COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — Kamario Taylor threw four touchdown passes and Mississippi State scored 27 consecutive points after halftime to build a 41-23 lead before holding on for a 41-34 victory over South Carolina on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Taylor completed 18 of 26 passes for 251 yards and rushed eight times for 33 yards. He threw scoring passes to Sanfrisco Magee, Zion Ragins, Marquis Johnson and Anthony Evans III. Mississippi State also scored on a trick play when wide receiver Gracen Harris completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sam West. Fluff Bothwell paced the ground game with 21 carries for 115 yards and caught one pass for 22 yards. Evans had six receptions for 55 yards and a score. Ragins caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Magee had two catches for 55 yards and a score. Johnson finished with three receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown and returned two kickoffs for 13 yards. West had three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown. Riley Williams added one catch for 7 yards, and Kolin Wilson had two rushes for 2 yards and one reception for 10 yards. Kicker Kyle Ferrie made a 36-yard field goal and a 49-yard field goal. Punter Ethan Pulliam averaged 38 yards on three punts, totaling 114 yards.

LaNorris Sellers led South Carolina by completing 25 of 40 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 14 times for 52 yards. He opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Brown II. Malik Orsan made four field goals, connecting from 30, 34, 51 and 52 yards. Matt Fuller was a dual threat with 17 carries for 73 yards and seven receptions for 85 yards, scoring one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown. Sellers found Fuller for a 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and then ran in the 2-point conversion. Brown finished with four catches for 19 yards and a score. Nyck Harbor had one reception for 22 yards and two kickoff returns for 34 yards. Brady Hunt caught three passes for 29 yards. Donovan Murph had one catch for 44 yards and one tackle. Mazeo Bennett Jr. ran once for 3 yards and caught three passes for 39 yards. Nitro Tuggle ran once for 4 yards and caught one pass for 16 yards. Jabree Coleman ran four times for 18 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards. Christian Clark ran once for 1 yard and caught two passes for 14 yards. Sequel Patterson caught one pass for no yards. Jaquel Holman returned three kickoffs for 72 yards. Mason Love punted three times for 126 yards.

South Carolina’s defense was led by Justin Okoronkwo, who made 14 tackles. Peyton Williams recorded nine tackles and an interception. Fred Johnson and Shawn Murphy each had five tackles and half a sack. Anthony Addison added two tackles and a sack, while Vicari Swain had three tackles and a sack. Dylan Stewart had one tackle and two quarterback hurries. Tomiwa Durojaiye, Kelby Collins and Gerald Kilgore each made three tackles. J’Zavien Currence had four tackles. Noah Clark made two tackles, and Caleb Herring, Judge Collier, Kendall Daniels Jr. and Emmanuel Kojo Poku each contributed one tackle. Mississippi State’s Amaree Williams had 10 tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Jardin Gilbert added eight tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Jalen Smith had eight tackles and an interception. Jett Jefferson made seven tackles, Tyler Lockhart had six, and Marcus Williams finished with four.

South Carolina jumped ahead early at home. Orsan’s 30-yard field goal gave the Gamecocks the first points, and Sellers’ touchdown pass to Brown made it a two-score game. Orsan added a 34-yard field goal before the end of the first quarter and a 51-yard field goal in the second. Mississippi State got going through the air when Taylor hit Magee for a 30-yard touchdown and Ragins for a 43-yard touchdown. South Carolina answered before halftime on Fuller’s 7-yard run, taking a 23-14 lead into the break. The second half belonged to the Bulldogs. Taylor connected with Johnson for a 23-yard score, then found Evans for a 5-yard touchdown. Ferrie’s 36-yard field goal pushed Mississippi State ahead, and the Bulldogs kept rolling in the fourth quarter when Harris found West for a 7-yard touchdown and Ferrie added a 49-yard field goal. That surge put Mississippi State ahead 41-23. South Carolina trimmed the margin when Sellers hit Fuller for 25 yards and ran in the 2-point try. Orsan’s 52-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining completed the scoring.

The win moved Mississippi State to 3-0. The Bulldogs previously beat Louisiana-Monroe 62-13 at home on Sept. 5 and won 38-13 at Minnesota on Sept. 12. South Carolina dropped to 2-1. The Gamecocks had opened the season with a 57-0 home win over Kent State on Sept. 5 and a 45-9 home win over Towson on Sept. 12.

Mississippi State returns home to face Missouri on Sept. 26 before hosting Alabama on Oct. 3. The Bulldogs then visit LSU on Oct. 17, host Oklahoma on Oct. 24, visit Texas on Oct. 31, host Vanderbilt on Nov. 7, host Auburn on Nov. 14, host Tennessee Tech on Nov. 21 and visit Ole Miss on Nov. 27. South Carolina visits Alabama on Sept. 26 before hosting Kentucky on Oct. 3. The Gamecocks then visit Florida on Oct. 10, host Tennessee on Oct. 24, visit Oklahoma on Oct. 31, host Texas A&M on Nov. 7, visit Arkansas on Nov. 14, host Georgia on Nov. 21 and visit Clemson on Nov. 28.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Carolina 28, Mississippi State 21. Interstat’s ELO system had projected South Carolina with an 82.8 percent probability to win. Mississippi State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus 4. The total score of 75 went under the over/under line of 58.5.