South Carolina had avoided the sheer number of injuries that plagued it last season. Still, when star running back Rocket Sanders hobbled off the field Saturday night against Akron, unable to return to the game due to an ankle injury, that meant the Gamecocks top quarterback, running back, and wide receiver were standing on the sidelines without a helmet.

With a 3-1 start to the season, the one defeat a narrow, controversial loss to LSU, the first bye week of the 2024 slate could not come at a better time as the Gamecocks hope to get some of their best playmakers back for a date with Ole Miss in two weeks.

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During his teleconference, head coach Shane Beamer provided the latest on Sanders and others Sunday night.

“I think everybody should be fine for Ole Miss,” Beamer said. “If we were playing this week, it would be ‘questionable’ for a handful of those guys. Rocket would be the one that would be the most ‘questionable,’ if you will, in regards to being able to play a game this week.

“But everyone else would be fine for a game on Saturday. Obviously, a bye week is coming at a really, really good time where we have two weeks to get ready for the next one. I anticipated everybody being ready to go for Ole Miss, though, for sure.”

While Beamer did not mention them specifically in that quote, one can infer he was referring to quarterback LaNorris Sellers and wide receiver Jared Brown. Both players exited the LSU game late in the first half with injuries (Sellers returned for one drive in the second half) and then missed the Akron game.

Beamer, who has been optimistic that Sellers would return after the bye week, was later asked specifically about his quarterback and how he’d be used in practice this week as he returns from the ankle injury.

“I just saw him downstairs in the indoor and he was running around and looked good and was lifting today and is out of the boot and told me he felt good,” Beamer said. “We’ll be smart with him this week. I mean we don’t have to get him ready for a game this Saturday.

“Practices this week will be similar to previous off weeks, we’re not going to be out there two-plus hours every day. But we’ll get a lot of really good work in in the time we’re on the field. So we’ll be smart with how we use him and get him back in there slowly so he can be at his best next week when we get to game week.”

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Sanders exited Saturday’s game after a defender rolled up under his legs while the running back was blocking for a teammate.

Freshman tight end Michael Smith was also limited against Akron with a hamstring injury but should be fine, according to Beamer.

Reserve defensive tackle Monkell Goodwine was also injured in the game. It’s not a long-term injury but he is expected to miss some time.

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