South Carolina’s Injury Situations and Kicker Decision Explained After Towson Win
South Carolina navigated several minor injury situations during its win over Towson, most notably the absence of starting wide receiver DJ Black, who had caught three passes for 62 yards the previous week against Kent State. Head coach Shane Beamer explained the decision to sit him was purely precautionary: “He had a little leg tissue injury that flared up in practice on the walkthrough after practice Wednesday. So we just wanted to be smart with him, so we did not play him.”
Two Additional Second-Half Absences
Black wasn’t the only offensive player held out for part of the game. Beamer noted that both Mo Brown and Carter Miller sat out the second half due to minor issues: “Mo Brown did not play in the second half. He had a little bit of a bruise on his legs — nothing long-term. I don’t believe Carter (Miller) came back in there in the second half. He had a little muscle that tightened up on him that just couldn’t get loosened up at halftime, really after the break.”
Beyond those three, Beamer characterized the team’s overall health as strong: “Anything that we had is just minor. They should be fine for next week.”
A Surprising Absence at Kicker
Perhaps the most notable non-injury absence was transfer kicker Ethan Sanchez, who joined the program September 3. Although the NCAA’s five-day acclimation period had technically cleared, and expectations were that he’d be available against Towson, Sanchez didn’t appear on the pregame dress list. Beamer confirmed it was a coaching decision rather than a health issue: “I made a decision not to play Ethan tonight. That was purely my decision. Hopeful that we’ll be able to roll as we move forward.”
Instead, Max Kelley started at placekicker for the second consecutive week, going 1-for-2 on field goals — missing from 45 yards before connecting from 33. Malik Orsan also saw second-half action, handling extra-point duties. Despite not playing, Beamer credited Sanchez’s presence for elevating competition at the position: “Ethan has made them better in practice since he got here, and we’ve got to continue to take steps.”
About The Author
