One of South Carolina’s main objectives in their game against Wofford on Saturday night was to come out as close to injury-free as possible. For the most part, they achieved that goal in their 56-12 victory over the in-state Terriers, with one exception.
“Injury-wise, we came out of it pretty good last night,” head coach Shane Beamer said on his Sunday teleconference. “Vandrevius Jacobs is the only one we’re a little concerned about from the guys who played in the game. As for the tight ends, we’ll see as the week goes on regarding their availability.”
Jacobs, a redshirt freshman receiver who transferred from Florida State, appeared to suffer a lower-body injury when he was tackled awkwardly and had to be assisted off the field by trainers. South Carolina is also still monitoring the status of a few key players who were already out heading into the Wofford game, especially at tight end.
Vandrevius Jacobs
Joshua Simon, Michael Smith, and Brady Hunt—the Gamecocks’ top three tight ends this season—were all injured in the Missouri game to varying degrees and missed Saturday’s contest. Hunt has already been ruled out for the Clemson game but is expected to return for postseason play.
Beamer said the status of Simon and Smith for the rivalry matchup would be determined as the week progresses, adding, “We’ll see” regarding both players.
Simon, who leads the team with 31 receptions for 433 yards and six touchdowns, remains a key concern for the Gamecocks.
Junior wide receiver Jared Brown also missed the Wofford game but is expected to return this week. Beamer explained, “He had a little bit of a hand injury last week against Missouri, but he’ll be fine for next week.”
Beamer will speak again on Tuesday afternoon, when he will likely provide an updated injury report. However, he is not required to give an official SEC player availability report this week since it’s not an SEC game.
The annual Palmetto State showdown holds significant importance, and this year’s matchup has additional stakes, as both teams are aiming to make a late-season push for the College Football Playoff. Each is currently ranked in the CFP Top 25 and is expected to be in the Top 15 when the rankings are updated Tuesday night.
