AFLAC KICKOFF GAME: VIRGINIA TECH VS. SOUTH CAROLINA

August 31, 2025

Nyck Harbor

South Carolina Gamecocks

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Postgame Press Conference

Q. Nyck, I'm sure it was pretty disappointing even though you got the touchdown later, but did they say anything to you about why that first touchdown wasn't a catch? How do you see it? How did you react to it?

NYCK HARBOR: I felt like it was a catch, as we all seen. I had both feet touched down; still had the ball in my hands. Stepped out of bounds; still had the ball in my hands. Then the DB made a great play, a great lasting effort.

It is what it is. That's what happens. I've got to keep control of the ball all the way to the ground now. We'll learn, but it was an amazing play by the DB.

Q. Take me through that touchdown play. What was the call, and were you guys wanting that play earlier in the game? Why did you think that was the right time to run that there?

NYCK HARBOR: That was a question for Coach Shula whenever you ask him. We just got the call. The O-line had a great pocket in there; 16 trusted me. Coach Shula trusted me. They said, we're going to go take the shot. He threw the ball. You all seen what happened after that.

Q. Nyck, in all honesty, how long have you been waiting for that deep ball, that type of play in your career at South Carolina?

NYCK HARBOR: I feel like any ball that comes to me I've been waiting on, I dropped one earlier, so I had to go make it back. I feel like the fans were waiting more than I did. We completed that ball plenty of times in practice.

Now we got the shot to do it in the game. We executed real well. I'm just real proud of the guys just for trusting me.

Once again, the O-line, 16, the running backs, even the receivers out there, everybody just doing their job and then me catching the ball. I'm glad I got one for the fans.

Q. The freshmen wide receivers probably didn't catch as many passes as they would have liked. What do you tell them in the locker room after today? How do you kind of keep their spirits high going into next week?

NYCK HARBOR: Even though they didn't catch no passes, I feel like they did an amazing job just getting lined up, urgency, knowing where they're at. We had a lot of things going on today, but I feel like they just did an amazing job. They've been prepared for it.

Even though they didn't catch a lot of balls, they understand that -- I think Murph caught one. I mean, it was amazing catch, amazing catch. I didn't really see the catch, but I just saw him finishing. I was happy. I was happy.

At the end of the day, I'm proud of them boys. They've been working so hard for the opportunity just to get out there and perfect execution. They've got a little stuff to clean up, but they're freshmen. They're supposed to be in high school, played first college game, first big time game. Big time opponent, big time game. This is the first time they played against -- with all these people in the crowd. I feel like they did amazing, though. They did amazing.

Q. On the touchdown catch that counted, when you came on the line, you made your move past the defender and got some separation. When did you sense you had him beat, and what were you thinking? Did you have to go full gear or three-quarters? How were you with your speed?

NYCK HARBOR: I feel like it wasn't even a defender that was in front of me, it was a safety. The safety was playing really low and he didn't get back to his post. Once I looked at the defense I seen the safety was down, and I said, oh, yeah, this ball coming to me.

Just got to make the move. Just make sure the DB don't put any hands on you to hold you up. He didn't tough me, or if he did, it didn't faze me.

I was probably full speed on that one. I don't remember. It was just a blur moment, just seeing the ball and just running. Like 16 put an excellent ball just right up there. Didn't have to go too fast and didn't have to go too slow. Just a perfect ball by the best quarterback in the nation.

Q. Before the big explosive play, do you and LaNorris get together and like, hey, let's try that play out? And then, bam, it works. Or is it just by chance?

NYCK HARBOR: That's really between him and Coach Shula. Me and the receivers don't know what play is getting called. Coach will tell us, okay, this is what we might have called up and stuff like that, but we don't know. That's between them.

Coach Shula feel like we need a shot or Coach Beamer said we need to take shots, felt like we needed a shot right there. 16 was just like, we're going to take one out. We're going to take one, and I'm glad I got it.

Q. To have a performance like that in Game 1, your first off-season fully dedicated to the sport of football, just how gratifying is it for you to have a game like that?

NYCK HARBOR: It's amazing. Just finally go out there and just show a little glimpse of what I've been putting all that hard work, all that blood, sweat, and tears into the off-season. But that's just Game 1. We got 11 more games to go.

The best thing about it, getting better each and every week. I've still got more practices to get better, however many more film studies to get better, games. You got 11 more opportunities to go out there and just play.

I'm glad I got the first one out of the way, first one jitters, and it's just ready to go after that.

Q. Were you on the field for Vicari's return?

NYCK HARBOR: No, I was on the sideline.

Q. Take me through like what's going through your head or your reaction as he's taking one back?

NYCK HARBOR: That was an amazing play by that boy. I was screaming for joy. It might not seem like that, but I'm like is he going to get it? Is he going to get it? I'm like yes! Man, he got it. Great execution by all them boys on the punt pressure, just giving creases to him.

That boy's a playmaker with a ball in his hands. Even though he plays DB, he's a special boy with the ball in his hands, and we all seen it there. Just proud of him. He's overcome a lot, so just to go out there and make that one play that I felt like that really just won us the game right there, just to hit them in the mouth. I felt like that was a dagger right there.

Q. You bounced back pretty well from that one drop you had in the first quarter, but what do the coaches tell you? Also, what does that say about you to put that behind you and make a big play whenever your team needed it?

NYCK HARBOR: I've just got to keep focus on the ball. I let go of the ball too early. Got to turn upfield and focus on the catch, just guarantee the catch. That's what I did for the rest of them catches. Just guarantee. You've been catching balls all season. That's a routine catch. I told the offense, that's on me, that's on me. You don't pout over the ball being dropped because I feel like I'll get more opportunities in the game.

Last year I would have pouted, but this year I came off the field smiling. Coach Beamer just saying you're going to get more opportunities. Coach Shula saying that.

They all know. It was a routine play that I made a mistake on. I won up to the mistake just for my boys.

Q. Talk about your confidence and your leadership on the field this year. You look so much more relaxes this year than you were last year.

NYCK HARBOR: That's just having a whole season of football under your belt. You're not coming out here, Game 1, you feel you don't got a lot of pressure. You feel like it's just another glorified practice with a lot of fans out there.

I'll just say like my boys, just being out there with them and just having the whole off-season with them, them trusting me, all 10 of them boys out there trust me, and that gives me all the confidence in the world to go out there and make plays whenever my name is called.