Marcus Lattimore Injury: South Carolina RB Lost for Season Due to Torn Ligament

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore will miss the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his knee, according to Andy Shain of State Newspaper. The sophomore was injured in the Gamecocks' narrow victory over Mississippi State on Saturday and will leave a gaping hole in the backfield.

Lattimore was averaging more than 140 all-purpose offensive yards per game before suffering the injury, including 11 touchdowns. With the dismissal of quarterback Stephen Garcia, South Carolina's offense will need to overcome a lot of turmoil to remain atop the SEC East.

The South Carolina native had carried the ball 163 times in seven games. No other running back has received more than 13 carries. Head coach Steve Spurrier said freshman Brandon Wilds will likely take over as starter for an Oct. 29 clash at Tennessee.

Wilds is averaging 5.5 yards per carry in extremely limited duty this season, but being the lead back in the SEC is a completely different monster. Kenny Miles, who is battling a wrist injury, will need to contribute to keep Wilds fresh.

Few players in the country have been more important than Lattimore over the past two seasons. It's difficult to imagine the offense producing enough points without him to work their way into the SEC Championship Game.

It will place extra pressure of Shaw, whose completed 64 percent of his 78 passes in 2011, to take control of the offense. He'll need to improve upon his 6.3 yards-per-attempt average since he last the game-breaking talent at tailback.

With three conference games left and two on the road, South Carolina doesn't have any time to feel bad for themselves. The only way to ensure a trip to the Georgia Dome is winning out. It won't be easy without Lattimore, but they don't have any other option.