One of college football’s preseason playoff contenders, South Carolina faces a season-defining game Saturday night at Missouri following a 24-point loss to Vanderbilt made worse by an injury to quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The media’s preseason first-team All-SEC selection, Sellers left the game late in the second quarter with a head injury and did not return as the Gamecocks offense sputtered without him.
Previously ranked No. 11, South Carolina dropped out of the latest AP poll with the loss and is a 12.5-point underdog — according to FanDuel Sportsbook — at Missouri with Sellers’ status unknown. During Sunday’s teleconference, Beamer said he was optimistic Sellers would be available to play, but did not “get into specific injuries” when asked if his quarterback was dealing with a concussion.
Initial SEC student-athlete availability reports are released on Wednesdays, with second, third and gameday updates coming thereafter. Player injury designations include available, probable, doubtful and out. Injury reports were instituted last season with teams being required to provide public status updates on players.
Prior to Saturday night’s second half against Vanderbilt, the last extended time Sellers missed due to injury came in last year’s loss to LSU in Week 3 when he suffered an ankle sprain. He missed the following game against Akron before benefiting from an open date and starting against Ole Miss.
The Gamecocks ran 41 offensive plays against Vanderbilt without Sellers and failed to score, managing 184 total yards and three turnovers. With sixth-year senior Luke Doty at quarterback, South Carolina struggled to generate explosive plays and its final three possessions ended in giveaways.
“Confident that we’ll continue to improve offensively when he gets back healthy,” Beamer said Sunday, trying to stress positives after an ugly performance. “But again, this is a heck of a team we’re getting ready to play out in Missouri. … We’ve got to get a whole lot better. But there were a lot of good signs too last night when LaNorris is in there.”
South Carolina struggling with new OC
Even if Sellers plays against the Tigers, South Carolina is facing an uphill climb offensively thanks to unexpected misfortune on the offensive side. After undergoing an offensive coordinator change this offseason with Mike Shula taking over following Dowell Loggains’ departure to Appalachian State as the Mountaineers’ new head coach, the Gamecocks were expected to produce given the talent returning.
Sellers was garnering preseason 2026 NFL Draft first-round buzz and the Gamecocks got great news in late August after prized Utah State transfer running back Rahsul Faison was granted an eligibility waiver by the NCAA. Three games into Shula’s tenure, however, South Carolina ranks 15th or worse in the SEC in total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense, third down conversions, red zone rate and sacks allowed.
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The offensive line hasn’t performed despite a bevy of elite recent signees up front and the passing game has lacked big plays. During a 38-10 win over FCS opponent South Carolina State in Week 2, the Gamecocks’ offensive issues were magnified. South Carolina started the contest with three straight three-and-outs despite an obvious roster advantage and finished with 253 yards of total offense, sounding alarms on potential issues.
Heading into Week 4, four of South Carolina’s nine total touchdowns this fall have come on special teams or defense.
Playoff hopes wearing thin
If the Gamecocks lose at Missouri, getting back into the playoff conversation following an 0-2 start to SEC play is unlikely given the rest of the slate. Beamer’s teams historically strengthen as the season progresses, notably after last year’s squad won six straight games to nearly reach the playoff for the first time in program history, but this schedule is different.
Missouri is the first of six games left on the slate against nationally-ranked competition, a treacherous ordeal that features trips to LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M along with home bouts with Alabama and Oklahoma. It’s not impossible to rebound given the strength of schedule and quality win opportunities, but Saturday’s game on the road is paramount to staying in the mix and returning to the polls before the Gamecocks’ trip to Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks.
