Mike Davis Injury: Updates on South Carolina RB's Ribs and Return

Updates from Sunday, Aug. 31

Steve Spurrier updated Mike Davis' status on Sunday (via Fox College Football):

Updates from Thursday, Aug. 28

Gatorhoops.com's Kevin Brockway has an update on Davis early in the second half vs. Texas A&M:

Willie Smith of the Greenville News had more detail:

Updates from Sunday, Aug. 24

Yahoo! Sports' Graham Watson has an update on Davis' status:

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South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Sunday he’s hopeful running back Mike Davis would be “100 percent” for Thursday’s season opener against Texas A&M.

“Hopefully Mike will be full speed and 100 percent by Thursday, we think he will be,” Spurrier said.

Spurrier noted that even without Davis, the team would be in good shape the running back position.

“We have several good running backs,” Spurrier said. “Obviously Mike had over 1,000 yards last year and he's a very good runner. [We also have] Brandon Wilds, Shon Carson and David Williams, David was held out last year, so we have good running backs.”

 

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Updates from Thursday, Aug. 21

Willie T. Smith III of The Greenville News provides an update from Steve Spurrier on Davis:

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Running back Mike Davis participated in practice Thursday and appears ready to start against Texas A&M in a week.

Neither Spurrier nor Davis was available after practice Thursday, but Spurrier discussed Davis during his statewide radio show.

Mike Davis has sort of been banged up in the preseason, Spurrier said. He has missed several days of practice. He’s sort of got a bruise in the back or something. He hadn’t practiced, but a little bit today, all week.

Mike could be back,” Spurrier said on his radio show, “but these other guys have actually done a little better than him because Mike has been hurt a little bit.

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Davis tweeted about his injury on Thursday:

Original Text

The worst part of preseason football or practices is the risk of injury, and South Carolina found that out the hard way. GoGamecocks.com had an update regarding the health of running back Mike Davis:

“Top running back and Heisman Trophy hopeful Mike Davis is questionable for No. 9 South Carolina’s season-opener hosting No. 21 Texas A&M in a week.”

Wednesday marked the second consecutive practice that Davis missed with a rib injury, but he reportedly said that it wasn’t anything serious. Head coach Steve Spurrier didn’t seem quite as optimistic after practice in a Sportstalk radio network interview, via GoGamecocks.com:

“Mike Davis has been hurt, he hasn’t practiced all week. I don’t know if he’d even be able to start or not. But we got Brandon Wilds, he’s ready to go. Shon Carson, Dave Williams, so we’re in good shape there.”

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

The fact that South Carolina opens with an important conference game makes this situation more difficult. If it started the season out with an easier warm-up contest, caution would definitely be the way to go, but that is not the case. Davis is an elite talent, and the Gamecocks are going to need him on the field if they want to reach the College Football Playoff.

The SEC schedule is always grueling, but South Carolina avoids Alabama and LSU. There is certainly a realistic opportunity in place for the Gamecocks to win the conference’s East Division, but them having their Heisman hopeful on the field at full health would bolster those chances.

Check back for updates as they develop.