South Carolina’s Hot Start Derailed as LaNorris Sellers Exits with Injury vs. Vanderbilt
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s early-season surge came to a crashing halt Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The No. 11 Gamecocks, fresh off wins over Virginia Tech and South Carolina State, found themselves in trouble against unranked Vanderbilt before halftime — and their challenge grew worse after losing star quarterback and NFL Draft hopeful LaNorris Sellers to injury.
Sellers was knocked out of the game late in the second quarter after taking a heavy hit that drew a targeting call on Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson, who was ejected.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Sellers was “unlikely to return,” and moments later, South Carolina confirmed the quarterback was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Sellers’ Performance Before Injury
Before leaving the game, Sellers had connected on six of his first seven throws for 94 yards. However, his sharp start was undercut by an interception, and the Gamecocks fell behind despite his presence.
On the play that ended his night, Sellers was brought down hard by Patterson just after releasing a pass. He stayed on the turf in visible pain before being helped off the field.
Doty Steps In at Quarterback
With Sellers sidelined, Luke Doty — a sixth-year senior and versatile athlete on USC’s roster — took over under center. Doty, who has spent time at both quarterback and wide receiver, entered with 233 career passes, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions to his name.
He also contributed as a pass catcher in recent seasons, totaling 140 yards and a touchdown between 2023 and 2024. Against Vanderbilt, Doty managed to complete three of his first five attempts for 15 yards before halftime.
Commodores Push for the Upset
Even before Sellers exited, the Gamecocks were wobbling. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia opened the scoring with a touchdown strike to Sedrick Alexander, before following it up with another scoring toss to Junior Sherill.
Meanwhile, Sellers’ first interception of the season handed the Commodores more momentum, fueling talk of a potential upset.
At halftime, Vanderbilt carried a 14-7 lead, leaving South Carolina scrambling to keep its undefeated start alive without its offensive leader.
