South Carolina cruised past SC State with a 38-10 victory on Saturday, improving to 2-0 on the season. However, the win came at a cost, as the Gamecocks suffered multiple injuries that could impact their depth moving forward.
Head coach Shane Beamer addressed the situation in his postgame remarks, offering only a brief injury update. Without waiting for questions, he acknowledged the number of banged-up players, admitting the list was “too long to name” as he opened his statement, signaling concern despite the dominant performance.
“I’ll have a better answer for you tomorrow night on the teleconference,” Beamer said. “It’s not good.”
South Carolina entered the game already shorthanded, missing key contributors Judge Collier and JT Geer. Collier logged only nine snaps in the opener before leaving with a knee injury, later seen on the sideline in a cast and crutches.
Geer, meanwhile, went down in the second half of last week’s contest, appearing to favor his shoulder as he exited. Their absences added to the Gamecocks’ growing list of health concerns, underscoring the challenges Shane Beamer’s team faces even as they continue stacking early-season victories.
Earlier in the week on “Carolina Calls”, Shane Beamer shared some optimism, noting he expects both Judge Collier and JT Geer to be back in time for South Carolina’s SEC opener against Vanderbilt next Saturday. Their return would provide a much-needed boost to a thin rotation.
The Gamecocks were also without starting nickel Jalon Kilgore on Saturday, sidelined by a nagging hamstring injury that has lingered since the Virginia Tech game. His absence shifted responsibilities, with Vicari Swain stepping in to handle punt return duties while the secondary adjusted on the fly.
Vicari Swain made the most of his expanded role, delivering two punt return touchdowns in the win to bring his season total to three. His explosive performance on special teams provided a major spark, even with the lineup thinned by injuries.
Still, South Carolina’s depth at nickel took another blow in Week 2 with Jalon Kilgore sidelined. The absence of a key starter left the defense stretched, forcing adjustments that could become more challenging if the injury list continues to grow heading into SEC play.
“Brandon Cisse got hurt early in the game,” Beamer said. “Our third-team nickel is Jaquel Holman. He got hurt in the first quarter, so we were down to literally our fourth nickel, which kudos to Kelvin Hunter.”
Redshirt freshman Hunter stepped up in a big way on Saturday, finishing tied for second on the defense with four tackles. Shane Beamer praised his unexpected contribution, noting he hadn’t even been slated to play but ended up logging the rest of the game with poise.
Beamer also acknowledged several other injury concerns that emerged during the night. Beyond the issues in the secondary, he pointed to tight end Brady Hunt and left tackle Josiah Thompson as players who left the matchup banged up, further highlighting the physical toll despite the convincing win.
Beamer emphasized that a clearer picture of South Carolina’s injury situation will come during his next media availability, with his weekly teleconference scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. The update should shed light on which key contributors may be available moving forward.
The Gamecocks now turn their focus to their SEC opener, set for Saturday, Sept. 13, at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina will host Vanderbilt under the lights in Columbia, with kickoff slated for 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
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