South Carolina routs Kent State 57-0
Team pages: Kent State · South Carolina
South Carolina routed Kent State 57-0. Share this game
We had South Carolina favored. It won.
Top comment in the game thread
I can't imagine doing anything in this heat. It's insane they're not completely melted on the grass.
How it swung
Before kickoff, our ratings gave South Carolina a 95% chance, and the closing betting line (South Carolina was a 35.5-point favorite) put it above 99%.
South Carolina led by 7 after the first quarter and by 29 at the half.
South Carolina 57-0 Kent State
South Carolina wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.Kent State 0-57 South CarolinaKent State lostMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
What fans said, play by play
The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.
- Q1 9:16South Carolina fans panic after Sellers sack, fearing same offensive line struggles as last year
Pocket Collapse. Sack on 3rd and Long. Yup, Carolina Football is back
r/CFB game threadLanorris has to be questioning his business decisions after that sack...
r/CFB game thread - Q1 6:28Fuller runs for a touchdown as fans celebrate the rushing attack and his heat reaction
Matt Fuller already throwing up
r/CFB game threadGod a rushing td feels good
r/CFB game thread - Q2 13:16Sellers throws touchdown pass to Bennett, fans praise offensive playcallingQuoted at the top of the page.
- Q2 7:54Officials rule Sellers pass complete after fumble, sparking fan outrage over the call
Man this is just a masterclass in stupid reffing by the video review guys
r/CFB game threadChallenging a fumble recovery in a big pileup is crazy
r/CFB game thread - Q3 3:43Woods connects with Cyrus for a first down as fans praise the offense
Cyrus the great
r/CFB game thread
How to read this chart
Starts from the pregame line (South Carolina -35.5), at 99% for South Carolina (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. The gray band is r/CFB game-thread activity, its loudest stretches in gold. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.Watch the plays
The bar and the arrow show South Carolina’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.
- Q1, 9:16Sellers sacked for a 4-yd lossQ1, 9:16 · South Carolina 0, Kent State 00-0score after the play0-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q1, 4:18Fuller 7-yd TD runSouth Carolina goes ahead 7-0Q1, 4:18 · South Carolina 7, Kent State 07-0score after the play7-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q2, 12:41Sellers 18-yd TD pass to BennettSouth Carolina leads 15-0Q2, 12:41 · South Carolina 15, Kent State 015-0score after the play15-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q2, 7:54Sellers 16-yd pass to BlackfumbledQ2, 7:54 · South Carolina 15, Kent State 015-0score after the play15-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q2, 6:25Coleman 60-yd TD runSouth Carolina leads 22-0Q2, 6:25 · South Carolina 22, Kent State 022-0score after the play22-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q2, 1:10Sellers 29-yd TD pass to MurphSouth Carolina leads 29-0Q2, 1:10 · South Carolina 29, Kent State 029-0score after the play29-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q3, 13:21Sellers 37-yd TD pass to MurphSouth Carolina leads 36-0Q3, 13:21 · South Carolina 36, Kent State 036-0score after the play36-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q3, 6:20Woods 7-yd TD pass to TylerSouth Carolina leads 43-0Q3, 6:20 · South Carolina 43, Kent State 043-0score after the play43-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q4, 7:45Good intercepted by Barnes at the USC39Q4, 7:45 · South Carolina 50, Kent State 050-0score after the play50-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
- Q4, 2:26Coleman 5-yd TD runSouth Carolina leads 57-0Q4, 2:26 · South Carolina 57, Kent State 057-0score after the play57-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Every drive
South Carolina scored on 8 of its 10 drives; Kent State on 0 of its 10.
South Carolina’s drives are teal, Kent State’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.
“Man I love me some Gamecock Football, good and the bad 🤌🏾”
When fans got loud
Busy
It was the second quarter that had fans talking the most.
The jump was busy; the crowd was quiet.
What it cost
South Carolina’s chance to make the playoff rose from 15% to 16%.
Make the playoff
Before the game (September 4, 2026) → after this result, in our model.
Box score
South Carolina 57, Kent State 0
South Carolina covered −35.5 by 21.5. The total, 57, went over 52.5.
| Team totals | Kent State | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 179 | 645 |
| Passing | 14 of 23, 79 yds | 27 of 33, 367 yds |
| Rushing | 25 for 100 yds | 39 for 278 yds |
| First downs | 10 | 35 |
| Third down | 5 of 14 | 7 of 8 |
| Fourth down | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 5 for 35 yds | 3 for 25 yds |
| Time of possession | 25:13 | 34:47 |
Kent State leaders
- Passing Dru Deshields 12 of 20, 63 yds
- Rushing Dru Deshields 3 for 27 yds; Nolan Good 2 for 26 yds
- Receiving Mason Blakemore 2 for 21 yds; Jay Jay Etheridge 1 for 16 yds
South Carolina leaders
- Passing Lanorris Sellers 19 of 23, 270 yds, 3 TD
- Rushing Jabree Coleman 4 for 77 yds, 2 TD; Matthew Fuller 10 for 74 yds, 1 TD
- Receiving Donovan Murph 4 for 92 yds, 2 TD; Nyck Harbor 5 for 70 yds
Feels like 105° to 110° through the game
95° at kickoff · feels like 105° to 110° · no rain recorded · wind 4 mph from the south, gusts to 15
A feels-like 110° is hotter than the peak in 99% of games since 2018.
