Whether starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers plays or not on Saturday against Akron, South Carolina’s offense still needs to continue moving forward.
Sellers took a heavy sack on the penultimate play of the first half in South Carolina’s 36-33 loss to LSU in week three, giving way to Robby Ashford for the majority of the second half. Sellers has practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday, but his status for Saturday night’s game against the Zips is still up in the air.
“I’m expecting for him to do a little bit more tomorrow than he did today,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said on Sellers’ status. “The same thing we’ve been telling him about getting better every day, it’s the same thing with his health.”
The offense with Ashford under center came under heavy fire this week as the Gamecocks appeared to shrink their playbook. Ashford only attempted four passes in the second half and the Gamecocks struggled to gain any kind of a foothold in the second half, only scoring points on a 66-yard Rocket Sanders touchdown run and one field goal drive which was a three-and-out after starting deep in plus territory.
Right off the bat, Shane Beamer acknowledged one situation right after Sellers went down where the injury changed his calculus. Instead of trying to get closer for a field goal before halftime on fourth down, he ran the clock down to one play and sent Ashford out to attempt a hail mary.
“That was going to be Robby's first throw of the game,” Beamer said. “If he's [Sellers] in the game, I probably call a timeout with 10 or 12 seconds left and try to get the fourth down."
Of course South Carolina is hoping Sellers stays healthy the remainder of the season, but one way or another Ashford is still likely to play a role in the offense. The skill set is unique, as are the problems he can present for a defense. Even when Sellers was healthy, Ashford still came in for a specific play package in the third quarter at Kentucky.
But in the nightmare scenario where the Gamecocks lose their starting quarterback for any length of time, the offensive direction will come down to Ashford. And getting up as comfortable as possible with the receivers, tight ends, protection and situational aspects of the passing game is a key point for this offense’s development.
“When you’re the backup quarterback you don’t get every rep that LaNorris gets during the week,” Loggains said. “You also have to have intelligent and smart back-ups that can play with limited reps.”
Even against an Akron defense without any of the SEC-level athletes South Carolina will see the rest of the year, these still would be live game reps in a full stadium. If Sellers does not play, it would be his first opportunity to play a full game all season. But even if the starting quarterback returns to his post, it is still likely Ashford will hit the field at some point. It will be a chance to develop more chemistry with his wide receivers, to make more quick decisions and maybe get some more work in a two-minute drill or a red zone spot.
Ole Miss, Alabama and the rest of the SEC schedule will come calling after Akron and a bye week. Like it or not, this team is still one bad hit or awkward twist on Sellers away from needing Ashford to guide the offense before the toughest part of its schedule.
And a week after the offense struggled with him out there, and in the last chance to get him live action against an opponent before the conference slate comes thundering in, he will be one to watch Saturday night.
“When he gets in there, you’re doing things that he’s done all week,” Loggains said. “That’s just the way it is. He’s not going to get every rep, he’s not going to get every look as the backup that LaNorris gets. There are certain plays that get marked off the call sheet right away.”
Akron or otherwise, this might be a chance to start unmarking some of those plays.
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