South Carolina Gamecocks’ Marcus Lattimore back in line-up for week nine
South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore has been cleared to play in his club’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday 30 October.
Lattimore was forced out in the second half of his team’s 31-28 loss to the University of Kentucky Wildcats on 16 October with a sprained ankle. The youngster then missed his team’s victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores the following week. Nevertheless,
the freshman has been cleared to get back in the line-up for week nine.
The Gamecocks offence fell apart after Lattimore was forced to leave the game against Kentucky. However, back-up and last year’s starter Brian Maddox was able to fill in against Vanderbilt, helping the team on to a 21-7 victory, rushing for 146 yards.
The Gamecocks currently sit in first in the Southeastern Conference’s East Division with a 5-2 record and a 3-2 record against conference opponents. In arguably the nation’s most competitive conference the Gamecocks have managed to surprise and are currently
in position to play for an SEC championship at the end of the regular season. South Carolina is aided by a relatively easy schedule to end the year, as the club takes on Tennessee, the Florida Gators, the Troy Trojans, the Clemson Tigers and have one game
left against a ranked side in the number 19 Arkansas Razorbacks.
South Carolina is ranked 20th in the Bowl Championship Series standings and therefore does not have a chance at playing in a national Championship. However, if they are able to go undefeated for the rest of the season they have a legitimate chance
of playing in a competitive bowl game.
Lattimore’s return should help to once again diversify the Gamecocks attack, as they have been relying more heavily on the nation’s 30th ranked passing game over the past two weeks.
So far this season Lattimore has tallied 538 yards and 10 touchdowns on 122 attempts.
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