Each gray tick is one game. The black line is the typical game.
Warmer than 9 in 10 of the 68 other games played at Williams-Brice Stadium since 2016 (airport temperature during the game window). The usual here around this date is 81°, with about 7 in 10 games between 73° and 90°.
September game-day temperatures at Williams-Brice Stadium
Drag along the chart, or step through the game.
Where this weather comes from
Measured at Columbia Owens Downtown Airport, 1.5 miles away, and Columbia Metropolitan Airport, 6.1 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.Before kickoff
Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.
Recent games
Last three games · 2025 season
Kent State · 5-7
Rated 122nd in our preseason ratings.
W 35-31 @ Northern Illinois #201 of 667
won by 4 as a 5.5-point underdog
L 16-28 vs Central Michigan #94 of 667
lost by 12 as a 7.5-point underdog
W 42-35 @ Akron #170 of 667
won by 7 as a 7.5-point underdog
L 13-17 @ Ball State #189 of 667
lost by 4 as a 3.5-point underdog
W 24-21 vs Bowling Green #130 of 667
won by 3 as a 7.5-point underdog
L 10-45 @ Toledo #46 of 667
lost by 35 as a 25.5-point underdog
W 42-6 vs Massachusetts #232 of 667
won by 36 as a 1.5-point favorite
L 0-44 @ OklahomaTop 25 #14 of 667
lost by 44 as a 46.5-point underdog
L 10-66 @ Florida StateTop 25 #28 of 667
lost by 56 as a 45.5-point underdog
L 28-31 vs Buffalo #94 of 667
lost by 3 as a 24.5-point underdog
L 14-62 @ Texas TechTop 25 #33 of 667
lost by 48 as a 47.5-point underdog
W 21-17 vs Merrimack #199 of 667
won by 4 as a 5.5-point favorite
Last three games · 2025 season
South Carolina · 4-8
Rated 16th in our preseason ratings.
L 14-28 vs ClemsonTop 25 #25 of 667
lost by 14 as a 2.5-point favorite
W 51-7 vs Coastal Carolina #154 of 667
won by 44 as a 24.5-point favorite
L 30-31 @ Texas A&MTop 25 #12 of 667
lost by 1 as a 16.5-point underdog
L 14-30 @ Ole MissTop 25 #7 of 667
lost by 16 as a 13.5-point underdog
L 22-29 vs AlabamaTop 25 #4 of 667
lost by 7 as a 12.5-point underdog
L 7-26 vs OklahomaTop 25 #13 of 667
lost by 19 as a 4.5-point underdog
L 10-20 @ LSUTop 25 #13 of 667
lost by 10 as an 8.5-point underdog
W 35-13 vs Kentucky #47 of 667
won by 22 as a 6.5-point favorite
L 20-29 @ MissouriTop 25 #11 of 667
lost by 9 as a 10.5-point underdog
L 7-31 vs VanderbiltTop 25 #37 of 667
lost by 24 as a 2.5-point favorite
W 38-10 vs South Carolina State #148 of 667
won by 28 as a 42.5-point favorite
W 24-11 vs Virginia Tech #41 of 667
won by 13 as a 7.5-point favorite
Matchups
Biggest mismatch: Kent State’s rushing EPA against South Carolina, 72 points
Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.
Kent State’s rushing EPA against South Carolina’s defense
Kent State offense, 3rd percentile · South Carolina defense, 75th
South Carolina’s success rate against Kent State’s defense
South Carolina offense, 76th percentile · Kent State defense, 12th
Kent State’s explosive plays against South Carolina’s defense
Kent State offense, 45th percentile · South Carolina defense, 21st
Season profile, all the rows
Season profile
The series
South Carolina leads the series 1-0
1 meeting since 1995 · South Carolina won the last meeting
- 1995South Carolina 77-14
Line, fans and home field
The betting line, and the fans
Kent State fans are in a better mood than South Carolina fans (72nd vs 18th among FBS fanbases), even with South Carolina favored.
South Carolina favored by 35.5 · Total 52.5
How games like this usually go
South Carolina by 35.5, and it went to form
Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game
The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 411 games since 2025 with a favorite of 21.5 points or more.
The market
The spread moved 2 points toward South Carolina.
Spread: −33.5 → −35.5
Home field
South Carolina is worth +4.5 points (±4.2) more at home than on the road since 2018 — middle of FBS, 57th percentile.
52% at home, 33% on the road against FBS opponents (26-24 home, 13-26 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -0.8 at home vs. away over 97 games — inside the ±6.2 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
The visitors travel about 495 miles to get here.