Mario Anderson credits Montario Hardesty with molding him into 'SEC back'

Gamecock football running back Mario Anderson says Montario Hardesty was 80 percent of the reason he chose to transfer to South Carolina after entering the transfer portal following his record-breaking career at Newberry.

And he also credits the South Carolina running backs coach with helping mold him into an “SEC back” as he’s made the jump from Division II to this level.

“Coming from Newberry to South Carolina, I knew it was going to be a jump, but that’s why I challenged myself to be able to make that jump,” Anderson said this week on The Garnet Trust Hour on 107.5 The Game. “I didn’t come in here with any expectations of anything of any sort. All I knew was for myself that I had to come here and work hard every day, whether that was in the film room, in the weight room. No matter what it was, I knew I had to put my best foot forward.

“Some days it was better than others. I grew a lot just in these nine, 10 months of me being here since January. It’s been a blessing to be able to come here and Coach Mo being able to strip down my game and rebuild me, not only as a player but as a man. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to work with him and work with Coach (Shane) Beamer and Coach (Dowell) Loggains and everybody and be around the guys to mold me into a SEC back.”

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The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Anderson set a Newberry school record last season with 1,560 yards and 19 touchdowns on 211 carries on his way to first-team A.P. All-America honors.

During his career at Newberry, the Summerville, S.C. native accumulated 3,301 yards rushing, third in school history, with 35 rushing touchdowns.

Anderson entered the transfer portal after last season, took a visit to Columbia, and quickly committed to the Gamecocks before enrolling in January.

“Coach Mo was about 80 percent of the reason why I came here,” Anderson said. “He played in the SEC, played in the league, a place that I have dreams and aspirations to go. His knowledge and IQ for the game is very high, and I knew that I could have learned a lot from him, and I still do. I don’t just look at him as a coach. I look at him as my mentor, you know what I’m saying, a person, a father figure and stuff like that. Coach Mo, he’s really elevated not only my game but my life, and I appreciate that.”

After playing sparingly in the first three games of the season, Anderson has started to earn more snaps the last two weeks.

He was South Carolina’s leading rusher two weeks ago against Mississippi State, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.

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Anderson earned his first career start as a Gamecock this past weekend against Tennessee and rushed for 101 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, on 10 carries.

“Coach Mo, he stripped my whole game down,” Anderson said. “All the little tendencies that I once knew before, he’s made me a complete back, I feel like. My biggest thing was pass blocking and how to read my keys and stuff like that. Coach Mo, he’s really took the time to mold me into a better back and a more developed back. Not only me, but all the guys in the room.

“Coach Mo does a good job of explaining the small, finer details and why we’re doing what we’re doing and how to do it and how to execute it at a higher level. Like I said, I keep saying this, I’m blessed and fortunate enough to have Coach Mo as my coach and as my mentor.”

Anderson and the Gamecocks are currently on their bye week but will return to action next weekend with a home matchup with Florida.

Scroll back up to the video to listen to the full Garnet Trust interview with Mario Anderson.

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