
South Carolina Gamecocks at Illinois Fighting Illini
· Cheez-It Citrus BowlNo. 21 Illinois beats No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl for its 10th win of the season

Illinois' defense sealed the win by stopping South Carolina (9-4) at the 7-yard line with a little more than three minutes remaining. McCray sealed the victory and helped the Illini run out the clock with a 60-yard run on a third-and-two play from the 15-yard line as Illinois (10-3) closed out the fifth 10-win season in program history and its first since 2001.
“He never looks for outward excuses,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said of McCray. “He just works hard and does a lot of really good things to make these days happen.”
McCray, named the game's MVP, rushed for 114 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Luke Altmeyer threw for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The teams exchanged the lead five times, and neither led by more than one score. Illinois took its final lead on McCray's touchdown run with 7:29 remaining.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers completed 24 of 34 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown for the Gamecocks, who fell short of the fifth 10-win season in program history. He threw a 6-yard TD pass to Joshua Simon in the third quarter for his only score. They could not connect again in the fourth quarter, leading to the critical turnover on downs.
“Obviously, we want to win," Sellers said. "Some things didn't go our way tonight. We have to get back to work and focus on next season.”
Oscar Adaway III rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries, including a 36-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter that gave South Carolina a shortlived lead.
Beamer and Beielema confirmed the dispute was over a signal South Carolina's kick returners gave on a third-quarter kickoff when a player gave the typical signal they would let the ball go over their head and not return the ball. But the Gamecocks not only fielded the kick, but tried a lateral play that ended with a tackle at the 25.
Beamer said he cleared the use of that signal with the Big 12 officiating crew before the game and that it was legal, as long as the returners did not wave their arms like a fair catch. Bielema agreed that returning the kick was not against the rules, but went against the spirit of using that signal to limit injuries on kickoff returns.
In addition to the failed fourth down conversion late in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks did not convert on a fourth down play from the 11 yard line in the second quarter when holder Kai Kroeger's pass to Alex Huntley in the endzone fell incomplete. Kicker Alex Herrera also missed a field goal off the right upright at the end of the second quarter.
The Gamecocks went 2 for 4 in the red zone overall.
“The whole key to this game was finishing," Beamer said. "We didn't finish.”
Illinois will look to build on a strong showing this season and open its 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Western Illinois.
How To Watch
How can I watch South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Illinois Fighting Illini?
- TV Channel: Gamecocks at Fighting Illini 2021 College Football, week 1, is broadcasted on ABC.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
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FG | 1st Period 7:24 | Alex Herrera 29 Yd Field Goal |
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TD | 1st Period 0:00 | Zakhari Franklin 15 Yd pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano Kick) |
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TD | 3rd Period 10:50 | Oscar Adaway III 36 Yd Run (Alex Herrera Kick) |
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TD | 3rd Period 2:23 | Josh McCray 3 Yd Run (David Olano Kick) |
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TD | 4th Period 14:56 | Joshua Simon 6 Yd pass from LaNorris Sellers (Alex Herrera Kick) |
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TD | 4th Period 7:29 | Josh McCray 9 Yd Run (David Olano Kick) |
Statistics
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|
---|---|---|
20 | 1st Downs | 22 |
9-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 8-12 |
1-3 | 4th down efficiency | 0-1 |
390 | Total Yards | 357 |
260 | Passing | 174 |
24/35 | Comp/Att | 13/22 |
7.4 | Yards per pass | 7.9 |
130 | Rushing | 183 |
33 | Rushing Attempts | 35 |
3.9 | Yards per rush | 5.2 |
6-55 | Penalties | 2-15 |
1 | Turnovers | 2 |
1 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
31:16 | Possession | 28:44 |
Game Information
Location: Orlando, FL
Attendance: 47,129 · Capacity:
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