Scrimmage report: South Carolina’s competition at running back is heating up
The South Carolina football team held its first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday. Though it was closed to the public and the media, head coach Shane Beamer offered insight after the session at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Beamer said the team ran through about 80 plays, which was the goal heading into the scrimmage.
“Some really quality work on both sides of the ball,” Beamer said. “I wanted to really emphasize our younger players today and see what they can do and give them an opportunity to get out there and show if they can have a role this upcoming season or not. And it was good to see a lot of those guys out there flashing today.”
Here are some news and notes from the scrimmage:
▪ After not being spotted at Friday’s practice, both tight end Trey Knox and receiver Antwane Wells missed Saturday’s scrimmage along with a handful of other players: defensive edge Terrell Dawkins, receiver Kelton Henderson, linebacker Pup Howard, tight end Reid Mikeska and defensive back David Spaulding. Beamer said he expects most of those players to return to practice next week, but Wells could be out for a little longer with a lower-body injury. Beamer said he’s optimistic Wells will be ready for the season opener.
▪ With Wells out of action Saturday, Beamer used the opportunity to give younger receivers some run. He pointed toward five-star freshman Nyckoles Harbor and redshirt sophomore O’Mega Blake as two receivers who played significant snaps. Beamer said sophomore defensive back Nick Emmanwori has made it a personal challenge to out-run the track star Harbor, and their competition in practice should benefit both players.
▪ Though he’s locked in as the team’s starting quarterback, Spencer Rattler still played with the initial group of starters during the scrimmage, in large part because the Gamecocks are establishing a new offensive system under Dowell Loggains. “He took every rep today with the first group,” Beamer said. “We wanted to do that today. He needed the work. He’s got a lot of new pieces around him. .... We thought it was critical to be treated like a game.”
▪ The competition at running back remains heated, with no returning starter in the group. Former quarterback-turned wide receiver-turned running back Dakereron Joyner is the favorite to open the season at tailback, but a few backs made a splash during the scrimmage. Converted tight end Kamron Sandlin returned to action after a minor surgical procedure over the summer, and Beamer said he “looked good.” Beamer also said that transfer Mario Anderson broke off a big run. Don’t sleep on true freshman Djay Braswell. Beamer mentioned him multiple times Saturday and seems bullish on his ability. “He’s got a chance to be a really good player for us and did some nice things today,” Beamer said.
▪ Beamer said he was pleased at the amount of explosive plays the offense generated Saturday. On the flip side, he said the defense needs to work on limiting big plays as well. He also expressed frustration with the amount of penalties the Gamecocks committed and said that’s something they’ll need to clean up.
▪ The Gamecocks lost veteran defensive lineman Jordan Strachan and linebacker Mo Kaba to season-ending injuries in Week 2 last season, but both players have recovered and participated in Saturday’s scrimmage, and Beamer expects both to help lead the defense this year. “We missed them last year,” he said. “It’s great to have those guys back. I think both those guys have had really good preseason so far.”
This story was originally published August 12, 2023 at 7:29 PM.
