South Carolina’s trip to Baton Rouge didn’t just end with a loss — it came with a couple of costly injuries. The Gamecocks fell 20-10 to LSU on Saturday night and saw two key starters, offensive lineman Shed Sarratt and defensive back Brandon Cisse, leave the game in the first half and never return.
Head coach Shane Beamer confirmed after the game that both players were evaluated by the training staff but didn’t feel well enough to re-enter.
“Clint (Haggard), our trainer, felt like they were clear — not fully clear — but able to come back if they felt well enough to,” Beamer said. “But they didn’t feel well enough to.”
Sarratt’s injury came early in the first quarter on Matthew Fuller’s explosive 72-yard touchdown run, South Carolina’s lone score of the night. As teammates celebrated in the end zone, Sarratt stayed down on the field, clutching his ankle until medical staff arrived. He was later seen on crutches.
Cisse went down in the second quarter with what appeared to be a knee injury. Trainers attended to him for several minutes as Beamer and teammates looked on. When he finally got up, Cisse had to be helped off the field and later appeared on the sideline wearing a brace on his left leg.
“We didn’t hold them out in the second half,” Beamer added. “They just didn’t feel well enough to be able to get back out there and play.”
The Gamecocks will now look to regroup as they head back to Columbia to host No. 6 Oklahoma next Saturday. The Sooners are coming off their first loss of the season to Texas, and kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
