Nyck Harbor is a walking highlight reel. At 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, he has shown flashes of greatness, but those moments have been rare. Until Sunday. Gamecock Nation has been patient, and boy, did Harbor deliver.
With just over seven minutes to play, LaNorris Sellers threw a bowb. Harbor flew down a post route for a 64-yard touchdown, his longest catch ever, turning a tight game into a two-possession sweep in the Mercede-Benz Stadium. That moment unfolded almost exactly how it had in practice, except for one small detail. Coach Shula had to remind Sellers to throw it. And his messenger? Hunter Beamer.
“Mike Shula came over to Hunter and said, ‘Hey, go tell LaNorris when we call that play to throw the post,’ and lo and behold, that’s the play that we called today and he sure as hell threw the post on that one today for a touchdown,” Beamer said after the game. “So, credit Hunter for coaching up LaNorris on that one to throw the post.”
Harbor finished with 99 yards on three catches, a career high. And Beamer didn't sugarcoat it: “He’s a weapon,” Beamer said. “He’s just going to continue to get better. Nobody works harder.” Harbor's performance was especially gratifying for the coaching staff and Harbor himself as he dedicated himself entirely to football, ditching his track career. And clearly the work has paid off. “All them blood, sweat and tears… but that’s just game number one,” he said.
Harbor technically had another touchdown earlier in the game before halftime, but it was taken off the board on review. Still, he shrugged it off: “I felt like it was a catch, as we all saw,” Harbor said. “I had both feet touched down, still had the ball in my hands. Stepped out of bounds, still had the ball in my hands. Then the DB made a great play, a great effort. It is what it is. That’s what happens. I’ve got to keep control of the ball all the way to the ground now.”