The South Carolina Gamecocks held preseason practice number ten on Tuesday morning as the countdown to the season opener versus Eastern Illinois continues. Following practice, head coach Shane Beamer popped in to visit with the media and to unveil the identity of a new face in the backfield.
“Zeb Noland was practicing with us today as you saw,” said Beamer. “He arrived here in June as a graduate assistant coach with eligibility still remaining. As a graduate assistant you’re able to practice with the team and that’s what he did today.”
Noland (Watkinsville, GA) comes to USC after playing for both Iowa State and North Dakota State. With the Bison, Noland backed up NFL first round draft pick Trey Lance, before assuming the mantle of starting QB during NDSU’s spring season.
He took reps at quarterback alongside Jason Brown, Connor Jordan and Colten Gauthier in Luke Doty’s absence. Doty was the Gamecocks’ starter throughout the preseason before he was sidelined with a foot sprain in last Friday’s practice.
In other football news, USC announced today that Gamecock fans have purchased 8,370 new season tickets for the 2021 season with three weeks remaining before the season opener. The previous record for new season ticket sales in one season was 8,323 in 2019, and the “9-4 Challenge” is to reach 9,004 by the matchup with Eastern Illinois. Total season tickets sold for the 2021 campaign are approaching 40,000, according to USC.
