Gamecocks lose quarterback Luke Doty for season

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer announced on Tuesday that current starting quarterback Luke Doty will miss the rest of the season to have foot surgery after he aggravated the injury against Vanderbilt last week.

Doty, a sophomore, injured his foot in preseason camp when he was stepped on after a play, and the early rumors indicated broken bones — a dire prognosis that put his season in doubt. But the coaching staff walked that back, insisting it was only a strain, and after a couple weeks on the shelf Doty returned to action against Georgia in Week 3, then started the Gamecocks’ next four games.

Graduate transfer (and former assistant coach) Zeb Noland has played in relief of Doty, and will start again for South Carolina against Texas A&M this week. Noland piloted the Gamecocks to wins against Eastern Illinois and East Carolina, and is currently best known for his late-game heroics against Vanderbilt, when a hobbled Doty came off the field and he drove the Gamecocks to a last-minute 21-20 win.

Doty, who never looked quite healthy this season, threw for 975 yards with five touchdowns against three interceptions, completing roughly 60% of his passes.

True freshman Colten Gauthier and FCS transfer Jason Brown are the Gamecocks’ other rostered quarterbacks, and Brown is expected to serve as Noland’s backup going forward. Brown saw some light mop-up duty against EIU, but otherwise has yet to play meaningful downs for South Carolina.