‘Thank God we have them.’ Beamer thankful for newcomers’ impacts on USC win over Troy
Loretto, Pennsylvania.
Statesboro, Georgia.
That’s where the players responsible for South Carolina’s two touchdowns Saturday were playing football less than a year ago. Thank Shane Beamer’s dive into the transfer portal for tight end E.J. Jenkins from St. Francis University (Pennsylvania) and defensive back David Spaulding from Georgia Southern.
Beamer expressed gratitude himself after the Gamecocks’ 23-14 win over Troy.
“Thank God we have them,” Beamer told reporters after the Troy game. “Those guys are doing a nice job.”
Jenkins, a 6-foot-7 fifth-year senior who enrolled at USC in mid-March, has the versatility to play at tight end and wide receiver. He hauled in his first reception as a Gamecock against Kentucky last week, then found the end zone for the first time in the second quarter against Troy.
The Gamecocks were actually trailing Troy 7-3 when quarterback Luke Doty connected with Jenkins to cap off a 10-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. Jenkins’ 16-yard reception earned South Carolina its first and only offensive touchdown of the game and put the Gamecocks up 10-7 with 4:12 to go in the second quarter.
Doty said the Gamecocks put Jenkins in situations to succeed against Troy, and the dividends paid off.
“He just keeps his head down and he works,” Doty said. “He does what he’s asked, does whatever we tell him to do, and he has a good heart about it. He’s a true team player.”
The time for Spaulding to shine came shortly after Jenkins’ moment, as the 6-foot-1 sophomore returned the Gamecocks’ third interception for a touchdown of 2021 — and this one was the longest.
Spaulding’s 74-yard pick-six couldn’t have come at a better time for South Carolina’s defense, which was working to stymie a Trojan drive that was nearing the red zone with less than a minute to go before halftime. It would be South Carolina’s final touchdown of the contest, putting the Gamecocks up 17-7 heading into the locker room.
Spaulding has seen action in every game this year, but saw his role increase Saturday with an injury to fellow transfer defensive back Carlins Platel, who was sidelined with an injury.
“First, I’d like to thank God,” Spaulding said when asked about his pick-six. “During practice, the defensive staff does a great job of giving us small details. All we did all week was think about details.”
Beamer said he’s made a point of emphasis of late to rotate in more of the “new arrivals,” a group made up of nine transfer portal additions and USC’s freshmen.
When discussing the newcomers, Beamer also gave a shout-out to Ahmarean Brown, a transfer wide receiver from Georgia Tech who caught two receptions against Troy. He also mentioned freshman running back Juju McDowell, who continued to be one of South Carolina’s more productive options out of the backfield. McDowell ran for 20 yards on five touches against Troy, including a 13-yard rush.
“We’re a young football team and a new football team in a lot of ways,” Beamer said. “And those guys are just continuing to get more and more comfortable out there.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2021 at 9:44 PM with the headline "‘Thank God we have them.’ Beamer thankful for newcomers’ impacts on USC win over Troy."
