COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers left Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit, and his availability for next week’s matchup at Missouri is now in doubt.
Head coach Shane Beamer did not provide a clear update following the game, saying it was “way too soon” to know whether Sellers or backup Luke Doty will get the start against the Tigers. Beamer also did not confirm whether Sellers had suffered a concussion, though the training staff did take his helmet away on the sideline.
The hit came when Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson blitzed untouched and collided with Sellers just after a throw with South Carolina trailing 14-7. Patterson was flagged for roughing the passer and ejected for targeting. Sellers lay on the turf for more than a minute as trainers examined him.
Beamer voiced frustration about the officiating during a halftime interview, noting that officials nearly allowed the next snap before deciding to review the hit.
“When you lose the leader of your football team and you lose your starting quarterback like that — and we were doing a lot of good things,” Beamer said.
Before leaving the game, Sellers had completed 6 of 7 passes for 94 yards but threw a costly interception in the red zone. He was also sacked once and recorded minus-3 rushing yards.
Doty, who finished the game, went 18-for-27 with 148 passing yards and an interception. Despite his effort, the Gamecocks failed to score in the second half.
