The South Carolina football team is going bowling for the third time in the Shane Beamer era. 

South Carolina earned bowl eligibility after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores 28-7 in Nashville. 

There was no hangover for the Gamecocks after upsetting then No. 10 Texas A&M the week before. South Carolina dominated the Commodores and held them to their lowest point total this season. 

“For our guys to come in here knowing it is going to be a gritty, tough, hard game just because of the way Vanderbilt plays football is really satisfying for us as a football team,” Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer said. “I like the way that we responded to adversity.” 

The Gamecocks’ offense totaled 452 total yards while the defense held the Commodores to 274. It was the team’s 16th straight win over Vanderbilt dating back to 2009. 

Vanderbilt was the next victim of South Carolina’s relentless defensive line. The Gamecocks finished with two sacks and six tackles for loss. Commodore quarterback Diego Pavia was constantly scrambling around to avoid sacks and negative plays. 

Kyle Kennard continues to show why he can one day play on Sundays. The senior recorded a sack and forced a fumble in the win. He is fifth in the nation in sacks and tackles for loss.

Offensively Raheim “Rocket” Sanders had another strong outing, rushing for over 100 yards with two touchdowns for the third time this season. Against Vanderbilt, the Arkansas transfer finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns on 15 rushes. He was also an option in the passing game, catching two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. 

“He just continues to gain in confidence, and he is having fun out there,” Beamer said. “He has a smile on his face and having fun at practice and really, just has that extra gear that maybe he didn't before."

South Carolina’s passing game was also successful against Vanderbilt. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers continues to improve each week, recording 238 passing yards and two touchdowns. He has now thrown for at least 200 yards in consecutive weeks after doing it just once in the previous six games.

“He made, like last week, some great individual efforts where there is pressure, and all of a sudden, he is scrambling out of the pocket,” Beamer said. “He is just a player and continues to get better each week.”

One of the key differences in the game was South Carolina’s ability to keep its offense on the field longer than Vanderbilts. Entering the match Vanderbilt averaged the most time of possession out of any other team in the SEC. 

The Gamecocks managed to keep its offense on the field longer than Vanderbilt, and third downs had a lot to do with it. South Carolina went 9-12 on third down conversions while Vanderbilt finished 6-13. This allowed South Carolina to extend drives and keep Vandy’s offense from heating up.

“Wednesday in practice when we did third down, we talked about it. This is going to be critical. We can't put these guys back on the field because the way they play ball,” Beamer said. “If you are not converting on third down, then your defense is out there a lot. Vanderbilt's offense is running the clock down. Next thing you know, it is the fourth quarter and you have played 40 plays and it is 10-10.” 

The game was scoreless after the first quarter, but South Carolina jumped ahead early in the second on a touchdown pass from Sellers to tight end Joshua Simon. Those were the only points by either team in the first half as South Carolina went into the locker room up 7-0. 

South Carolina went up 14-0 after scoring on the opening drive of this quarter. This time, Sanders broke three and ran the ball 33 yards to the endzone. 

Vanderbilt responded to the Gamecocks score with its first and only points in the game. Pavia kept the ball and ran 17 yards to the endzone to make it a one-possession game. 

From there, South Carolina outscored the Commodores 14-0. Sanders scored on the team’s next drive with a one-yard rush. He then got the game’s final points on a 43-yard pass and catch in the fourth quarter. 

The Gamecocks are now winners of three straight games. The team entered the AP poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 23.

Next week will be another big test for the group as the Gamecocks host No. 24 Missouri this week. The Gamecocks will be looking to snap a five-game Tiger winning streak and move up higher in the rankings next week. 

South Carolina and Missouri will kick off from Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday at 4:15 p.m.The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.