The Unbeaten: Breaking Down SC’s Perfect After Week 8

South Carolina is down to 10 undefeated teams after four more previously unbeaten suffered their first losses in Week 8.   Is it the pressure of being undefeated? Was it a bad matchup? Did those teams simply come out flat? The reasoning varies.   But what we do know is that having all your notches in the win column this late in the season is no easy ask. Here's how the remaining 10 undefeated squads stayed where they are heading into Week 9.    CLASS 2A    Batesburg-Leesville Panthers (7-0)   Last game: Beat American Leadership Academy 45-0 (Oct. 18)   About the Panthers: The Panthers got one game closer to their region showdown with Saluda (more on them below) by upending ALA in quick fashion. Yet another tailback showed up to the party. Angel Garcia topped 100 yards on the ground and added a touchdown. The Panthers have not had a game decided by single digits since beating Abbeville by two points in early September.   Next up: vs. Pelion (Friday)   Saluda Tigers (6-0)   Last game: Beat Ninety Six 33-7 (Oct. 18)   About the Tigers: Tailback [player_tooltip player_id='617664' first='Brayden' last='Williams'] had yet another huge night, rushing for 151 yards and three touchdowns and catching a fourth score in the lopsided win over Ninety Six. All three of his touchdown runs came from inside of seven yards and his touchdown reception was from 18 yards out. Point being, Saluda is moving the ball at will and letting him finish off the drives with his cutting ability. They'll need plenty of that this week against a Strom Thurmond squad that is scoring points at will the last few weeks.   Next up: vs. Strom Thurmond (Friday)   CLASS 3A   MOUNTAIN VIEW PREP STARS (7-0)   Last game: Beat Woodruff 40-38 (Oct. 18)   About the Stars: Mountain View passed its biggest test of its young program in taking down previously unbeaten Woodruff. [player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth'] hauled in five [player_tooltip player_id='349806' first='Bryson' last='Drummond'] passes - including a highlight-reel grab and run - for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 50 yards on the ground. Along with [player_tooltip player_id='473001' first='Jaylen' last='McGill'] piling up 253 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, and the Stars positioned themselves perfectly for a region title in year one.    Next up: vs. Broome (Friday)   CLASS 4A   WESTSIDE RAMS (6-0)   Last game: Beat Fountain Inn 49-19 (Oct. 18)   About the Rams: The Rams jumped all over Fountain Inn by chasing an early [player_tooltip player_id='346189' first='Cutter' last='Woods'] touchdown pass to [player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver'] with back-to-back blocked punts the directly or indirectly led to two more touchdowns. By the the time [player_tooltip player_id='272708' first='Chamarryus' last='Bomar'] took a short screen pass 43 yards for a score in the second quarter, it was 28-0. For good measure, Westside tacked on a long Dreson Evans kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half.    Next up: at Laurens (Friday)   CLASS 5A   SUMTER GAMECOCKS (8-0)   Last game: Beat Blythewood 49-20 (Oct. 18)   About the Gamecocks: [player_tooltip player_id='1012696' first='Kameron' last='Fortune'] (114 yards, touchdown) and [player_tooltip player_id='809744' first='John' last='Peeples'] (105 yards, four touchdowns, pictured) just kept on rolling. Peeples has now reached seven 100-yard games (every one he's played) while Fortune has four overall. There really isn't any surprise to what makes Sumter good. They pound the rock over and over again and makes opponent uncomfortable. It allows players like [player_tooltip player_id='595702' first='Anthony' last='Addison'] to keep pinning his ears back en route to the backfield. He had 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks against Blythewood.   Next up: vs. Westwood (Nov. 1)   NORTHWESTERN TROJANS (9-0)   Last game: Beat Rock Hill 55-7 (Oct. 18)   About the Trojans: Northwestern hasn't had a game decided by fewer than 14 points since the season opener. And against local river Rock Hill, it was more of the same. The Trojans scored less than 150 seconds into the game when Nigel Smith capped off a drive with a six-yard scoring run. [player_tooltip player_id='241044' first='Finley' last='Polk'] had multiple scoring carries for the second straight game (and now has eight of those on the year) to go along with 30 passing touchdowns. There's a reason most onlookers consider the Trojans the Class 5A, Division II favorites.   Next up: at Indian Land (Nov. 1)   SUMMERVILLE GREEN WAVE (7-0)   Last game: Beat Ashley Ridge 49-48 (Oct. 18)   About the Green Wave: It was all hands on deck in the one-point win over the Wildcats. The Green Wave got three touchdowns from [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams'] (268 rushing yards), [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray'] had 120 yards of offense and a fourth-quarter interception, linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1639684' first='Tyree' last='Patton'] had 20 total tackles and a fumble recovery and safety Jadin Waring had 14 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. It was a win that all but sets up Summerville for a region crown, if not an undefeated regular season.   Next up: vs. West Ashley (Friday)   IRMO YELLOW JACKETS (8-0)   Last game: Beat White Knoll 35-21 (Oct. 18)   About the Yellow Jackets: With the game against White Knoll close throughout most of the night and the Timberwolves throwing the kitchen sink at [player_tooltip player_id='272713' first='AJ' last='Brand'] and [player_tooltip player_id='377560' first='Donovan' last='Murph'] - Irmo's two offensive big guns - the Yellow Jackets got two rushing scores and a kickoff return touchdown from sophomore tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1422528' first='Maleek' last='Miller'] (265 all-purpose yards). The region will use this coming Friday as its additional off week, meaning Irmo will stay undefeated into November for the second straight season.    Next up: vs. Chapin (Nov. 1)   DUTCH FORK SILVER FOXES (7-0)   Last game: Beat Lexington 45-0 (Oct. 18)   About the Silver Foxes: Another week, another Dutch Fork blowout. The Silver Foxes pitched their fifth shutout of the year in beating Lexington. Daniel Williams, [player_tooltip player_id='1025776' first='Raleigh' last='Salters'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1254033' first='Derek' last='Smith'] each recorded a sack, constantly disrupting the Wildcats' plans. Add that to [player_tooltip player_id='1267290' first='Ethan' last='Offing'] throwing for a career-high 308 yards and two touchdowns and there was little Lexington could do to stop the onslaught of the state's best squad to date.    Next up: at River Bluff (Nov. 1)   GAFFNEY INDIANS (6-0)   Last game: Beat Riverside 28-21 (Oct. 18)   About the Indians: We're not sure there's a player who is more responsible for his team's overall won-loss record than [player_tooltip player_id='1254122' first='Jamarcus' last='Smith'] - the undefinable senior who keeps finding new ways to impress us. In the narrow win over Riverside, Smith put up a career-high 203 rushing yards and scored a touchdown on the ground. We think that was more than enough to cover up that Gaffney completed only two passes all night, and he didn't have a reception. None of that mattered.   Next up: vs. Dorman (Friday)

South Carolina is down to 10 undefeated teams after four more previously unbeaten suffered their first losses in Week 8.