Dowell Loggains provides assessment of LaNorris Sellers’ first start

Following the starting debut for LaNorris Sellers last weekend at South Carolina, Dowell Loggains has evaluated it as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Loggains spoke about Sellers’ outing against Old Dominion during a press conference on Wednesday. First and foremost, the Gamecocks won 23-19 which, in his mind, was the most important aspect of Sellers’ first start.

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“I think that, number one, you’re judged as a starting quarterback with your win-loss record. So he’s 1-0 so mission accomplished there,” said Loggains.

However, from there, Loggains went into the inexperience of Sellers. It was clear to him that it was their quarterback’s first true opportunity to handle all that comes with it. He did it with the enthusiasm of it being his chance but, in the end, the only way to really be ready for it is prior experience.

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“In the process of playing that game, I think that he looked like a guy that was getting his first start and played for 15 plays up until that point,” said Loggains. “He was really excited about the opportunity. He knows the burden of that job, what it entails but you really don’t feel it until you have to go do it for the first time. That was the first time that he ever went out there to start. It was the first time that he felt that pressure of what it’s like to play in front of 80,000 and have a lot of people depending on you and counting on you. It’s why, in the NFL, they get three preseason games so those guys have a chance to go do that.”

“He had an opportunity to do it in the best way to, you know, get used to that experience. There’s no value on experience. It was a different feel than when he got to watch Spencer (Rattler) go do it for like the 30th time to the first time that he ever got to do it,” Loggains continued. “Definitely thought the game was fast for him and I think you saw that with his technique and pulling down some – too quick to run at times, not trusting his feet and trusting his training.”

As for adjectives, Loggains wouldn’t use some that Sellers himself did about his performance. Again, it was less fear and more about a young player trying to handle all that was part of his real introduction to collegiate football.

“I don’t think he looked scared or timid. I wouldn’t use those words. I would look at young, excited, eager, sped-up. I think that’s what it looks like when a quarterback is sped up. They’re excited about the opportunity,” said Loggains. “It was a big moment for him. Like, it’s not easy to go as a redshirt freshman and start in the SEC. It doesn’t happen very often. So, for him, I wouldn’t use those words.”

“I would say that there’s an opportunity to get better this week,” Loggains said. “I think that his timing was sped-up too fast because of his youth and age. He approached everything the right way.”

In his first game as a starter against the Monarchs, Sellers went 10-23 (43.5%) for 114 yards. He also rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Sellers had had his moments of both kinds now through four appearances as a Gamecock. Loggains thinks it’ll only be up from here for him, though, into his fifth game as they open conference play at Kentucky on Saturday.

“He’ll grow from it,” said Loggains. “It’s an awesome opportunity to grow and he’ll get better every week.”

“I think he’s going to be much better after he got to go do it. I have a lot of faith in the kid,” Loggains said. “He’s going to be a really good player and he has got to go through these experiences. What a blessing to be able to go do that.”