LaNorris Sellers was already limping when he kept the ball on an option and ran 41 yards for the touchdown that sealed South Carolina’s 17-9 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. After he crossed the goal line, teammates and staff helped him to the bench.
A Scare Before Halftime
Sellers spent the end of the first half in the locker room. On a late second-quarter strip-sack, Aggies defensive end Sam M’Pemba landed on his left ankle. Sellers was helped to the medical tent and then off the field for X-rays. At halftime, Shane Beamer said the team was concerned, but the X-rays later came back negative. Sellers was back on the field for South Carolina’s first possession of the third quarter.
“I knew I wanted to be out there and didn’t want to sit the rest of the second half knowing we had a chance to win the game, It’s just fighting through the pain, honestly.” Sellers said afterward.
Playing Hurt, Without His Usual Mobility
Sellers played the second half with little of the mobility that defines his game, and the Gamecocks’ offense stalled for most of it. A third-quarter field goal gave Texas A&M a 9-7 lead. Malik Orsan then hit a 43-yard kick that put South Carolina back in front 10-9 with 8:14 to play. Sellers finished 20-of-31 for 251 yards and a touchdown, most of it on a bad ankle.
Why Didn’t Sellers Slide Short of the Goal Line?
South Carolina led 10-9 and needed to burn the final 87 seconds when Sellers found a lane on the option. A slide short of the end zone might have let the Gamecocks run out the clock. Instead, the touchdown put them up eight and gave Texas A&M the ball back with a chance to tie. Sellers said the ankle made the decision for him.
“I really couldn’t stop (because my ankle) started hurting,” Sellers said.
A Defense That Held and a Season Turned Around
The defense made the score hold. The win was South Carolina’s fourth straight after a 2-3 start. Beamer pointed to that early adversity as a possible factor.
“I don’t ever want to lose three games, but because of the adversity that we dealt with early in the season, maybe it helped us to find a way to win tonight,” Beamer said.
The Gamecocks are now 6-3 and bowl eligible. They travel to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 14.
From the Locker Room to the End Zone
The finish was a long way from the second quarter, when Sellers walked to the locker room without his cleat. It also came in the same week he collected two national player of the week awards. Former Missouri and NFL quarterback Chase Daniel was among those who reacted on X.
“What a GUTSY performance by Sellers! Cockvember is here to stay!” Daniel wrote.
Bottom Line
Sellers was far from his best physically, but he chose to play, and a hobbled quarterback made the key plays when the Gamecocks needed them. The injury scare, the stalled second-half offense, and the 41-yard run all showed how much this team depends on him. South Carolina has recovered from its 2-3 start, and Sellers’ toughness is a big reason. His health heading into Arkansas is now the biggest question.
