South Carolina sees contributions from new faces in win over Akron

South Carolina knew it was going to be creative with who it put on the field, regardless of the outcome of last Saturday’s game.

The Gamecocks headed into their contest against Akron not with a laundry list of injured players, but with a shorter list of starters – including LaNorris Sellers and Jared Brown – who were unable to play. South Carolina’s health-related woes continued early in the game, as Rocket Sanders did not return after suffering a lower leg injury on the team’s opening drive.

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The Gamecocks were not strongly affected by their absences, though. South Carolina still managed to score a season-high number of points in a dominant 50-7 victory over the Zips. And many of those contributions came from non-starters and role players, some of whom made their debuts late in the game.

Shane Beamer said the win was a testament to the talent the team possesses up and down its roster.

“There was no panic this week in practice when it looked like Robby (Ashford) was going to be the starter. So, I feel like I know, at every single position, we have more depth than we’ve had,” Beamer said. “We’ve recruited well, and we brought the right guys in from the transfer portal. We’ve got a good football team where, if we lose someone at a position, it’s not a huge drop-off, so to speak.”

Sellers’ injury created the most question marks, especially after Ashford’s struggles in his South Carolina debut against LSU. But Ashford quickly became the Gamecocks’ most dynamic player on offense, affecting both the passing and running game. He threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 15 of 21 passing (71.4%). Ashford also led the team in rushing, gaining 133 yards and adding one score on 16 carries.

Saturday’s performance was the best Beamer had seen Ashford play all week, he said.

“He took a step, for sure. Nothing against the way that he practiced, but I thought he played a lot better than he even practiced this week, as well,” Beamer said. “(He) looked very poised and calm.”

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Ashford was not the South Carolina’s only contributor on the ground, though. Heading into the game, Sanders had taken the majority of the running back room’s carries (56) in 2024. Oscar Adaway had the second-highest number of rushing attempts with six, while Juju McDowell followed closely behind with five.

Both running backs saw increased action against the Zips. Operating as the lead running back, Adaway logged 42 yards on 14 carries, scoring two touchdowns in the process. McDowell added 29 rushing yards on five attempts, but he also caught a touchdown pass from Ashford in the second quarter.

Running backs even lower on the depth chart made their debuts for the Gamecocks, too. Jawarn Howell scored his first touchdown in garnet in black and totaled 33 yards on five carries in the fourth quarter. True freshman Matthew Fuller also made his first collegiate appearance late in the game, logging 25 yards on eight attempts.

“Regardless of the score, regardless of how the game’s going, we wanted to get Jawarn and Matthew some work tonight. Now, it happened a little bit quicker with Rocket going out. But we’ve got confidence in Oscar, and he came in and did a nice job,” Beamer said.

“Certainly, Jawarn and Matthew – I think both those young guys are going to be really big-time running backs here. They showed flashes of that tonight. And, then, part of our game plan, too, was to get Juju in there a little bit more where he’s kind of a receiver, he’s a running back. Good things happen when the ball’s in his hands. I thought all those guys did a good job, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to get all those guys touches and keep them involved.”

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South Carolina’s 22-point advantage entering the fourth quarter provided opportunities for even more players to make an impact. Both Davis Beville and Dante Reno played snaps at quarterback, and the former through a touchdown pass. Connor Cox scored on that play, which was the redshirt freshman tight end’s first collegiate reception.

“(Beville)’s been on quite the journey in his college football career. And for him to get in there – he’s an awesome teammate. He’s so supportive and a great confidante to LaNorris and Robby both,” Beamer said. “For him to make some throws and throw his first touchdown pass since 2021, I was told in the locker room – it was pretty cool for him.”

Multiple current and former walk-on players also earned fourth-quarter playing time. Bradley Dunn, also a member of the Gamecocks’ running back room, ran 10 yards on two carries. South Carolina’s defense received positive contributions from Rondarius Porter, who made three total tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack on Saturday.

According to PFF, a season-high 76 South Carolina players played at least one offensive or defensive snap against Akron. Seeing so many Gamecocks on the field was a rewarding experience for everyone involved, Beamer said.

“It was really cool to be able to get so many young guys in that game, walk-ons that have given so much to our program, and be able to get them out there and see them having fun and see our teammates – the older guys, the starters – cheering them on,” Beamer said. “It’s what it’s all about.”

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