In Kalen DeBoer's and Kane Wommack's first Alabama Crimson Tide seasons, South Carolina came to Tuscaloosa and nearly toppled the Crimson Tide. The Tide scraped by the Gamecocks, winning 27-25.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers riddled Alabama's pas dDespite being a dangerous running threat, Sellers did not do much on the ground in that game. Later that season, he rushed for 166 yards in a victory over Clemson.
In his first season as South Carolina's starter, Sellers was so good in 2024 that the Football Writers Association named him college football's Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. Since the 2024 season, Sellers has not matched expectations. His 2025 season brought less success than 2024. Sellers' regression was a primary reason Shane Beamer fired Mike Shula and replaced him with Kendal Briles as Offensive Coordinator.
Last week, the Gamecocks were shocked by a home loss to Mississippi State. Before that game, Tyler Schuster wrote for Athlon, "Through two games this season, new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has failed to get the most out of Sellers."
The Gamecocks led the Bulldogs 16-0, but lost by seven, 41-34. Sellers passed for 282 yards and ran for 52 more. But South Carolina's implosion was not all on Shane Beamer's defense. While Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor sizzled with four touchdown passes, Sellers threw interceptions on back-to-back drives. One pundit described his mistakes as "ill-timed throws" a veteran shouldn't have made and as being "hesitant" rather than in command of South Carolina's offense.
Bringing in Kendal Briles as OC was touted to provide an RPO-heavy, faster-paced, and quick-decision offense that would free up Sellers to return to his 2024 form.
Can Briles - Sellers combination suddenly prosper against Alabama?
Sellers and Briles have yet to blossom for the Gamecocks. If they don't soon, the many South Carolina fans who booed Shane Beamer on Saturday will get their wish for his termination. Beamer's seat is almost as hot as FSU's Mike Norvell's.
Alabama's pass defense against FSU was porous enough to suggest that Briles and Sellers could get well in Tuscaloosa. Odds are that Alabama's mistakes against FSU were outliers. Perhaps the Crimson Tide's highly respected secondary needed a bit of a wake-up call. More than one of Kane Wommack's defensive backs made errors that cannot continue. Wommack probably does not need to adjust coverages for the South Carolina game. If Alabama frequently hurries Sellers, Kendal Briles and his QB will not suddenly make magic inside Bryant-Denny.
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