LaNorris Sellers threw for three touchdowns and 270 yards as South Carolina rolled past Kent State 57-0 in a season-opening victory Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
The Gamecocks racked up 645 yards of total offense with no turnovers in a dominating performance.
Donovan Murph was Sellers’ top target, making two TD catches and compiling 92 receiving yards on four receptions. Mazeo Bennett Jr. and Mike Tyler also caught touchdowns passes. Tyler’s was a 7-yarder from backup quarterback Cutter Woods.
Sellers, considered one of the top returning quarterbacks who stayed with the team he played for last year, finished 19-for-23 through the air.
Jabree Coleman scored touchdowns on two of his four carries and finished with 77 yards on the ground.
South Carolina’s defense held Kent State to 179 yards. The Golden Flashes were 14-for-23 passing for 79 yards. Quarterback Dru DeShields threw for 63 of those yards, and he also led his team in rushing with 27 yards on the ground.
South Carolina drove 87 yards on eight plays for the game’s first points, with Matt Fuller running in from 7 yards out to cap the Gamecocks’ second possession of the first quarter.
Sellers threw for two touchdowns as the Gamecocks led 29-0 at the half. His 37-yard pass to Murph less than two minutes into the second half stretched the advantage to 36-0.
Isaiah Augustave and Coleman had fourth-quarter touchdown runs.
South Carolina was 7-for-8 on third-down conversions.
It was a rough game for Mark Carney, who’s beginning a season as Kent State’s head coach for the first time. He served in an interim capacity last year before that label was removed. The Golden Flashes lost a fumble and punted eight times.
