South Carolina’s 45-9 win over Towson gave Shane Beamer plenty to sort through on film, and on Sunday he handed out the Week 2 players of the game after the Gamecocks improved to 2-0 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
On offense, Beamer and the staff went with quarterback LaNorris Sellers and lineman Emmanuel Poku. Sellers’ passing line was modest - he finished 10-of-23 for 96 yards - but he made a bigger impact with his legs, piling up 119 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Poku earned his nod for the work he put in up front. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted the second-highest pass-blocking grade on the team at 85.4.
"Like the way he's playing," Beamer said on Poku during his Sunday evening teleconference. "Love the effort and the energy he's playing with. He plays hard and is always around the ball."
Clayton White’s defense had two honorees of its own: Quay'sheed Scott and Tomiwa Durojaiye.
Scott logged two tackles and broke up a pass in 26 snaps against the Tigers. Durojaiye picked up the defensive honor for the second straight week to start the 2026 season, and he did it with a busy afternoon in 30 snaps - the most among South Carolina’s defensive linemen. He finished with a team-high four tackles, including a sack.
"He's a disruptor in there and continues to play at a high level," Beamer said on Sunday.
Special teams had a clear winner. Vicari Swain was the lone choice there after a standout return day. The junior cornerback matched the program record for punt return touchdowns in a career with a 58-yard score in the first quarter, then set the record with a 45-yard touchdown in the third quarter, his fifth career punt return score.
Beamer and the staff also selected scout team players of the week on Sunday, and Beamer said Sunday evening that he likes the way Wilson has been practicing and that they need to keep getting him involved.
In Other News...
South Carolina Faces One Big Availability Question Entering SEC Play
With SEC play looming, Shane Beamer spent part of the week sorting through a familiar early-season reality: getting injured players back on the field in time for the games that matter most. Offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak and defensive end Dylan Stewart are both trending in the right direction, Beamer said, a welcome sign for a South Carolina team that has had to monitor several moving parts as it turns the page from the opener and into league competition.
The injury list is not limited to those two, either, with Carter Miller, DJ Black, Maurice Brown II and AJ Holloway also dealing with issues. Beamer also cleared up one other point of curiosity from the opener, saying kicker Ethan Sanchez did not play because of a coaching decision and that there are no eligibility concerns surrounding him. For a team trying to get settled before conference play, the hope is simply to get more bodies available and avoid any lingering questions turning into longer-term ones. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Passing Game Has A Bigger Issue Than One Sideline Spat
South Carolinas win over Towson came with a brief sideline flash point when quarterback LaNorris Sellers and receiver Mazeo Bennett got into an animated disagreement over a route. Shane Beamer said afterward the two simply saw the play differently, and the issue has already been smoothed over as the Gamecocks move on from the moment.
The bigger concern is what the exchange revealed about a passing game that still needs work before SEC play begins. Sellers finished 10 of 23 for 96 yards, and while the result was never in doubt against Towson, South Carolina knows the margin for error shrinks fast once the league schedule arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamers Biggest Concern After South Carolinas Sloppy Win
Shane Beamer had plenty to sort through after South Carolinas uneven win over Towson, and the head coach did not try to sugarcoat how the afternoon unfolded. He liked the way his team answered in the second half, but the first half left him with the kind of concerns that tend to linger after a game like this: miscues, the wet conditions, dropped passes and a performance that never quite found rhythm when it should have.
Beamer also touched on a few of the individual decisions and roster notes that shaped the day, including the depth he sees in the running back room and the status of players such as Vicari. He also explained why Ethan Sanchez never got into the kicking game, a choice that fit into a broader picture of South Carolina trying to clean up details while still coming away with a win. [Read more 🡒]