South Carolina’s SEC opener turned disastrous on Saturday, as the Gamecocks suffered their worst-ever loss to Vanderbilt. The 31-7 defeat not only stung on the scoreboard but also saw key injuries pile up, including one to starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
With a trip to No. 23 Missouri next on the schedule, head coach Shane Beamer urged his team to keep pushing forward.
“We’re sitting here at 2-1 with a ton of football in front of us,” Beamer said. “And we’ve got a big trip coming up to Missouri in seven days.”
Doty steps in under center
Sixth-year senior Luke Doty took over at quarterback after Sellers’ exit. If called on again in Columbia, Missouri, he says he’s prepared.
“Build on the good, correct the bad and really just show up to work tomorrow,” Doty said. “That’s the only way we’re gonna continue to get better, move forward.”
Looking for positives
Beamer acknowledged the heavy loss but pointed out there were flashes to build from.
“I told the team I was still encouraged,” he said. “When you look at it, it’s 31-7. You say to yourself, there’s not a lot of good. But I saw a lot of really good tonight, too, at times — just not enough of it. There’s a lot of football in front of us.”
Running back Rahsul Faison echoed the same mindset.
“Just think together as a team, not listen to the outside noise, because it’s coming,” Faison said. “Just stay locked in together and put our head(s) down and get to work tomorrow.”
Mistakes prove costly
Though the Gamecocks actually outgained Vanderbilt 328-323, their miscues sealed the result. South Carolina committed eight penalties, gave up four turnovers — two in the red zone — and allowed the Commodores to dominate time of possession.
Beamer didn’t sugarcoat the issues on his Sunday teleconference.
“You’re not going to win football games when you turn the ball over four times,” he said. “Defensively, (we) did not tackle well, and that was disappointing … Got beat four to one in the turnover battle, and it’s hard to make a living that way.”
Eyes on Missouri
With Sellers’ status still unclear, the Gamecocks now prepare for a challenging road test at Missouri. Beamer emphasized that how his team responds to adversity will define them.
“You have adversity, and you get to control how you respond,” he said. “And we need to respond the right way on Saturday night.”
