Gamecocks marching toward bowl game with COVID safety precautions top of mind
To a certain degree, South Carolina’s football team has to be on alert.
As the Gamecocks practiced at Charlotte Christian School on Sunday morning in preparation for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, two other bowl games were canceled by the impacts of COVID-19. As the week begins, USC coach Shane Beamer said the team isn’t missing anyone because of illness, but COVID is always looming to a degree.
“We will have our normal in-season testing protocol just like we’ve done for all games,” Beamer said. “Which means that the guys that normally get tested, the unvaccinated players, will get tested two days before the game.
“Most of our players are vaccinated.”
The Gamecocks a season ago were invited to the Gasparilla Bowl despite a 2-8 record. They lost that chance to go bowling after a positive case among coaches put the offensive staff in quarantine.
This year they’re scheduled to face North Carolina at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
“We’re following protocols here in Charlotte that their city has in place and being as smart as we can around each other,” Beamer said. “We’re masked in meetings and masked indoors like the city of Charlotte requires us to be.”
The coach noted that the omicron variant surge has impacted sports beyond his own. You can’t watch an NFL game without seeing that 20% of a roster is out, Beamer said, and the NBA is having a tough time with the virus causing a number of game postponements.
Beamer’s team will be down reserve offensive lineman JonDarius Morgan, whose grandmother is sick, and had three reserve players suspended, who he declined to name.
And while the Gamecocks are being more cautious as they prepare to play the program’s first bowl since 2018, the players are getting a little freedom in Charlotte.
Quarterback Zeb Noland pointed out that all the precautions are old hat after last year. They’ve been in road environments before and know the rules.
“We’ve got free time,” Noland said. “I know some guys might be going to the (Carolina Panthers) football game here at 1 (p.m.). I’m personally gonna try to go watch Tom Brady play. But they just tell us, wear our mask and be smart. And if you don’t feel good, then just stay in your room. So it isn’t real strict like it used to be.”
2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl details
Who: South Carolina (6-6) vs North Carolina (6-6)
When: 11:30 a.m. Thursday
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC
TV: ESPN
Line: North Carolina by 9
This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Gamecocks marching toward bowl game with COVID safety precautions top of mind."