Towson’s Shinnick Praises Effort, Reveals Punter’s Likely Broken Bone After 45-9 Loss to South Carolina

Towson head coach Pete Shinnick addressed the media following his team’s 45-9 loss to South Carolina on Saturday night, offering a mix of respect for the opponent, praise for his own team’s effort, and a concerning update on an injured player.

Respect for South Carolina’s Explosive Playmakers

Shinnick didn’t shy away from crediting the Gamecocks’ talent, particularly Vicari Swain and LaNorris Sellers: “Very impressed with South Carolina and all they did. I loved how our guys played. I was very pleased with our effort and determination. (Vicari) Swain is an extremely electric punt returner and he showed that. And (LaNorris) Sellers is a dynamic quarterback. We had trouble getting those guys on the ground and I think that’s 21 points right there just on explosive plays. But I loved how our guys played. I thought our guys were fighting the entire time, getting after it, and doing everything they could.”

On the Team’s Response After the Weather Delay

Asked specifically about how his team bounced back following the nearly hour-and-a-half lightning delay, Shinnick highlighted a gritty scoring drive that followed: “Yeah. I mean, an 11-play, 75-yard drive after all of that, you know what I mean? The drive before that obviously didn’t go our way. So to be able to come back and get that done after, it was an hour, hour and a half, whatever that was, could not have made me more pleased.” He also praised his quarterback’s continued development: “And, I think our quarterback has continued to show that he’s got a great touch on the ball. When we give him time, he’s got a chance.”

A Concerning Update on the Punter

Shinnick delivered troubling news regarding Towson’s injured punter, indicating the injury appears serious: “Yeah, we’re gonna take him back and get him looked at, but it doesn’t look good right now. He’s probably going to have something cast up or something taking place with it. It looks like it’s broken.”

Lessons From the Loss

Asked what takeaways he’d carry forward from the game, Shinnick pointed directly to a specific special teams breakdown that led to Swain’s touchdown: “Yeah, great question. I talked to our guys right at the end of the game. And I’m like, look, our number one rule on punt cover is to cut the field. So if you don’t cut the field, you’re going to get a field return. And our first guy down didn’t cut the field. And (Vicari Swain) runs around us and scores. No matter who we play, if we don’t cut the field, bad things are going to take place for us.” He also flagged the need to contain mobile quarterbacks better, while remaining confident in his team’s ability to correct the issues: “And then we have to be able to get the quarterback down on a quarterback draw or a scramble. So I think the mistakes we made are fixable. I do think they have incredible athletes that are extremely talented, but we need to be in a good position. We need to take care of business the way I think we’re capable of.”

Looking Ahead to an Easier Schedule Stretch

Shinnick expressed optimism about his team’s trajectory heading into the rest of the season, noting that the toughest part of Towson’s schedule is now behind them: “The good thing is we are done with, what I would say, the extremely difficult portion of our schedule. We look at the Navy game. A tough, hard-fought game against a very physical opponent. We look at this game and we’re like, okay, a lot of electric players and a lot of dynamic guys that we were going up against. I felt like we’ve gotten better in both these games and the scoreboard might not show it, but, I like where our team is right now.” He also pointed to a significant reduction in mistakes across the team’s first three games as a positive sign, particularly regarding discipline and ball security: “But from the game against Maine, having eight or nine penalties, two turnovers, and six sacks, to then play Navy and have two penalties and no turnovers, and then to not turn the ball over against South Carolina, those are great strides because at any point in time they can create a turnover.” Looking ahead, Shinnick expressed excitement for Towson’s upcoming crosstown rivalry game at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

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