In a season where the run game has failed to get off the ground more than expected, the Gamecocks have tried a few different running backs at the position with limited success.
The Gamecocks have six players with at least five carries and four with at least 20.
One of those, ZaQuandre White, hasn’t seen really any action the last two games with the Gamecocks still struggling in the run game.
“He’s been practicing well and contributing well on special teams. I think Kevin and Juju have been our main two ball carriers the last two games and it’s fortunate yet unfortunate for the kid that there’s four really good running backs in that room,” Marcus Satterfield said.
“You can only hand the ball off to one guy. You have to keep working and preparing. You never know when his chance is going to come. It might be this week and he goes out there and just goes off.”
White started the first two games of the year, going for 167 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries—headlined by a 63-yard touchdown run—against Eastern Illinois, but has just 10 carries since then for 39 yards.
He’s played just 19 snaps the last two weeks, all of which came on special teams. His last offensive snap came at Georgia on Sept. 18.
In his stead, the Gamecocks have started Kevin Harris the last three weeks and since the Georgia game with Harris having 39 carries for 118 yards (3.02 yards per carry).
Over the last two weeks, five Gamecocks have at least one carry with three running backs carrying the ball at least once: Harris (23 carries, 87 yards), Juju McDowell (10 carries, 33 yards) and MarShawn Lloyd (four carries, six yards).
Quarterback Luke Doty has 14 carries for 26 yards, which includes sacks and sack yardage, and Josh Vann had two carries for 52 yards.
As South Carolina gets into the remaining stretch of its schedule with six straight SEC games before closing it out against Clemson, Satterfield didn’t rule out White getting more touches as he continues to perform in practice.
“You just better be prepared and ready to do that. He has. He always has a smile on his face. He’s super competitive,” Satterfield said. “He’s a great practice player who’s bought into special teams. My thought process on him hasn’t changed but he has to keep working and when his opportunity comes capitalize on it.”
The Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) are coming off their best rushing performance against a FBS opponent this season, going for 123 yards (4.92 yards per rush) when factoring out sack yardage, the best by over a yard against the three other FBS opponents this season.
Shane Beamer is hoping the Gamecocks, with talent in the running back room, is close to a breakout game.
“I hope so. I think we’re continuing to get better on the offensive line and getting Kevin to that point. I’m very confident from that standpoint. He had some nice runs the other day, looked physical and had some physical finishes. I feel good about all those backs: him, Juju, MarShawn, ZaQuandre,” Beamer said.
“That whole group I feel like is continuing to get better and you hope that breakout game is coming. You saw it with Tennessee in what they did to Missouri the other day. Hopefully we can have one of those games at some point soon.”
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