ZaQuandre White showed why he was named the Most Improved Player on the offensive side of the ball this spring, as he rushed 14 times for 95 yards with a touchdown to lead the Garnet team to a 14-10 win over the Black team in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, held Sunday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

A crowd of 13,225 was on hand on a sun-splashed afternoon to get their first glimpse of the Gamecock team lead by new head coach Shane Beamer. The scrimmage was limited to just one half due to a rash of injuries that kept a number of players on the sidelines. The second half was comprised of situational competitions between the offense and defense.

White got the scoring started for Garnet when he went over from 1-yard out on the first drive of the game. After Zacch Pickens recovered a fumble, Mitch Jeter booted a 47-yard field goal to get Black on the board late in the first quarter.

Garnet went up 14-3 when Jaheim Bell punched it in from 2-yards out midway through the second stanza. As the half was nearing its end, transfer Jason Brown teamed up with his running mate from FCS-level St. Francis, (Pa.), E.J. Jenkins, for an 11-yard scoring strike to pull Black within 14-10, but they were unable to get the ball back for a potential game-winning drive.

Luke Doty, who comes out of spring as the likely starter at quarterback, completed 5-of-7 passes for 54 yards.

Overall, the Garnet team, led by Doty, ran 31 plays for 175 yards, including 121 on the ground, controlling the clock for 15:48 of the 24 minutes played. The Black team ran 20 plays for 81 yards.

2021 University of South Carolina Football Spring Awards

Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring: Dakereon Joyner, Nick Muse
Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring: Kingsley Enagbare
Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring: Dakeron Joyner
The President's Outstanding Student-Athlete Award: Dylan Wonnum
Harold White GPA Award – Offense: Dakereon Joyner
Harold White GPA Award – Defense: Zacch Pickens
Harold White GPA Award – Special Teams: Parker White
Most Improved – Offense: ZaQuandre White
Most Improved – Defense: Zacch Pickens
Most Improved – Special Teams: Brad Johnson, Josh Vann
Gamecock Toughness Award: Jovaughn Gwyn, Tonka Hemingway
South Carolina Spirit Award: Jalen Brooks