Gamecocks get right: QB Robby Ashford impresses, South Carolina dominates Akron

Williams-Brice Stadium was just a tad over half full in the third quarter Saturday. What a beautiful sight!

Three weeks ago, when South Carolina welcomed FCS foe Old Dominion to Columbia, folks had to stay. Had to endure a lighting delay, sitting on metal bleachers biting their fingers while the Gamecocks scraped their way to a tense victory.

There was no need to stay Saturday and yes, that’s a good thing. South Carolina rolled to a 50-7 win over MAC squad Akron, bouncing back after an emotionally draining loss to LSU last week and heading into its first of two bye weeks with a 3-1 record.

“This was a tough week coming off last Saturday,” USC coach Shane Beamer said. “The key for us was to not let it linger.”

If there was any night that Beamer wanted to avoid drama, any night he might have been OK with some fans exiting early, it was Saturday.

Starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers was on the sidelines munching on sunflower seeds, his right foot in a boot. Sellers missed practice almost all week and was still recovering from a sprained ankle suffered against LSU.

During Saturday’s ESPNU broadcast, the announcers said Sellers could have played against Akron. The translation: There was no need to risk Sellers’ injury worsening when the Gamecocks were expected to win without him.

Auburn transfer Robby Ashford started for the Gamecocks after playing most of the second half against LSU. The thought was he would just hand the ball to tailback Rocket Sanders 35 times and walk out of Willy-B with a win.

If that was indeed the plan, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains threw it out the window of the coaches box five minutes into the game. After just one rush, Sanders left the game and never returned. He spent the second half in street clothes, with his left foot in a boot.

So with South Carolina’s starting quarterback and starting running back hobbling around in boots on the sideline, Saturday became the Robby Ashford show.

Before kickoff, that would have been a somewhat unsettling notion. Ashford was fine against LSU, but fumbled, was eaten up by pressure and only threw the ball four times in the second half.

Which might just prove that taking actual reps in practice and playing in an offense that suits your skills matters. Because in a few days, Ashford might be named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. He was that spectacular.

The redshirt senior completed 15 of 21 passes (71%) for 243 yards and two scores and ran 16 times for 133 yards (8.3 ypg) and another score.

Yes, it was against Akron — one of the worst teams in FBS that beat *checks notes* Colgate by 11 points last week. Perhaps any of the USC quarterbacks could have done something similar.

But it was Ashford’s opportunity and he compiled the best offensive performance by a Gamecock so far this season. That’s not nothing.

It helped that the South Carolina defense limited Akron to just over 150 total yards — more than a quarter of which came on one play — and just nine first downs.

But this game was about the offense. While its two best players were making small talk in street clothes, the Gamecocks dominated anyway.

How they scored

First quarter

South Carolina 7, Akron 0: Oscar Adaway 2-yard rush (13 plays, 89 yards, 5:38)

South Carolina 15, Akron 0: Mazeo Bennett 30-yard TD from Robby Ashford / Kai Kroeger 2-pt conversion (7 plays, 85 yards, 3:02)

Second quarter

South Carolina 22, Akron 0: Juju McDowell 12-yard TD from Ashford (11 plays, 80 yards, 4:57)

South Carolina 22, Akron 7: Adrian Norton 42-yard TD from Ben Finley (6 plays, 70 yards, 2:31)

Third quarter

South Carolina 29, Akron 7: Adaway 2-yard rush (7 plays, 84 yards, 3:43)

Fourth quarter

South Carolina 36, Akron 7: Ashford 36-yard rush (5 plays, 71 yards, 1:59)

South Carolina 43, Akron 7: Connor Cox 9-yard TD from Davis Beville (12 plays, 46 yards, 4:44)

South Carolina 50, Akron 7: Jawarn Howell 23-yard rush (4 plays, 37 yards, 1:49)

Next USC football game

Who: South Carolina vs. Ole Miss

When: Oct. 5 (kickoff time TBD)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium

TV channel: TBD