By Tiffany Williams –
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Towson managed to hang around into the second quarter, but South Carolina’s running game and special teams eventually overwhelmed the Tigers as the Gamecocks pulled away for a 45-9 victory Friday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.
South Carolina improved to 2-0, while Towson fell to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Gamecocks led 7-0 after the first quarter, 17-3 at halftime and 31-9 after three before adding two more touchdowns in the fourth.
The game kicked off at 7:02 p.m. under sunny skies with a temperature of 87 degrees and a southwest wind at five miles per hour. An announced crowd of 78,399 attended in Columbia.
South Carolina received the opening kickoff and immediately moved the football. LaNorris Sellers converted an early third-and-13 with a 30-yard run to the Towson 36, and Matt Fuller followed with a 13-yard carry.
The drive ended abruptly when Fuller fumbled at the Towson 23. Bryan Lodge forced the ball loose and Zakaa Brown recovered, giving Towson an early takeaway.
Towson could not capitalize. Kemarrion Battles gained only one yard before losing two, and Andrew Indorf threw incomplete on third-and-11. Owen Scheihing punted, and South Carolina took over at its own 40.
The Gamecocks went three-and-out and punted Towson back to its own 8. That field position quickly became a problem.
Indorf threw three straight incompletions, and Scheihing came on to punt from deep in his own territory.
Vicari Swain fielded the kick and exploded for a 58-yard touchdown return. Max Kelley converted the extra point, and South Carolina had a 7-0 lead with 9:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Towson again went three-and-out before South Carolina mounted another threat.
Sellers completed passes to Nitro Tuggle and Mazeo Bennett Jr. and added a 21-yard run as the Gamecocks reached the Towson 27. The Tigers’ defense stiffened there, forcing three consecutive incompletions.
Kelley attempted a 45-yard field goal, but the kick was no good with 5:02 remaining.
Towson again struggled to move the football, and South Carolina took over at its own 19 after another punt.
A Towson personal-foul penalty helped the Gamecocks move the chains, and Sellers later connected with Nyck Harbor for 34 yards to the Towson 28. Sellers used his legs again to move South Carolina inside the 15.
Fuller appeared to finish the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run on the final play of the quarter, but a holding penalty wiped out the score and pushed the Gamecocks backward.
South Carolina carried the possession into the second quarter. Sellers connected twice with Brady Hunt, but Weston Woodard sacked him for a seven-yard loss on third down.
Kelley came on and converted a 33-yard field goal with 12:44 remaining, increasing the Gamecocks’ lead to 10-0.
Towson then put together one of its better drives of the half.
Indorf completed three passes to Aaron Enterline, including an 18-yard gain into South Carolina territory. Penalties derailed the possession, however. A false start pushed Towson backward, and a chop-block penalty later created third-and-21.
Julian Walker sacked Indorf for another seven-yard loss, forcing another Towson punt.
South Carolina took over at its own 44 and began leaning on the run.
Jabree Coleman converted fourth-and-one, and although a Sellers 33-yard run was wiped out by holding, Fuller immediately erased the setback.
On first-and-20 from the South Carolina 45, Fuller burst through the middle and raced 55 yards for a touchdown.
Kelley’s extra point made it 17-0 with 3:44 remaining in the first half.
Towson finally answered before halftime.
Indorf opened the possession with completions of five and 17 yards to Jashaun Amin. He then found Enterline for 25 yards to the South Carolina 28 and Jarvis Jones for eight more.
The Tigers could not finish the drive in the end zone, but Zaydaan Faridi connected on a 41-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining, cutting the deficit to 17-3.
South Carolina tried to answer in the final minute, but Towson’s defense produced another turnover.
After two Jawarn Howell runs helped move the Gamecocks across midfield, Sellers attempted a pass from the Towson 34. Marquis Cooper intercepted it at the Towson 19 with 17 seconds remaining.
Towson kneeled once and went to halftime trailing 17-3.
The Tigers received the second-half kickoff but immediately went backward.
Tomiwa Durojaiye sacked Indorf for an eight-yard loss on first down, and Towson eventually punted from its own 18.
South Carolina wasted little time striking.
