RB MarShawn Lloyd’s Today's Gamecock Tailbacks
Oct. 14, 2022
There have been 11 seasons with 1,000-yard rushers in South Carolina history. MarShawn Lloyd is almost halfway to joining that group. Lloyd recorded the first 100-yard game of his career on Sept. 24 against Charlotte and hit the century mark against an SEC opponent for the first time against Kentucky. This puts the redshirt sophomore at 434 rushing yards on the season. He’s established himself as the Gamecocks’ lead back and has been a reliable asset all season. Lloyd leads South Carolina with nine total touchdowns and 583 total yards.
Beamer said Sunday in his weekly teleconference. “He’s got great balance, strength, and physicality.” Since 2000, the Gamecocks have had four players record 1,000 or more rushing yards in a season Derek Watson (2000), Marcus Lattimore (2010), Mike Davis (2013), and Kevin Harris (2020).
Like Lloyd, each had at least one 100-yard rushing game six games into the season. All four exceeded 500 yards by this point in the season, but Lloyd is trending up. He’s averaged 119.7 yards per game in his last three outings, which is more than each of the aforementioned four runners averaged throughout their respective 1,000-yard seasons.
With the success, South Carolina had against Kentucky, and the two games before that, the team is beginning to figure out its offensive balance. Lloyd had 228 total yards in 2021 his first season of action after a 2020 ACL injury exceeding that in just the last three games this year.
Lattimore holds the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 17 in 2010, and Lloyd currently sits at seven. Lattimore had 10 scores through six games in 2010. Lloyd’s productivity is vital for a Gamecocks team that relied heavily on Harris and ZaQuandre White last year. Harris and White each had two games of 100 or more yards rushing in 2021. Lloyd’s had two 100-yard games in six tries this year.
In the first three games of this season, the team managed just 2.3 yards per carry. While there were outliers that impacted the average, the team lacked the ability to resort to the ground game early in games.
Lloyd has credited the offensive line the last few games for his gains in the backfield. “They’ve been amazing,” Lloyd said after the Kentucky game. “It’s finally showing what (it) can do,” Beamer spoke earlier this year about the need for improvement with perimeter blocking. After Saturday’s game, he commended the tight ends and wide receivers for holding up against the Kentucky defense.
There was nothing complicated about the running scheme that led to Lloyd’s success, Beamer said, as the team ran counterplays the majority of the game. “It was MarShawn reading it the right way, and also being able to run through people,” Beamer said. It was crucial that South Carolina’s success running the football was transferable to conference play.
The team’s schedule has five SEC games remaining and a road game against Clemson. As the running lanes continue to improve for Lloyd, his totals in the second half of the season could both aid his individual numbers and give the Gamecocks a much-needed dynamic to its offense.
GAMECOCKS 1,000-YARD RUSHING SEASONS:
1. George Rogers (1980) — 1,894 2. George Rogers (1979) — 1,681 3. Marcus Lattimore (2010) — 1,197 4. Mike Davis (2013) — 1,183 5. Kevin Harris (2020) — 1,138 6. Kevin Long (1975) — 1,133 7. Duce Staley (1996) — 1,116 8. Clarence Williams (1975) — 1,073 9. Derek Watson (2000) — 1,066 10. Harold Green (1987) — 1,022 11. George Rogers (1978) — 1,006
GAMECOCKS LEADING RUSHERS IN RECENT HISTORY:
Kevin Harris 659 2020: Kevin Harris 1,138 2019: Tavien Feaster 672 2018: Rico Dowdle 654 2017: AJ Turner 531 2016: Dowdle 764 2015: Brandon Wilds 567 2014: Mike Davis 982 2013: Mike Davis 1,183 2012: Marcus Lattimore 662 2011: Marcus Lattimore 818 2010: Marcus Latimore 1,197 2009: Kenny Miles 626 2008: Mike Davis 573 2007: Cory Boyd 903 2007: Cory Boyd 823 2005: Mike Davis 666 2004: Demetris Summers 487 2003: Daccus Turman 646 2002: Corey Jenkins 655 2001: Andrew Pinnock 622 2000: Derek Watson 1,066
