South Carolina football to be without top two running backs, more against Florida
South Carolina will be without its top offensive playmaker on Saturday at Florida.
Starting running back MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Beal-Smith did not appear to travel with the Gamecocks to Gainesville and were not on the team bus as they arrived at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as he continues rehabbing from a thigh contusion.
Neither player was listed on South Carolina’s official dress list.
David Cloninger of the Post and Courier first reported Lloyd didn’t travel with the team on Friday night.
“He did practice yesterday (Wednesday) and we’ll see how things go,” head coach Shane Beamer said of Lloyd on his weekly radio show on Thursday.
Lloyd missed the second half of South Carolina’s loss to Missouri two weeks ago due to that thigh contusion. He didn’t practice last week, per Beamer, but had been back working out ahead of the trip to Gainesville on Saturday.
The former top-65 recruit currently ranks third in the Southeastern Conference in rushing touchdowns (9), while he currently sits eighth in yards rushing per game (69.5).
Beal-Smith, a Wake Forest transfer, was dealing with a lower body injury and had a boot on earlier this week, The State learned. He’s already missed three games this season due to a lingering foot issue.
Starting offensive guard Vershon Lee was also not included on South Carolina’s dress list.
Freshman Tanner Bailey will be the third-string quarterback on this week’s trip behind Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty. Bailey made the trek instead of Colten Gauthier, who was not on the dress list.
South Carolina beat Vanderbilt last week 38-27 in Nashville sans Lloyd. Do-it-all tight end Jaheim Bell led the Gamecocks with 16 carries and he’s expected to shoulder the load at running back along with Christian Beal-Smith and Juju McDowell.
South Carolina beat Florida last season 40-17 in a game that later prompted the firing of head coach Dan Mullen, who’s since been replaced by former Furman quarterback and ex-Louisiana head coach Billy Napier.
This story was originally published November 12, 2022 at 2:03 PM with the headline "South Carolina football to be without top two running backs, more against Florida."
