Nancy Mace posted a photo from Williams-Brice Stadium cheering "Go COCKS" in black lace, drawing a wave of memes and critical comments. She tagged "IYKYK," defended the chant as a school rally cry and rebuked personal attacks with humor. On the field, Mississippi State rallied behind Kamario Taylor (251 passing yards, four TDs) to win 41–34 after a lightning delay, leaving South Carolina 2–1 overall and 0–1 in the SEC.
Nancy Mace Turns Heads in Black Lace at Gamecocks Opener, Sparks Social Media Backlash
Nancy Mace
Nancy Mace, the South Carolina congresswoman and Citadel alumna, posted a photo from a packed Williams-Brice Stadium cheering "Go COCKS" while wearing black lace. The image, taken during South Carolina's first Southeastern Conference game of the season against Mississippi State, showed Mace giving a thumbs-up amid the crowd and quickly drew attention online.
In a follow-up post she tagged "IYKYK," a tongue-in-cheek reference to the university and a callback to an earlier message in which she urged people to stop sending explicit photos and to start listening to her podcast. The post prompted a wave of memes, jokes and critical comments about her outfit; one user asked, "Are you f***ing 12?" to which Mace replied, "You aren't from here."
Mace pushed back with humor and defiance, saying the chant was simply a long-standing school rally cry linked to the Gamecocks mascot and arguing that supporting your team does not make a woman anything other than a fan.
On the Field
The afternoon turned sour for South Carolina on the field. Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs rallied to beat the Gamecocks 41–34. Play had been delayed for an hour and 20 minutes because repeated lightning in the area forced a lengthy postponement. The loss left South Carolina 2–1 overall and 0–1 in SEC play.
Background & Political Context
Outside the stadium, Mace remains a prominent and often polarizing Republican voice. She was the first woman to graduate from The Citadel and in 2020 became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from South Carolina. Her political future has been subject to speculation after a distant fifth-place finish in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary in June.
Bottom line: A spirited stadium photo turned into a broader social media moment — mixing college pride, online criticism and a reminder of the razor-edge of modern political celebrity.
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