South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore Will Not Start vs. Florida
By Kyle Kensing
Oct 6, 2012; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore (21) is congratulated by South Carolina Gamecocks long snapper Walker Inabinet (91) after scoring a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half of the game at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE
Reports out of Gainesville say running back Marcus Lattimore will not start for South Carolina tomorrow when it faces Florida in a crucial SEC East showdown.
Speculation on the health of Lattimore’s hip arose midway through this week, spurred on by the Old Ball Coach himself, Steve Spurrier. Spurrier told reporters Kenny Miles could get the start if Lattimore did not progress, which now appears to be the case.
Lattimore scored a touchdown on 13 carries, but managed just 35 yards in last week’s 23-21 loss at LSU. He’s averaging 4.5 yards an attempt on the seasons. Florida safety Josh Evans told Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com Lattimore had “lost a step” since returning from ACL surgery.
The Gamecocks are lacking other reliable rushing options at tailback. Quarterback Connor Shaw has the second most rushing attempts to Lattimore’s 129 with 76. Miles and freshman Mike Davis have combined for 40 attempts and 217 yards.
The Florida defense is allowing 3.3 yards per carry and 107.5 per game to rank No. 20 nationally. The Gators stymied LSU to just 42 rushing yards two weeks, and one rushing first down. Evans and linebacker Jon Bostic have been a nightmare for opposing ball carriers, combining for 70 tackles (eight for loss).
South Carolina was forced to pass more often than it rushed against LSU’s talented front seven. Florida’s front seven may actually be superior, thus taking Lattimore out of the equation puts quite the burden on Shaw. Shaw has been efficient enough, completing 69 percent of his passes for 910 yards, bouncing back nicely from a brutal opener at Vanderbilt. He’s also rushed for just under 300 yards.
Against LSU’s defense, he was completing passes worth a little more than 5 yards a piece and gave away two interceptions.
Some good news for South Carolina is that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is reportedly fine, despite vague reports earlier in the week that he was limited in practice. Clowney will be key to slowing a Florida offense that at times this season has lacked bite. The Gamecocks have flourished with defense, so forcing this game into a combined final score in the 30s may behoove the visitors.