Montario Hardesty evaluates running back competition
There’s at least one game from last season that still eats at South Carolina running backs coach Montario Hardesty.
Hardesty watched during the Kentucky game as the Gamecocks couldn’t muster enough in the run game and ultimately lost by six points.
South Carolina opted to throw the ball on a handful of close third and fourth downs. It’s something Hardesty wants to change this season.
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“I want us to be better situational backs. The Kentucky game always comes to mind where we had those fourth down plays,” he said.
“Whether it was the O-line or the running back path, we just didn’t get there. I want to make sure when situations come up the offensive coordinator wants to come to the running backs.”
And if the Gamecocks are going to do it, it’ll have to be with guys who haven’t done it at a high level in college.
South Carolina loses its top two rushers from last year’s team. ZaQuandre White and Kevin Harris with both off to the NFL.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t options, but it’s about picking the right guys to handle that load.
“Me as a coach I have a chip on my shoulder to show that we do have a really good running back room. Then I think among our guys there’s competition in the group,” Hardesty said. “How are those things going to play out?”
The oldest guy in the room is Wake Forest transfer Christian Beal-Smith. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry over a four-year career in the ACC.
They also bring in Columbia transfer Dante Miller, boasting a career average of five yards per carry in the Ivy League. Lovasea Carroll comes in after spending a year playing defensive back at Georgia.
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Juju McDowell returns but the biggest name of the group might be MarShawn Lloyd.
The former four-star recruit has struggled for consistency since tearing his ACL as a freshman. But this year could be his opportunity to really leapfrog to the top of the depth chart.
“He was a freshman last year. He missed the whole year his freshman year. He’s a young football player. It’s his second year in the SEC. I really think now he’s got some comfort in his legs, in the SEC and being a starting back,” Hardesty said.
“He had some things on his plate he never experienced and had never done. He knows what to expect from his teammates now, knows what to expect from the season.”
Preseason camp will be pivotal for all of South Carolina’s running backs, mainly because both Hardesty and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield want a true go-to back.
There will be competition raging over the next month, and Hardesty knows what he’s looking for.
“You have to be durable and you have to show out throughout fall camp. The biggest thing is being available as a running back. You have to be available first. Then you have to show you can do it,” he said.
“I’m going to put you in a position to show you can block on third downs, you can make plays out of the backfield catching the ball, you can run inside and out. I think three or four guys have the skill set to do it, now they just have to put it on tape. And the biggest challenge and thing I’m most excited about is we don’t have a guy returning that’s been that guy. I’m excited about that.”
