South Carolina football will rely on youth in bowl game matchup.
South Carolina has struggled with depth for most of the season, having dealt with a combination of injuries and opt outs. That will be no different when they line up for their next game, a Gasparilla Bowl matchup with UAB.
The Gamecocks, despite losing their final six games of the year, have accepted a bid to play in Tampa this postseason. The bowl matchup provides an opportunity to end on the right foot, and give the program some much needed momentum as it heads into the 2021 season under a new regime.
But coming up with a postseason win is going to fall on the performance of a group of young and inexperienced contributors.
South Carolina began the year behind the eight ball, with two starting receivers opting out of the year due to COVID, and a non-contact knee injury to incoming star running back MarShawn Lloyd ending his season before it got started.
The Gamecocks then saw injuries or opt outs from a number of key players as the season wore on, most of which fell on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, 10 of the 11 season opening starters on defense were were out of the lineup by the team’s final game against Kentucky, with Jammie Robinson being the only starter to survive the year.
Pair that with leading receiver Shi Smith, leading tackler Ernest Jones, and offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson missing the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft, and the Gamecocks will barely have enough bodies to field a team.
So, who is filling in at these positions of need? Let’s take a look as South Carolina begins its postseason preparations.