NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt fell to South Carolina 38-27 Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium.
South Carolina converted a turnover on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, but the Commodores responded with a 66-yard touchdown pass from AJ Swann to Quincy Skinner Jr. That play marked the longest completion on the season by Swann.
The Gamecocks added 10 more points in the first quarter to lead 17-7 at the end of the period.
Swann found Skinner again, this time a nine-yard touchdown, to cut South Carolina’s lead to three early in the second quarter.
Skinner finished the game with 79 yards on four catches.
South Carolina ended the first half with 14 unanswered points to lead 31-14 at the break.
Vanderbilt opened the scoring in the second half with an 11-play, 81-yard drive capped off by a one-yard Patrick Smith rushing score. Smith’s first touchdown on the season cut South Carolina’s lead to 10, but that would be as close as the Commodores would come to knocking off the Gamecocks.
Vanderbilt put together another scoring drive in the fourth quarter as Mike Wright found Ray Davis on a five-yard touchdown pass to trim South Carolina’s lead to 38-27.
Davis finished with a career-high 167 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Vanderbilt falls to 3-6 (0-5 SEC) while South Carolina improves to 6-3 (3-3 SEC). The Commodores are on the road next Saturday at Kentucky.
