It would have been a day to remember for Shane Beamer if South Carolina pulled off the upset victory over No. 4 Alabama on Saturday. The Gamecocks went toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide, surprising Kalen DeBoer’s side. WR Nyck Harbor’s impressive 54-yard catch in the third quarter was a sign that SC came to play. The win could’ve gone the other way, were it not for a costly fumble by LaNorris Sellers in the fourth quarter.

With the game tied at 22-22 in the fourth quarter, LaNorris Sellers had the chance to seal away the game for South Carolina. With 1:51 left to play, Sellers tried to lead the offense downfield. He tried to do a QB draw play, but the Alabama defense stood him up. In the scramble, he lost possession of the ball, which resulted in a fumble and a turnover. That would come to bite Shane Beamer’s side quickly, as Bama’s Germie Bernard scored on a 25-yard run on third-and-10. This sealed the game for Alabama, resulting in a disappointing end for Gamecock fans.

In the post-game press conference on 25th October, LaNorris, joined by Harbor, talked about how he felt about the fumble. “I mean, just trying to think of next time, like what I would have done differently in that situation. Just seeing the replay on the iPad and stuff, just think about what I would have, should have done differently,” Sellers expressed.

He did not know that it was a fumble at first. After the scramble, the QB got up, looking like he thought he had only been sacked. The Crimson Tide players were gesturing that it was their ball, and the refs agreed on the fumble recovery. Sellers was visibly shocked at the call, appearing confused with both arms extending wide in frustration.

Sellers would take the blame for the loss. But he was also one of the biggest factors who kept them in the game in the first place. Alabama came to William-Brice as 11.5-point favorites, and with a good reason, too. They had a 6-1 record, with five victories coming against SEC opponents. With Heisman hopeful Ty Simpson under center, the game was supposedly over before it started. But Sellers made this game way closer than it should have been. He was playing like his usual self, making plays on the field and disrupting the Bama defense. He completed 18 of 32 throws for 222 yards and had one TD.

Nyck Harbor also played a good game, but was constantly marked by the Alabama defense. LaNorris Sellers took it to the post-game conference to talk about how he could involve Nyck more in his game.

LaNorris Sellers-Nyck Harbor combination could be the key for South Carolina

Nyck Harbor was a deep threat against Alabama. His 54-yard play was an indicator that he is a high-impact player. But the Bama defense locked him up, limiting options for Sellers to make plays. During the post-game conference, Sellers was asked if he wished Nyck were more involved in the game.

“I mean, at 6’5, you can’t really miss him. You want to take away that guy pretty much, so we’ve got to do something else.” Nyck then added on, ” So, I mean, I say this as if the defense wants to push coverages to me, like that opens up everybody else. So, you know, I’m willing just to do that to get my boys open and just let everybody else eat.”.

If Nyck is being double or even triple teamed, that ideally should open up other receivers. That’s a selfless take by the Junior who already has 3 touchdowns for the year. With the way the duo played against Alabama, it is a sign that South Carolina has an offense that can play spoiler against top teams if given the chance.