While Week 3 of college football features some high-profile matchups like Georgia vs Tennessee and Texas A&M vs Notre Dame, no game has more intrigue than Vanderbilt vs South Carolina. Both teams enter the matchup at 2-0 with each having a lot to prove, but for different reasons.
South Carolina, ranked No. 11, has many thinking they’re a little overrated, as not everyone is completely sold on LaNorris Sellers as a top quarterback in college football. While the Gamecocks have looked solid through two games, the offense, and especially Sellers, has not performed at the level many expected given how they finished last season.
On the other side, Clark Lea and Vanderbilt come in as the underdogs who many not be getting enough respect after their historic 2024 season. They’re led by the ultimate underdog in quarterback Diego Pavia, who made headlines in the offseason making bold statements about the Commodores being legitimate contenders in both the SEC and for the national title. They’ll get their first real chance to backup that talk on Saturday.
Vanderbilt picked up a few wins last season against SEC opponents who had long walked over them, but they were unable to get past Shane Beamer and South Carolina, who defeated them 28-7. In fact, the last time the Commodores beat the Gamecocks was all the way back in 2008.
Interestingly, through two weeks, these teams already have a common opponent in Virginia Tech. South Carolina opened their season with a 13-point win over the Hokies in Atlanta, while Vanderbilt picked up a 22-point victory in Week 2 on the road in Blacksburg. In that game the Commodores trailed by 10 at halftime but absolutely dominated the second half 34-0 with a powerful run game and held the Hokies offense to 21 total second half yards.
One key factor to watch in this game is the dual-threat ability of both quarterbacks. Not only will this make for an exciting and entertaining watch, but the playmaking and game changing ability of Sellers and Pavia will likely be what decides this game.
This is the perfect early season matchup between two teams looking to make a statement and prove their place in the SEC. Kickoff is set for Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. in Williams-Brice Stadium, where the Gamecocks are currently 4.5-point favorites.