Spencer Rattler threw for 351 yards and accounted for four touchdowns as South Carolina cruised to a 47-6 romp over Vanderbilt on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
Mario Anderson rushed for a season-high 102 yards and a touchdown on nine carries for the Gamecocks (4-5, 2-6 Southeastern Conference).
The Gamecocks reached 400 yards of total offense midway through the third quarter and scored the game’s first 27 points.
South Carolina has defeated Vanderbilt on 15 straight occasions.
The Commodores (2-9, 0-7) were shut out until Ken Seals hit Quincy Skinner Jr. with a 19-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The momentum didn’t last. Kicker Jacob Borcila missed the point-after attempt and the Gamecocks crushed Vandy thanks to an avalanche of the Commodores’ self-inflicted wounds.
With 11:20 to play, a bounced snap caused Vanderbilt’s Matt Hayball difficulty in getting off a punt. South Carolina’s Keenan Nelson Jr. blocked it, scooped up the ball and ran 18 yards for a touchdown.
Fumbles on Vanderbilt’s next two possessions set up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, coming on Rattler’s 26-yard touchdown pass to O’Mega Blake and LaNorris Sellers’ 36-yard run.
Before Vandy’s lone score, South Carolina’s Ahmarean Brown caught a short throw from Rattler and turned it into a 24-yard touchdown with 7:09 left in the third quarter, extending the lead to 20-0.
After another Vanderbilt punt, South Carolina’s Anderson spun away from multiple tacklers and sprinted 72 yards down the right sideline for a score.
Carolina dominated a mistake-filled first half, leading 13-0 thanks to a 233-53 edge in total offense.
The Gamecocks struck first as Rattler escaped pressure, rolled right and found Xavier Legette for a 39-yard toss to the Vandy 1.
Two plays later, Rattler hit Alex Huntley — who has primarily been a defensive tackle — with a 1-yard touchdown pass. A bad snap on the point-after kept the Gamecocks from adding more.
Vandy pinned South Carolina back to its 5 but the Gamecocks, keyed by Rattler’s 30-yard pass to Dijay Braswell to the Vandy 1, took a 13-0 lead after Rattler’s 1-yard sneak.
Vandy’s best first-half scoring chance came when Tyson Russell picked Rattler at the South Carolina 35, but the Commodores gained two yards before turning it over on downs.
–Field Level Media