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

When he gets going, Sanders is almost impossible to catch.

“When I see that green grass, I think, ‘Man, sweet,'” Sanders said after rushing for 126 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 28-7 victory at then No. 24 Vanderbilt.

The newly ranked No. 23 Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) hope Sanders’ jet-propelled performance continues down the stretch, starting against No. 24 Missouri (7- 2, 5-2).

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

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

Sanders has rushed for five of his 10 touchdowns this season in South Carolina’s last three wins at Oklahoma (35-9) and against opponents then No. 10 Texas A&M (44-20) and the Commodores.

He had a game-high 144 rushing yards against the Aggies.

“The main thing is trusting him, on the field, trusting him and being very coachable has helped me a lot,” Sanders said.

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

What Sanders found was a young, rising dual-threat quarterback in Sellers who could keep defenses guessing and an offensive line that has been largely healthy and consistent.

“I feel like the main thing is to talk to them every day,” Sanders said. “I also feel more comfortable talking to them every day outside of football. This is what makes us a better unit.

“When you work as a team,” Sanders continued, “there are no limits.”

Loggains said during the offseason that Sanders may have gained too much weight, reaching over 240 pounds, which could have led to injury problems. These days, Sanders weighs a fast 230 pounds.

“If I hadn’t had a year away from him, the two years we spent together in Arkansas, I feel and look like that same player who has juice, who has size, who is a professional” , Loggains said.

The work significantly improved South Carolina’s running profile. The Gamecocks are fifth overall in the SEC with more than 180 rushing yards 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 the improvement came from many areas of growth, including Sellers’ versatility, the maturation of the offensive line and the offensive staff coming up with more crafty schemes to take advantage of strengths by Sanders.

Sanders seemed to take off in September when he threw for 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 his ankle in that game and had just nine carries in the next two games, including a 27-3 loss to Mississippi.

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

“He was just very confident and determined to do the things he needed to do to become a great player,” Beamer said. “It’s good to see him having the success he’s having now.”