera Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 0:39 | Jared Brown 38 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Alex Herrera Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 4:54 | Marcus Carroll 2 Yd Run (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed) | |
FG | 4th Period 12:49 | Blake Craig 25 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 4th Period 9:12 | Nate Noel 1 Yd Run (Blake Craig Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 5:04 | Michael Smith 5 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | |
TD | 4th Period 1:10 | Luther Burden III 37 Yd pass from Brady Cook (Jamal Roberts Run for Two-Point Conversion) | |
TD | 4th Period 0:15 | Raheim Sanders 15 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Alex Herrera Kick) |
Statistics
MIZ | SC | |
---|---|---|
20 | 1st Downs | 22 |
1-9 | 3rd down efficiency | 4-10 |
1-2 | 4th down efficiency | 2-5 |
381 | Total Yards | 462 |
237 | Passing | 353 |
21/31 | Comp/Att | 21/30 |
7.6 | Yards per pass | 11.8 |
144 | Rushing | 109 |
37 | Rushing Attempts | 36 |
3.9 | Yards per rush | 3.0 |
5-50 | Penalties | 4-24 |
1 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
31:44 | Possession | 28:16 |
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