Why did Robby Ashford excel in Gamecocks’ win over Akron? It boils down to 3 factors

There were moments this offseason when it felt like Shane Beamer was trying to hit a quota.

Throughout the spring and summer “talking season,” Beamer was asked about LaNorris Sellers — the redshirt freshman everyone presumed would be South Carolina’s starting quarterback. And for months, it was nearly impossible for Beamer to answer a question about Sellers without adding Robby Ashford’s name.

Even when Sellers was officially named the starter and Ashford the backup, Beamer still slipped Ashford’s name into answers to questions about Sellers, assuring fans, “We have more than one quarterback we can win with.”

Maybe it wasn’t all “coach speak.”

Maybe it wasn’t because coach quotes get around and confidence is important. Maybe Beamer meant it. And maybe that’s why Ashford did what he did on Saturday in the Gamecocks’ 50-7 win over Akron.

Ashford, an Auburn transfer getting his first start of the season with Sellers sidelined with an ankle sprain, put together the best offensive performance from a South Carolina player this season. After struggling against LSU last week, Ashford looked comfortable in being patient against Akron. For him, that’s everything.

He threw four passes against LSU. That’s not because only four passes were called. That’s because on all but four pass plays, he bolted. He tried to do too much.

The message this week to Ashford: “Don’t be Superman.”

Last week, Ashford was dead-set on being the hero and turned into Clark Kent. Against Akron, he was good being Clark Kent and transformed into Superman.

The redshirt senior completed 15 of 21 passes for 243 yards and a pair of scores while rushing 16 times for 133 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought he played a lot better than he even practiced this week,” Beamer said of Ashford. “Looked very poised.”

Why Ashford excelled on Saturday comes down to three factors:

▪ First, well, it was Akron and it has to be acknowledged. Heck, edge rusher Kyle Kennard said “we thought they shouldn’t be able to be on the field with us if we play a decent game.” Akron’s defense came into Saturday giving up almost 400 yards per game — Ashford nearly did that himself.

“People can say whatever they want to: ‘Oh, he played against Akron,’ ” Ashford said. “I went out there and threw the ball around and did what everyone wanted to see.”

▪ Second, and more importantly, he was able to prepare like a starter. He was able to walk out on the practice field every day and know he’d be taking dozens of snaps. He’d be seeing all sorts of different coverages and making who knows how many mistakes that he could learn from.

Unlike last week, he was not just shuffled onto the field and asked to take on an SEC defense. He had a week to dive even deeper on his opponent, meeting every night with offensive assistant Mike Shula for an hour after dinner to watch extra film. That makes a real difference.

“I felt more comfortable,” Ashford said, “just being able to get all those reps in practice and see what (Akron) likes to run.”

▪ And finally, there was the belief. Confidence is a fickle thing — once it’s gone, it’s anyone’s guess when it’s coming back. But South Carolina never let Ashford lose his.

It starts with Beamer name-dropping him over and over again, instilling in the public psyche that he trusts Ashford. Then it extends to the locker room, to those who were lifting him up when he didn’t win the starting job, when he hardly played against Kentucky and was a part of the LSU loss.

“(Kennard) told me all week, ‘Hey bro, this team is behind you. I’m behind you,’ ” Ashford said. “Just to hear them consistently say it just shows how much it meant.”

Ashford is not in Columbia because he loves to be the backup. He was a backup at Oregon. He started games at Auburn before becoming the backup. He did not transfer in hopes of watching Sellers throw the ball. He transferred because he knew he could still start in the SEC.

Now folks in South Carolina know that, too.