Sellers throws career-high 5 TD passes, No. 23 South Carolina beats No. 24 Missouri 34-30
South Carolina tight end Joshua Simon (6) looks into the stands after making a 6-yard touchdown reception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. Credit: AP/Artie Walker Jr.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — LaNorris Sellers threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Raheim Sanders with 15 seconds left and No. 23 South Carolina beat No. 24 Missouri 34-30 on Saturday night for its third straight victory over a ranked opponent.
Sellers had career highs of five TD passes and 353 yards, completing 21 of 30 attempts.
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 Shane Beamer who has South Carolina as the hottest team in the powerhouse conference.
This one looked as if it would be another runaway the past three wins over Oklahoma (35-9), Texas A&M (44-10) and Vanderbilt (28-7) when Sellers threw three first-half touchdown passes for a 21-6 lead.
But the Tigers (7-3, 3-3) twice battled back to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the final time on 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 49 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.
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.
South Carolina celebrates after a 6-yard touchdown reception by tight end Joshua Simon, center, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. Credit: AP/Artie Walker Jr.
Missouri's Nate Noel ran for 150 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it didn't hold up. .
South Carolina may be the hottest team in the SEC at the moment and showed that early against Missouri.
Takeaways
Missouri: The Tigers had won five straight in the series and coach Eli Drinkwitz had won all three previous times he came to South Carolina's stadium, including a 20-15 as Appalachian State coach in 2019. That run is over along with the team's chances of a CFP berth.
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.
South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor (8) celebrates with tight end Michael Smith (20) after his 26-yard touchdown reception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. Credit: AP/Artie Walker Jr.
Up next
Missouri: At Mississippi State next Saturday.
South Carolina: Hosts Wofford on Saturday.
