Game Times Set for Gamecock’s First Three Football Contests

Game times have been set for South Carolina’s first three football games of the 2016 season. The first game is scheduled for September 1st.

The Gamecocks will open the 2016 season at Vanderbilt on Thursday, September 1st, with an 8 pm ET (7 pm CT) start on ESPN. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series against Vanderbilt by a 21-4 margin, including an 11-2 record when the games have been played in Nashville. Carolina has won each of the last seven meetings between the two SEC Eastern Division rivals, including a 19-10 win in Columbia last season. This will mark the third time the two squads have faced each other to open the season. South Carolina won the previous two meetings, both in Nashville, by a 31-6 score in 2004 and by a 17-13 margin in 2012.

The Gamecocks will travel to Starkville, Miss. on Saturday, September 10th, to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs. That contest has a 7 p.m. ET (6 pm CT) start time and will be televised nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2. The Gamecocks have won the last seven meetings with the Bulldogs to take a 9-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 4-3 record in Starkville. The two teams last met in 2013 with Carolina posting a 34-16 win in Columbia. The Gamecocks were 14-12 winners in 2012, the last time they played in Davis Wade Stadium.

South Carolina’s home slate gets underway on Saturday, September 17th, when the Gamecocks host the East Carolina Pirates. Kick time has been set for 4 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia and the game will be televised on SEC Network. The Gamecocks have won each of the last three meetings with the Pirates to take a 13-5 lead in the all-time series. The Gamecocks are 10-4 against ECU when playing in Columbia, including a 33-23 win in 2014.

Game times for the remainder of the 2016 season will be announced at a later date.