What Shane Beamer said about LaNorris Sellers’ injury, the QB’s outlook for USC

South Carolina starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers went down with an ankle injury at the end of the second quarter. He didn’t return until just under seven minutes remaining in the third.

USC went three-and-out. Sellers went to the sideline. And he stayed there for the remainder of the game.

“He’s got a little bit of an ankle sprain. I think he’s going to be fine,” head coach Shane Beamer said afterward.

Sellers was sacked for a loss of four yards by LSU player Bradyn Swinson on the second-to-last play of the half. Sellers seemed to be favoring his right foot afterward. He came off the field, and backup Robby Ashford checked in.

Sellers finished the half 8-of-15 in the air for 112 yards and one interception. He ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, which set a USC record for the longest touchdown run by a quarterback.

“I went in the training room at halftime and they were checking his ankle out and just thought it was an ankle sprain,” Beamer said. “He wanted to try and go so we taped him up.”

Ashford played the first drive for the Gamecocks, then Sellers checked in for one last series.

“We said, let’s just give it a shot,” Beamer said. “Maybe LaNorris will get out there and the adrenaline will kick in and he’ll feel OK.”

Coaches decided to stick with Ashford, Beamer said, when they realized Sellers wasn’t going to be effective running the ball.

“We felt like if he’s not going to be able to move like he wants to move, we’ll get him out,” Beamer said. “Just felt like Robby gave us a better opportunity because LaNorris wasn’t 100 percent there in the second half.”

Three South Carolina quarterbacks — Sellers, Ashford and freshman Dante Reno — were seen throwing on the sideline when USC returned to the field after halftime. At one point before the Gamecocks had their first possession of the period, Sellers tried running but eventually stopped and threw a football to the ground in frustration.

ABC sideline reporter Holly Rowe, as the second half began, said Sellers’ ankle was heavily taped up but he’s limping: “He is going to try to play. They’re just not sure how much he can do.”

A 66-yard touchdown run for Raheim “Rocket” Sanders put the Gamecocks within one point (30-29) after falling behind in a third quarter that saw South Carolina outgained 175-1 after outgaining LSU 265-169 in the first half.

Ashford threw an interception on the two-point conversion attempt (which did not impact his stats) and ultimately was unable to put the Gamecocks back in front.