FAIREY CHEVROLET Drive to Oxford: Everything you need to know heading into South Carolina-Ole Miss

South Carolina nearly pulled off the upset against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday, but when the final whistle blew, the Gamecocks dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-5 in SEC play. USC has now lost five of its last six games.

Shane Beamer and company will look to right the ship on Saturday, but the task won’t be easy. The South Carolina football team and Gamecock fans will travel to Oxford, Mississippi for the first time since 2020.

The eight-hour drive will send the ‘Cocks across a time zone and into an opportunity to ruin the Rebels’ College Football Playoff plans.

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Here’s what you need to know heading into game nine. (GamecockCentral will release an Ole Miss preview later in the week.)

The resumes

• After being ranked in the top 10 earlier this season, South Carolina is not even in the “also receiving votes” portion of the polls heading into this week. Ole Miss, on the other hand, is No. 7 in the AP rankings and No. 8 in the coaches poll. Earlier this year, the Rebels reached as high as No. 4.
• South Carolina’s standing in the ESPN FPI (Football Power Index) took a slight dip after the Alabama loss. USC dropped to No. 40 overall. The Gamecocks also shifted down in offensive efficiency to No. 92 nationally. Defensively, they actually moved up a bit to No. 27 in the country. Special teams remains in the top 10, dropping just one spot to No. 10. Ole Miss enters the weekend ranked No. 13 on offense, No. 61 on defense, and No. 24 on special teams.
• Last season, South Carolina went 9-4 and 5-3 in the SEC. Ole Miss went 10-3 and 5-3 in the SEC. So far this year, the Gamecocks are 3-5 (1-5), while the Rebels are 7-1 (4-1).
• The Gamecocks put quarterback LaNorris Sellers, EDGE Dylan Stewart, and DB Jalon Kilgore on the preseason All-SEC squad. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Zxavien Harris, linebackers/EDGE players Suntarine Perkins and Princewill Umanmielen, and kicker Lucas Carniero made the preseason All-SEC squad for Ole Miss.

Recent news

• South Carolina lost to Alabama last week, 29-22.
• Ole Miss beat Oklahoma, 34-26.
• Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer let go of offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley following the LSU loss. Tight ends coach Shawn Elliott has shifted over to lead the position room, taking over a role he held for seven years under head coaches Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp. Former analyst Ben Burress has since taken over as the team’s tight ends coach. The offensive line has seen some improvements over the past two weeks with Elliott at the helm.
• South Carolina and Miami have canceled their home-and-home series for 2026 and 2027. With the SEC and ACC moving to nine-game conference schedules, the game was an obvious cut from the future schedule.
• Reports surfaced that the Palmetto Bowl between South Carolina and Clemson would have the option to shift to Black Friday at some point in the future.

Updates from the coaches

• South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer spoke to the media earlier this week.
  • During Beamer’s press conference, he shared a few things:
    • Beamer confirmed reports that there have been conversations about the Palmetto Bowl being played on Black Friday in the future. However, he said the possibility of it happening in 2027 is “news to [him],” and that he isn’t really thinking about 2027 games during the 2025 season.
    • He reiterated that the Gamecocks simplified the offensive game plan and pared down the playbook ahead of the Alabama contest. He also said that the offensive players and assistant coaches had more input.
    • You can see everything that Beamer said here.
• The Gamecock coordinators also will speak to the media on Wednesday.
• Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin also spoke to the media this week. This story will update with his comments.
• Defensive line coach Travian Robertson, who was involved in a serious car accident this preseason, has recently gotten more involved with team activities. While he remains in a reduced role, defensive assistant Jordan Dove and assistant strength coach Jamil Walker have stepped into bigger roles. Robertson had his final surgery this week.
• South Carolina has a new offensive coordinator this season, as Mike Shula, who was an analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024, has taken over for Dowell Loggains, who is now the head coach at Appalachian State. Conversely, Ole Miss returned all of its coordinators from last season.

Notes on game nine

• South Carolina and Ole Miss will play for the 19th time on Saturday. The game will mark the eighth all-time trip to Oxford for the Gamecocks.
• Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox was an assistant in Columbia under head coach Will Muschamp. Gamecock running backs coach Marquel Blackwell worked at Ole Miss under current head coach Lane Kiffin.
• Last season, Ole Miss won, 27-3, in Columbia.

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History

• Ole Miss owns the overall series advantage, 10-8.
• The Rebels have won two in a row in the series, breaking a three-game winning streak for USC.
• The 2020 Carolina loss was the final game of the Will Muschamp era, as he was fired before the next week.
• Last season, Ole Miss won by a score of 27-3 in Columbia.

Injuries

• So far this week, head coach Shane Beamer has not given much of an injury update. After the Alabama game, he revealed that tight end/special teams ace Maurice Brown had gotten hurt.
• There will be an SEC-mandated availability report that comes out on Wednesday night, so a clearer picture of the injury situation will be known then.
• EDGE players George Wilson, Kobby Sakyi-Prah, and Jaylen Brown have long-term injuries, and so do defensive back Zahbari Sandy, offensive linemen Cason Henry and Ryan Brubaker, and defensive lineman Caleb Williams.

Depth chart movement for the Gamecocks

• South Carolina posted a new depth chart this week. You can see the entire depth chart here.
  • Most of the depth chart movement this season has come after the Gamecocks have already altered the rotation. That happened with the latest update before the Ole Miss contest. Below are some of the shifts to the depth chart.
    • At wide receiver, Jayden Sellers is now a co-starter in the slot. He joins Mazeo Bennett and Brian Rowe as co-starters. Nyck Harbor remains a starter outside. At the other receiver spot, there is another three-man group of co-starters: Vandrevius Jacobs, Donovan Murph, and Jared Brown.
    • On the offensive line, Tree Babalade is now officially the starter at right tackle since Cason Henry has been declared out for the year. Damola Ajidahun is his backup. Though he didn’t play at all on Saturday (it was his first game off the injury report), Nolan Hay is a co-starter at center with Boaz Stanley.
    • There were no changes to the defensive depth chart

How to watch/listen

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Television/Streaming

The Gamecocks and Rebels will play on ESPN this weekend. The ESPN app will make the contest available via streaming, as well. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (Eastern).

The ESPN crew will include Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline reporter).

Radio

Nationally, Sirius XM will also have the game available on channel 380.

Locally, Todd Ellis (play-by-play), Tommy Suggs (analyst), and Chet Tucker (sideline reporter) will be on the call on 107.5 The Game.

Fans can also stream the radio broadcast on the 107.5 The Game app.

Local radio affiliates include:

Aiken/Augusta, GA WYBO-FM 92.9
Allendale WDOG-FM 93.5
Asheville, N.C. WZGM-AM 1350
Asheville, N.C. WZGM-FM 96.1
Camden WCAM-AM 1590
Charleston WTMZ-FM 98.9
Chesterfield WVSZ-FM 107.3
Columbia WNKT-FM 107.5
Florence WFRK-FM 95.3
Gaffney WZZQ-AM 1500
Gaffney WZZQ-FM 104.3
Greenville WROO-FM 104.9
Greenwood WCZZ-AM 1090
Marion, N.C. WBRM-AM 1250
Marion, N.C. WBRM-FM 103.9
Myrtle Beach WSEA-FM 100.3
Newberry WKDK-AM 1240
Rock Hill/Lancaster WRHM-FM 107.1
Spartanburg WSPG-AM 1400
Spartanburg WSPG-FM 98.3
Sumter WIBZ-FM 95.5
Union WBCU-AM 1460
Union WBCU-FM 103.5

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