South Carolina football held its Spring Game on Sunday.
Shane Beamer and the new South Carolina coaching staff have officially wrapped up Spring practice, as the team held their annual Garnet and Black Game on Sunday. Originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, inclement weather led to the event being pushed back a day. Sunday cooperated, though, as the Gamecocks were able to take the field in front of 13,000 fans as they continue to prepare for the 2021 season.
As is the case with all scrimmages, there were pros and cons. Obviously, it’s hard to take a ton away from these one-time performances, particularly with the team having a number of contributors on the sidelines, but there were some things that the coaching staff can build upon.
Let’s look at what we learned in the matchup of offense versus defense, and see what it could mean for the upcoming year.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
South Carolina’s offense was without its top two playmakers at running back in Kevin Harris and MarShawn Lloyd. Despite the absences, the running game didn’t suffer. Transfer tailback ZaQuandre White, who’s been praised by the staff all Spring, stepped up big time with a 14-carry, 95-yard performance. White started the game with a 22-yard burst on his first carry, and would find the endzone later in the contest.
Obviously, Lloyd and Harris will get their opportunities when healthy, but White is going to have a role on this team moving forward. He struggled at times last year with ball security, but the issue seems to have been resolved over the offseason. Look for White to make an impact in the backfield, the slot, and on special teams when the Gamecocks kickoff this Fall.