Spencer Rattler, Luke Doty and other South Carolina spring game standouts
South Carolina capped its spring season Saturday with the annual Garnet and Black game.
The Garnet team outlasted the Black squad 20-13 in a game that closer resembled a controlled scrimmage than a true game.
Head coach Shane Beamer and his staff split the squad evenly between the two teams, while assistant coaches were divided among each side. Attendance was announced as 20,671.
Here’s a look at who stood out in Saturday’s game:
QBs Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty
South Carolina fans anxiously awaited Saturday’s annual scrimmage, at least in part, given it’d be the first real look at Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Rattler finished his day 8-of-10 for 79 yards, his longest completion of the night coming on a 30-yard play-action connection with Xavier Legette to open the second quarter.
The ex-Sooner also flashed some running ability with 12 yards rushing that were negated by a quartet of sacks.
Backup quarterback Luke Doty also flashed in spurts as he returned from the foot injury that sidelined him for the bulk of the 2021 season.
Doty completed seven of his 10 passes on the night for 85 yards, including the 31-yard touchdown pass to Terrell. He wasn’t perfect, overshooting Josh Vann on a pair of longer throws, but looked close to the athleticism that made him the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback in 2021 heading into fall camp.
WR/TE Chad Terrell
Chad Terrell has had as rough a go of it as anyone at South Carolina.
The Mississippi native who starred in high school in Georgia has torn his left and right ACLs at different points of his career, but he’s taking advantage of a sixth year of eligibility afforded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Terrell raced past the Garnet defense for a 31-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of Saturday’s contest — the second of three first-half catches on the day.
He’s spent the bulk of the spring splitting time between receiver and tight end, given limited numbers at tight end in the wake of Jaheim Bell’s hamstring injury.
RB Juju McDowell
South Carolina’s running back room should go as many as four or five players deep in 2022, and Juju McDowell figures to find his way into the mix.
McDowell was largely effective as a change-of-pace back a season ago, finishing the year with 248 yards on 52 carries. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team for his efforts.
Saturday, McDowell flashed the speed that made him so effective in his first fall at South Carolina, racing for 46 yards on his four first-half carries.
MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Beal-Smith figure to be spearheads in this year’s backfield, but McDowell will get his due given what he showed during the spring game.
Safety Joseph Byrnes
Walk-on safety Joseph Byrnes secured two interceptions on the night.
The second-year defensive back jumped in front of a Colten Gauthier throw for an interception that later set up a 21-yard touchdown pass from Braden Davis to Traveon Kenion.
Byrnes then intercepted Gauthier again, this time on a deep pass attempt in the game’s final moments.
Byrnes played his high school ball at Camden, earning a pair of Class 3A all-state honors for the Bulldogs. He redshirted last season after joining the team in the summer.
Kickers Mitch Jeter, Alex Herrera
Five-year starting kicker Parker White was on the field for Saturday’s spring game, but he’s no longer in uniform. White was recognized for being the school’s all-time leading scorer with 368 career points.
In the game itself, junior kickers Mitch Jeter and Alex Herrera each helped their case to be White’s replacement. Jeter and Herrera both finished 2 of 2 on field goal attempts, while Jeter’s 47-yarder marked the game-high.
Gamecock spring game stats
Passing: Rattler 8-10-0, 79 yds; Doty 7-10-0, 85 yds, 1 TD; Gauthier 8-15-2, 36 yds; Davis 3-3-0, 34 yds, 1 TD; Helfrich 3-3-0, 55 yds.
Rushing: McDowell 6-57; Lloyd 8-40; Twitty 5-34; Carroll 5-18; Beal-Smith 5-18, 1 TD; Amos 8-21; Dunn 1-7; Helfrich 1-3; Wells 1-2; Doty 2-(-1); Gauthier 1-(-7)
Receiving: Terrell 4-49, 1 TD; Kenion 3-46, 1 TD; Wells 3-31; Twitty 3-19; Legette 2-34; Shaw 2-23; McDowell 2-9; Mangrum 1-34; Blake 1-10; Vann 1-8; Sanders 1-6; Brown 1-5; Carroll 1-5; Beal-Smith 1-5; Adkins 1-4; Lloyd 1-4; Morton 1-(-3)
Leading tacklers: P. Williams 6; Colasurdo 5.5; Gibson 4.5; Byrnes 4.5; Porter 3.5; Dawkins 3.5; D. Williams 3.5; B. Johonson 3; Greene 3:
Sacks: Colasurdo; Grier; Dawkins; Huntley; Pickens; D. Williams
Interceptions: Byrnes (2)
Spring game: How they scored
First quarter
BLACK — Mitch Jeter 47-yard FG
Second quarter
GARNET — Alex Herrera 40-yard FG
BLACK — Chad Terrell 31-yard TD catch from Luke Doty (Jeter kick)
GARNET — Christian Beal-Smith 1-yard TD rush (William Joyce kick)
Third quarter
GARNET — Traevon Kenion 25-yard catch from Braden Davis (Herrera kick)
Fourth quarter
GARNET — Jeter 34-yard FG
BLACK — Herrera 33-yard FG
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 9:04 PM.