Sellers completed short passes to Bennett and Fuller before facing third-and-one from his own 42. He kept the football, found open space and raced 58 yards for a touchdown.
Kelley added the extra point with 12:07 remaining in the third quarter, pushing South Carolina’s lead to 24-3.
Towson responded with its best offensive possession of the night.
Indorf repeatedly found Enterline, completing passes for 10, seven and 22 yards during the drive. Jones also caught a 12-yard pass as the Tigers moved deep into South Carolina territory.
A delay-of-game penalty created third-and-15 from the South Carolina 23, but Indorf responded by finding Enterline in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.
The extra-point attempt was blocked by Swain, leaving South Carolina ahead 24-9 with 7:03 remaining.
South Carolina answered with a long drive of its own.
Fuller rushed for gains of 14, 12 and 15 yards on the first three plays, carrying the Gamecocks from their own 27 to the Towson 32. The Tigers kept South Carolina out of the end zone, however, stopping the Gamecocks on fourth-and-three at the Towson 3.
Towson took over backed against its own goal line with 1:54 remaining.
The Tigers could not escape.
After gaining only one yard in three plays, Scheihing punted from his own 4.
Swain struck again.
He fielded the punt and raced 45 yards for his second punt-return touchdown of the night. Malik Orsan added the extra point with three seconds remaining in the third quarter, extending South Carolina’s lead to 31-9.
The fourth quarter opened with another Towson three-and-out. South Carolina also punted on its next possession, but the Tigers’ ensuing drive stalled at their own 18.
Max Young’s punt traveled only nine yards, giving South Carolina the football at the Towson 27.
The Gamecocks needed only three plays to score.
Coleman rushed seven yards and then broke a 17-yard run to the Towson 3. On the next snap, he powered in for the touchdown.
Orsan converted the extra point, and South Carolina’s advantage grew to 38-9 with 8:29 remaining.
Towson went three-and-out again, and South Carolina delivered one more explosive touchdown.
The Gamecocks took over at their own 45. On the second play of the possession, Isaiah Augustave broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run.
Orsan converted again with 6:32 remaining, making it 45-9.
Jacob Davis took over at quarterback for Towson on the final meaningful possession.
Davis completed a five-yard pass to Cody Szymansky and later converted fourth-and-one with a six-yard completion to Xavier Pugh. The Tigers crossed midfield before Aiden Harris and George Wilson combined to sack Davis.
Towson eventually punted from the South Carolina 47 with 1:47 remaining.
South Carolina ran three final rushing plays, with Howell converting third-and-one on a seven-yard carry before the clock expired.
South Carolina finished with 502 total yards despite throwing for only 97. The Gamecocks dominated on the ground, rushing 41 times for 405 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 9.9 yards per carry. Towson managed only 21 rushing yards on 29 attempts.
Fuller led South Carolina with 125 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Sellers added 119 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. Augustave rushed only three times but gained 61 yards, including his 55-yard touchdown. Coleman finished with 32 yards and a score on six carries.
Sellers completed 10 of 23 passes for 96 yards and was intercepted once. South Carolina did not throw a touchdown pass, but that hardly mattered with the production it generated on the ground and on special teams.
Indorf completed 16 of 30 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Davis added 11 yards on 2-of-4 passing. Towson’s passing game accounted for 182 of its 203 total yards.
Enterline was Towson’s most productive offensive player, catching 10 passes for 123 yards and the Tigers’ only touchdown. Amin added two catches for 22 yards, while Jones finished with two receptions for 20.
The most lopsided special-teams statistic belonged to Swain. South Carolina returned four punts for 131 yards and two touchdowns, with Swain accounting for 122 of those yards on returns of 58, 45 and 19 yards.
Towson controlled the football for 33:52 compared with South Carolina’s 26:08, but possession time did little to offset the Gamecocks’ explosiveness. South Carolina averaged 7.5 yards per offensive play, compared with Towson’s 3.2, and converted four rushing touchdowns while also scoring twice on punt returns.
Towson was still within 24-9 midway through the third quarter, but Swain’s second punt-return touchdown, Coleman’s three-yard score and Augustave’s 55-yard burst turned the game into a runaway. South Carolina closed with 21 unanswered points and finished off the 45-9 victory.