COLUMBIA — South Carolina football made it out of a tricky Week 1, barely defeating Old Dominion in the season opener at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Gamecocks (1-0) struggled on offense and the lack of a connection between new starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers and the wide receivers showed. The defense kept them in the game, forcing four turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns. The winning drive was set up after freshman edge Dylan Stewart forced a fumble on the Monarchs' 6-yard line.

If Sellers didn't complete the 3-yard rushing touchdown, it'd be a much different story for the Gamecocks today. The 23-19 Week 1 win doesn't paint the picture for the entire season, but the chemistry between Sellers and his receivers needs to grow, and quickly, especially with Kentucky next week.

South Carolina receivers in competition with each other

Coach Shane Beamer said throughout the preseason that there won't be one main receiver this season. The Gamecocks are without Xavier Legette, who caught most of Spencer Rattler's passes last season — both are now in the NFL. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said it'll be a continuous competition among receivers, with options ranging from transfers Dalevon Campbell, Jared Brown, Gage Larvadain and Vandrevius Jacobs, to sophomore Nyck Harbor, true freshman Mazeo Bennett and redshirt senior Payton Mangrum.

On Saturday, four receivers rotated and none could really get going, potentially a result of quick rotations and a lack of rhythm. Sellers didn't necessarily give the receivers a ton to work with, as he had a fair share of overthrown passes, but he also threw passes that were dropped.

The standout in the receiver room was Jacobs, who caught a team-high 59 yards on two passes. The redshirt freshman transferred to the Gamecocks from Florida State after playing five games for the Seminoles, and clearly his experience showed Saturday.

"We have to be able to throw the ball better than we did tonight, and we will," Beamer said. "I would have liked to throw the ball more than 114 yards, absolutely, but I also know we are going to get better throwing the football."

South Carolina can attribute many of the early mistakes and miscommunication to Week 1 nerves or a lack of time together in preseason camp, but starting Sunday, that excuse can't bleed into Kentucky.

Sellers can benefit from depending on one or two guys consistently without sacrificing his other receiver options. The away game in Kentucky is a huge test for Sellers, who has never thrown a pass outside of Williams-Brice.

After that, the Gamecocks face LSU and Akron before their bye week, so the trust and development between Sellers and the receivers have to be a point of emphasis.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why South Carolina football, QB LaNorris Sellers need go-to receiver