COLUMBIA — It didn't matter that there wasn't a visiting team to cheer. South Carolina football fans filled Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday for the 2024 spring football game.
After four quarters, Team Garnet defeated Team Black 17-0. The battle to replace Spencer Rattler at quarterback is in full swing, with redshirt freshman Lanoris Sellers running the Garnet offense and competing with graduate transfer Robbie Ashford from Auburn. In the second half, sophomore freshman Dante Reno played for Team Garnet and graduate Davis Bevill played for Team Black.
Lanolis Cellars stands out.
Lanoris Sellers commanded the running game from the start, scoring Team Garnet's first touchdown with a 13-yard run. He rushed for 27 yards on the first drive and went 4-for-4 and threw for 38 yards. He looked strong, converting twice on third down and scrambling effectively against pressure. Sellers connected with sophomore Tyshawn Russell and graduate student Joshua Simon for catches of 17 and 11 yards, respectively.
Ashford couldn't get Team Black on the board on his first two drives, throwing for 14 yards and rushing for 9 yards. He threw a lateral pass to defensive back Gerald Kilgore, who served as receiver on a trick play, but Kilgore's throw to freshman Mazzeo Bennett nearly deflected.
Sellers came on in the second half, giving Reno an opportunity to attack. To finish his first set, Sellers went 9-of-11 for 70 yards, rushed for 38 yards and scored on 1-of-5 attempts.
Underclassmen on stage representing South Carolina
Sellers wasn't the only underclassman to stand out during the spring game. Coach Shane Beamer mentioned the importance of the spring game in giving freshmen a chance to play under the lights. Team Black edge rusher Dylan Stewart, a freshman who enrolled early, had one sack and three tackles for loss.
Bennett showed potential with a 14-yard catch that Team Black defensive back Redshirt freshman Vicari Swain picked off Reno at the start of the fourth quarter. Reno tried to go find Nick Elkusnis, but Swain got his hands on him.
Sophomore tight end Maurice Brown made a catch in the end zone to seal the deal for Team Garnet, making it 17-0 with seven minutes left.
Despite throwing his first interception of the night, Reno recovered with a 15-yard touchdown to Brown.
Freshman walk-on Isaiah McCrary picked off Bevil's throw with less than two minutes left in the game, ending Team Black's last hope of scoring.
south carolina offensive line
The Shamcocks' Achilles heel from the 2023 season hasn't necessarily disappeared, with the offensive line accruing five penalties in the first half. Beamer said he wants to target the offensive line in the transfer portal given injuries and the desire for depth.
Redshirt junior Monkel Goodwine, a transfer from Alabama, made a solid sack of Belleville, further exposing the cracks in the offensive line.
Beamer's ideal portal:What position is University of South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer targeting in the transfer portal?
Lulu Keshin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and USA TODAY Network.Please email her at lkesin@gannett.com Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.
