COLUMBIA, S.C. — Backup Robby Ashford, starting when LaNorris Sellers injured his right ankle in a loss to LSU last week, threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as South Carolina topped Akron 50-7 on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks opened 3-1 for the first time since 2017 as they bounced back from squandering a 17-0 lead over No. 16 LSU last week to lose 36-33 in the final two minutes.
“Obviously, this was a tough week, coming off last week,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “We certainly had a bitter disappointment last week, but our guys responded the right way.”
Particularly Ashford, who started 10 games over two seasons at Auburn before transferring, making good on Beamer’s vow that multiple Gamecock quarterbacks could win games if given the chance.
“Been through a lot of ups and downs in my career and it’s taught me a lot,” Ashford said. “None of this would have been possible without my teammates. They let me know from the jump, ‘Hey, we got confidence in you.’”
Ashford finished with 243 yards passing, including scoring throws of 30 yards to Mazeo Bennett and 12 yards to JuJu McDowell. Ashford also ran for a game-high 133 yards with a scoring run of 36 yards.
Oscar Adaway, playing when starting tailback Raheim Sanders left the game early with an injury, had a pair of two-yard scoring runs.
Ashford was 15-of-21 passing. With many in the stadium and watching from home expecting the Gamecocks (3-1) to make their living on the ground, Ashford instead was able to unsheathe the Gamecocks’ previously anonymous receiving game.
“I’m beyond proud of him. His number was called and he went out there and did what he was supposed to do,” Bennett said of Ashford.
Bennett, a freshman receiver, had five catches for 71 yards.
Akron (1-3) was led by 110 passing yards from Ben Finley, who threw for one TD but also had an interception. The Gamecocks’ defense held the Zips to 154 yards.
“These are the games where dominant teams be dominant,” South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard said. "If you claim to be the kind of defense we claim to be, these are the games where there’s no question.”
The Gamecocks also finished with zero turnovers, which was a concern over their first three games.
Akron posted its lone score just before halftime, running six plays for 70 yards and Adrian Norton finishing with a 42-yard pass for a touchdown. Ashford couldn’t handle a snap on fourth-and-short on the ensuing drive to squelch an opportunity, and with the Zips getting the ball first in the second half, a 22-7 lead could have been further whittled.
But the Gamecocks forced a punt, then forced another before Adaway collected his second touchdown. Third-string QB Davis Beville threw his first South Carolina touchdown to backup tight end Connor Cox while S.C. State transfer Jawarn Howell had a 23-yard rushing TD.
Akron: It was a game needed for the ledger. The Zips pocketed $1.5 million from South Carolina to come to Columbia. The Mid-American Conference schedule will decide the season.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks were able to find another dimension with their offense, even with a top part of it mostly sidelined. The next two weeks of recovery will be key to how they prepare for their next opponent, Top-10 Ole Miss.
South Carolina's Beamer expects Sellers to be ready with another two weeks to go before facing a top-five opponent in Ole Miss. The coach also said that the injury to tailback Sanders, who wore a boot on his left ankle, was “nothing long term.”
Akron opens Mid-American Conference play at Ohio on Saturday.
South Carolina has next week off before facing No. 5 Mississippi at home on Oct. 5.
