No. 23 South Carolina’s offense, powered by Raheim “Rocket” Sanders

COLUMBIA, SC – South Carolina tailback Raheim Sanders has proven in recent weeks why he has the well-deserved nickname “Rocket.”

When he gets going, Sanders will be nearly impossible to catch.

“When I see that green grass, I think, ‘Man, that’s great,’” Sanders said after gaining 126 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 28-7 victory over then-No. 24 Vanderbilt.

The newly ranked No. 23 Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) hope Sanders’ jet-powered performances continue, starting against No. 24 Missouri (7-2, 5-2).

Sanders averaged 8.2 yards against the improved Commodores. He scored runs of 33 and 1 yard, plus he added a 43-yard TD catch from LaNorris Sellers for a Gamecocks squad that almost no one in the SEC wants to face right now.

It was the latest of several significant performances for the transfer from Arkansas, who finished second in the Southeastern Conference with 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Razorbacks two years ago.

Sanders has scored five of his 10 touchdowns this season in South Carolina’s past three wins at Oklahoma (35-9) and against then-ranked opponents. 10 Texas A&M (44-20) and the Commodores.

He had a season-best 144 yards rushing against the Aggies.

“The most important thing is that I have confidence on the field. I am confident and my good coachability has helped me enormously,” said Sanders.

Sanders believes the game is coming back to him after struggling to get on the field in 2023. He looked to build on his All-SEC season, but played only six games as injuries sidelined him. When the season ended and Sanders was looking for a fresh start, he connected with South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who served in a similar role for the Razorbacks when Sanders was there.

What Sanders discovered is an emerging, young, dual-threat quarterback in Sellers who can keep defenses guessing and an offensive line that is largely healthy and cohesive.

“I feel like the most important thing is that we talk to them every day,” Sanders said. “I feel more comfortable talking to them every day outside of football. That makes us a better unit.

“When you work as one,” Sanders continued, “the sky is the limit.”

Loggains said in the offseason that Sanders may have gained too much weight, gaining more than 240 pounds, and that may have led to some injury problems. Today, Sanders weighs a speedy 230 pounds.

“If I hadn’t had one year away from him the two years we spent together at Arkansas, it feels and looks like that same player who has strength, who has size, who is a professional,” Loggains said.

The work has significantly improved South Carolina’s rushing profile. The Gamecocks are fifth overall in the SEC with more than 180 yards rushing per game – nearly 100 more than a year ago, when they were last in the league with 85.1 yards per game.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said improvement comes from many areas of growth, including Sellers’ versatility, the maturation of the offensive line and the offensive staff coming up with smarter schemes to take advantage of Sanders’ strengths.

Sanders looked to take off in September when he had 143 yards and two touchdowns in a heartbreaking 36-33 loss to then-No. 14 LSU after the Gamecocks led 17-0. But Sanders injured an ankle in that game and had just nine carries in the next two games, including a 27-3 loss to Mississippi.

Steadily, Sanders called on his offseason work ethic to get himself back on the field and play the way he and his coaches knew he could.

“He’s just very confident and driven to do the things he needed to do to be a great player,” Beamer said. “It’s good to see him have the success he has now.”