COLUMBIA — If you ask LaNorris Sellers, he says he’s playing this weekend, the right ankle injury he sustained in last week’s loss to No. 16 LSU nothing he can’t handle. The question is, if there’s the slightest doubt with that ankle, does South Carolina really need to risk playing him against Akron this week? “We’re always going to do what’s best for our players and our football team,” USC coach Shane Beamer said Sept.
17. “LaNorris wanted to play (against LSU after the injury). I just didn’t think he was where he needed to be.
” Sellers told Beamer Sept. 17 that he would be fine for the Akron game. But reality and the rest of the season face Beamer the rest of this week.
USC shouldn’t need its starting QB to beat the Zips (1-2), right? The Gamecocks’ first bye week follows Akron. If there’s even a shred of thought that Sellers could hurt himself worse, if he’s only 99.9 percent instead of 100 .
.. why not sit him and give him all of that time to rest and recover before before No.
5 Mississippi visits on Oct. 5? It has to be a consideration. Sellers was hurt on the next-to-last play of the first half when he was sacked.
He was replaced by backup Robby Ashford for the final play, who was also sacked. “I think he just rolled up on my ankle and kind of flattened my ankle,” said Sellers, who spoke after the game and certainly didn’t appear distressed. “I was good to go.
” Gamecock QB update: Sellers tells Beamer he's 'ready to roll' Ashford started the second half due to the Gamecocks being at their own 1-yard line, but Sellers retook his spot for the second drive. “He wanted to try and go, so we taped him up,” Beamer said after the game. “LaNorris certainly wasn’t 100 percent there in the second half.
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. on video': SC man recovering after being bitten by world's most venomous snake Indie horror movie filmed in Columbia uses Papa Jazz, New Brookland Tavern as settings Stephen Colbert's new cookbook with his wife was inspired by pandemic living on Sullivan's Island Ashford finished 2-of-4 passing for 42 yards and 11 carries for 11 yards (24 yards lost on sacks). He moved USC from its 25 to LSU’s 31, but Alex Herrera’s 49-yard field goal to force overtime slipped outside of the left upright.
Beamer has said since the preseason that he feels the Gamecocks have several quarterbacks they can win with; perhaps this week is when the theory gets tested. Ashford hasn’t started for the Gamecocks, but he has started, leading Auburn for 10 games from 2022-23 and throwing for 1,758 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 926 yards and 12 more TDs on the ground. If Sellers is out and Ashford is in, that moves Davis Beville to backup.
He started one game at Oklahoma in 2022 and has played in 16 games over the last five seasons at Pitt and OU. And in the mix with him would be Luke Doty (who else?), a fifth-year man who’s started at QB, played receiver and special teams along with continuing his role as one of USC’s most valuable leaders. Coach Shane Beamer and Gamecocks contact SEC office about penalties during LSU loss For Ashford, the playbook has to change.
It’s simple numbers: He doesn’t get the same number of reps as Sellers during the week. “You play to that guy’s strengths. There’s obviously some similarities with him and LaNorris, but there’s also a difference between the two as well,” USC offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said.
“There are certain plays that get marked off the call sheet right away.” Play-calls suited his run-first style against LSU. He threw the ball sparingly, trying for quick outs and sideline receptions, but he did have one beauty of a downfield pass.
Ashford found Dalevon Campbell for a 43-yard completion in the fourth quarter with the Gamecocks nursing a 33-29 lead, but the play was negated by a highly questionable pass interference call on Mazeo Bennett. He can throw the ball, but it isn’t his best feature. “I just told the guys, we got a whole season in front of us.
This one stings, but we still got nine games,” Ashford said after the loss to LSU. “I took accountability for it because there were definitely moments I could have been better.” The decision will be finalized later this week.
The Gamecocks are prepared, but they continue to prepare..
