Injuries becoming a cloud hanging over Gamecocks as season approaches

Shon Carson and Akeem Auguste are out indefinitely, Brandon Wilds is in a walking boot and Connor Shaw has back spasms. The season is just six days away from starting for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and instead of talking about the possibility of another SEC East Title, the media in Columbia is dissecting all the injury news coming off the proving grounds each night.

Shaw’s injury probably isn’t anything to worry about, although Steve Spurrier wasn’t quite clear on how bad it was. After practice he said he hoped it wasn’t a serious issue.

There’s not much to be done for back spasms except rest and stretching. The best bet for Shaw’s health (and the Gamecocks chances against Vanderbilt) would be to hold him out of a few more practices.

Wilds injury is a little more serious; he’s in a walking boot with a sprained ankle. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but it probably won’t be multiple games, and he might even play in Nashville.

The somewhat good news with these RB injuries is that freshman Mike Davis will get some early playing time. Right now, he’s third on the depth chart behind Marcus Lattimore and Kenny Miles. Once Wilds returns, though, that lineup will obviously change.

Auguste is out for at least four weeks after having surgery on his leg. There’s really no good news with this injury; an already thin secondary got even thinner for at least the first few games of the season. If he’s not back for the Georgia game it could spell big problems for the Gamecocks.