Steve Spurrier says Mike Davis could miss South Carolina's season opener
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier voiced some concern Wednesday about the status of star running back Mike Davis for the Gamecocks’ season opener against Texas A&M next Thursday.
“Mike Davis has been hurt, he hasn’t practiced all week,” Spurrier said, per The State. “I don’t know if he’d even be able to start or not. But we got Brandon Wilds, he’s ready to go. Shon Carson, Dave Williams, so we’re in good shape there.”
Running backs coach Everette Sands told The State he didn’t believe Davis’ injury, which occurred Saturday, was serious, but Spurrier made it sound like Davis may be limited for the ninth-ranked Gamecocks.
“He hasn’t practiced much, so we’ll see how much he’s ready to play for the game,” Spurrier said.
If Davis is limited or can’t go, the guys Spurrier mentioned – Wilds, Carson and Williams – should be able to fill the void. Carson and Wilds, both juniors, have seen significant touches in reserve roles for the Gamecocks throughout their careers. Williams, a well-regarded redshirt freshman from Philadelphia, is also ready to see his first game action.
Davis’ ailment has been as a “rib injury” and the junior, who rushed for 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, took to Twitter to quell the concerns of the South Carolina fanbase.
Y'all really think I'm going to miss the first game ? 😂😂😂 ok
— IG Mike28Davis (@Mike28davis) August 21, 2014
Elsewhere with the Gamecocks’ offense, starting guard Mike Matulis suffered a knee injury in last Saturday’s scrimmage. The injury, according to GamecockCentral.com, is being “labeled as a severe sprain,” but it could “turn out to be season-ending” when the knee is re-evaluated in the coming weeks.
The injury is a tough break for Matulis, a redshirt junior. He missed the second half of 2012 and all of 2013 with shoulder injuries. He started five games as a true freshman at tackle in 2011 and five more in 2012 before his injury.
For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
