Why a Gamecock four-star didn’t play vs Florida and why a starter missed the 2nd half
After South Carolina’s 38-24 loss to the Florida Gators in Gainesville on Saturday, there was a name missing from the usual participation chart: defensive tackle Rick Sandidge. A closer look at the second half showed that starting wide receiver Xavier Legette was hardly out there.
On Tuesday, Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp addressed the absence of each at those players, noting the style of Florida’s offense limited Sandidge’s work.
“It became more of a passing game,” Muschamp said. “And right now, Jabari (Ellis), and Keir (Thomas) and Zacch (Pickens) are more athletic as far as being able to win inside and rush, and there was not a lot of run game that was going on.
“We felt like they gave us the best opportunity to get to the quarterback.”
It was the first game that Sandidge didn’t play in as a Gamecock. He traveled with the team and suited up.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder did not register any statistics in the opener against Tennessee. He was the top-rated recruit in USC’s 2018 class.
Legette had a big catch early against the Gators, but also had a pair of drops. But what sidelined him was two factors.
“Xavier tweaked his groin a little bit,” Muschamp said. “He’s fine. But Rico (Powers) came in and did a good job, so we want to give Rico an opportunity.”
Legette was a raw, late add to last year’s freshman class who started getting more work last fall. He’s been inconsistent early this season, though heavily targeted.
Powers is a four-star freshman who made a quick impression after coming to campus. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound former running back caught two passes for 19 yards Saturday, including a 14-yarder on a last-ditch Gamecocks drive.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 1:31 PM.
