Starting cornerback, one assistant coach not spotted at Gamecocks’ bowl game
South Carolina football traveled to Bank of America Stadium for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, but not everyone made the trip.
The Gamecocks will be without one of their starting defensive backs and appear to be without their running backs coach in Thursday’s game against North Carolina. Cornerback Cam Smith was not seen in pregame warmups, and assistant coach Montario Hardesty was not spotted either.
Smith and Hardesty were both at the Tuesday bowl practice that was open to the media. Smith was not available to play Thursday for “undisclosed reasons,” Todd Ellis said on the 107.5 The Game pregame radio show.
Football analyst and Gamecock great Patrick DiMarco was working with the running backs before the game in Hardesty’s absence.
USC was thin at the defensive back position, with Smith, Tyrese Ross and O’Donnell Fortune all missing from pregame warmups. Edge lineman Gilber Edmond and linebacker Darryle Ware were not seen either.
EDGE Jordan Strachan hadn’t been with the team for much of the week but warmed up before the bowl game.
On the offensive side, lineman Jazston Turnetine, tight end Patrick Reedy and wide receiver Rico Powers were not spotted in pregame warmups.
Wide receiver Josh Vann is battling a hamstring issue but is expected to play. Running back MarShawn Lloyd participated in warmups but did not have pads on before the game and will not play.
Among the players who were seen in Charlotte on Thursday include: Quarterbacks Zeb Noland, Colten Gauthier and Jake Helfrich. Running backs Kevin Harris, Juju McDowell and MarShawn Lloyd are all in uniform, as are other offensive starters such as Josh Vann, Nick Muse, Jaheim Bell and Dakereon Joyner.
Vann is available but dealing with a hamstring issue, Ellis said on the pregame radio show.
There was some concern earlier in the week that COVID-19 and other roster impacts on South Carolina’s side could derail the game. Head coach Shane Beamer on Wednesday indicated that the Gamecocks had “a few positives” from Tuesday’s round of routine COVID testing on unvaccinated players.
“As far as I knew, it was never in jeopardy,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said on the pregame radio show.
South Carolina had already lost key players before the bowl game to the transfer portal and NFL Draft preparations. Leading running back ZaQuandre White, veteran Edge Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare and starting quarterback Jason Brown were chief among the Gamecocks who left the program before the bowl.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 11:11 AM.
