During this past offseason, redshirt senior Robby Ashford and redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers both competed for South Carolina's starting quarterback spot. It was a position battle Sellers would win, and he would start the Gamecocks' first three games of the season.
But after Sellers suffered an ankle injury late in South Carolina's loss to LSU — an injury that ruled him out for the team's next game — Ashford would be given an opportunity to start against Akron on Sept. 21.
Ashford led South Carolina to an explosive 50-7 victory over the Akron Zips in his first-ever start for the team. Despite not originally getting the starting nod, he has embraced his role on the team and used the Gamecocks' most recent win as an opportunity to display his talents against the Zips.
Ashford in action
Even though South Carolina's game against Akron was Ashford's first start of the year, it was not his first appearance. The backup quarterback saw snaps against Kentucky and played the entire second half, aside from one possession, of last weekend's game against the Tigers.
Ashford completed just two of four pass attempts for 42 passing yards and gained an additional 11 rushing yards on 11 carries in a game that the Gamecocks ultimately lost 36-33. After the game, he expressed optimism that the team's fortunes would turn around.
"The sun is going to rise tomorrow, and it's going to be a new day," Ashford said. "We got nine more games — nine more games we can go win out."
He came out firing in the first quarter and helped South Carolina pick up an early lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr.. Ashford would be responsible for an additional two scores in the game — a 12-yard-touchdown pass to senior running back Juju McDowell in the second quarter and a 36-yard run in the fourth.
In addition to his three total touchdowns, Ashford threw for 243 yards while completing 71.4% of his passes and added a team-high 133 yards on the ground. His 376 total yards of offense was a career high.
Ashford put together a relatively clean game for the Gamecocks as he accounted for zero interceptions. However, he did mishandle and fumble a snap in opposing territory on a fourth-down attempt late in the first half.
Despite this, Ashford still earned the highest individual grade of all Power Five quarterbacks from Pro Football Focus, a company that compiles football statistics and provides individual ratings for professional and college players.
After the game, he said he appreciated the South Carolina football program for displaying confidence in him throughout the week leading up to the game.
“I’m just thankful for this group, and just how they came behind me and supported me and let me know from the jump, ‘Hey, we got confidence in you,’” Ashford said.
Ashford credited the extra reps throughout the week and his coaches for preparing him for Saturday’s game.
“They’ve taught me so much in my eight months here that I haven’t learned in any of my years anywhere else,” Ashford said.
Ashford wasn't the only new quarterback who appeared in the box score on Saturday night, though. Sixth-year quarterback Davis Beville also threw his first touchdown as a Gamecock in the fourth quarter on a 9-yard pass to sophomore tight end Connor Cox.
Head coach Shane Beamer said South Carolina's win over Akron showcased the confidence he has in the team's quarterbacks.
“I felt like we have multiple quarterbacks that we can win with,” Beamer said. “When we named LaNorris the starter, it wasn’t like Robby lost the job. We felt confident in Robby, and that’s why we’ve tried to get him into games and in regular situations.”
Praise from the team
Ashford also received positive comments from his teammates who have taken notice of his improved performance, on both offense and defense.
Bennett said Beamer and the team aimed to provide the redshirt senior signal caller with confidence throughout the week.
"The whole week, Coach Beamer (has) just been saying, 'You don't have to do it yourself. We got your back,'" Bennett said. "And when he went out there and had that mindset ... he went out there and performed."
Ashford's performance was reflective of the way he plays in practice, McDowell said.
“I feel like he played outstanding. That’s typical Robby,” Juju McDowell said. “You know, that’s why we brought him here. We have a group full of outstanding quarterbacks.”
Sixth-year linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., a veteran leader on South Carolina's defense, said he saw similar leadership qualities in Ashford against Akron.
“I saw a guy who put his head down and worked,” Knight Jr. said. “For him to step up this week, take the reins and not flinch ... was extreme leadership.”
Moving forward with confidence
The 2024 season is Ashford’s first with the Gamecocks, having spent the past two years with Auburn. The Hoover, Alabama native started nine games for Tigers in 2022, where he passed for 1,613 yards and accounted for 14 total touchdowns. Ashford utilized the transfer portal to make his way to Columbia for the 2024 season.
After getting an opportunity to show his skills, Ashford said he was happy to go out and get a win for himself and his teammates. He added that he was motivated by people who doubted his abilities.
“It’s a lot of folks telling me I can’t do something," Ashford said. “It just gives you a lot of confidence, because it's just like I know I can go out there and do it.”
But Ashford said he won’t get hung up on his career-high performance and is already looking ahead to the Gamecocks' next game against Ole Miss.
“We got a top 10 team coming here on Oct. 5,” Ashford said. “We’re going to have to play our best game we’ve played so far to be able to come out here with a W. It’s going to be a dog fight.”
Ashford and the Gamecocks will head into their contest against the Rebels with a 3-1 record, including a 1-1 mark in SEC play. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and air on ESPN.