Shane Beamer didn’t need much time after South Carolina’s 45-9 win over Towson to get to the question everybody saw coming.
The moment in question came early, with 5:15 left in the first quarter, when LaNorris Sellers and Mazeo Bennett ended up in a heated sideline exchange after a missed chance in the end zone. On a third-and-10 from the Towson 27-yard line, Bennett got loose in the secondary and Sellers lofted a pass toward him. Bennett, wide open, couldn’t haul in the diving attempt.
What followed was a sharp disagreement in real time. Sellers seemed to signal that Bennett should have kept running toward the sideline.
Bennett, the former Greenville High standout, fired back with his own gestures and words as the two walked toward the bench. By the time they reached the sideline, Beamer stepped in.
“Mazeo thought he was correct in what he was running based on the coverage they were in. LaNorris saw the coverage and what Mazeo did a little bit differently,” Beamer said.
“... Certainly both of them communicated it.
And at the end of the day, regardless of how he runs the route, I think LaNorris would agree with me that he has to make a better throw and let’s connect on that thing.”
Sellers said the matter was already settled.
“Just two passionate players that want to get it right,” Sellers said. “We missed on it last week and it’s frustrating we keep missing on it.
But we’ve just got to get it right. We just talked about it, got it all out.
We’re good now, though.”
Beamer said he appreciated the edge Sellers brought to the moment, especially now that the quarterback is in his third year as South Carolina’s starter and has become one of the team’s leaders.
“I like the fact he continued to be who we see him be. And the willingness to be vocal and challenge guys to get it right,” Beamer said.
The exchange was only part of a rough afternoon for the passing game. Later in the first half, Sellers threw one high that went off Bennett’s hands and was intercepted by Towson at the Tigers’ 19-yard line. The Gamecocks also had several drops in the second half, including two by Nyck Harbor, along with a few other off-target throws from Sellers.
Sellers finished 10 of 23 for 96 yards.
With SEC play set to begin Sept. 19 against Mississippi State, both Beamer and Sellers made clear the offense has work to do.
“We all want to be perfect,” Sellers said. “And we all want to be successful and 100 percent and all that.
It is part of the game, just like missed throws and missed tackles. You’ve just got to make it right the next time.”
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Mississippi States SEC Opener Comes With One Big South Carolina Unknown
South Carolina heads into its SEC opener against Mississippi State with some welcome health news after a 45-9 win over Towson pushed Shane Beamers team to 2-0. Beamer said Carter Miller, Maurice Brown and DJ Black are expected to be available for Saturdays 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network, giving the Gamecocks a clearer picture as conference play begins.
The bigger unknown now is how much of that depth translates once the tests get more serious. Opening SEC play always brings a different level of scrutiny, and for South Carolina the question is less about getting bodies back than about how the roster holds up when the margin for error shrinks and every snap starts to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]