Kentucky running back Seth McGowan apologized after hitting the grandfather of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers with the football following a first-quarter touchdown during Saturday’s 35-13 loss to the Gamecocks.
McGowan capped Kentucky’s only touchdown drive with a 20-yard run, and chucked the football over the hedges in the end zone, striking a fan in the shoulder.
“Today during our game vs South Carolina, I threw a ball after a touchdown meaning to throw it at the barrier in front of the stands and during a high energy moment the ball struck a fan,” McGowan wrote. “What I did was absolutely unacceptable and not at all reflective of myself nor this program. If anyone can get me in contact with the fan or his family I would like to formally apologize to them and make it up any way possible.
“Also I would like to apologize to the entire fans of South Carolina football and their program.”
The Gamecocks presented Sellers’ grandfather with a game ball after the victory.
“Yeah, he was good,” Sellers said, according to 247Sports. “I went to him after the game and he was good. I saw everything happen. I saw it, then they showed it on the Jumbotron, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s my granddad.”
After McGowan’s celebration went awry in the end zone, the Gamecocks responded with four first-half touchdowns, including two on defense to win their first SEC game of the season following consecutive losses.
“Obviously when you score twice on defense, you’re going to be really hard to beat,” Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said. “We didn’t just want to win the turnover battle, we wanted to dominate it.”
Since last season’s road upset of Ole Miss, Mark Stoops and the Wildcats lost seven straight games against SEC competition.
“We did things in this game that we knew we could not do, and that’s giving up a punt block, or a punt return, or a defensive score and we gave up two,” Stoops said. “So, I think, you know, obviously, it’s a critical momentum shift when we’re moving the ball, playing physical, playing a close game, driving it, and get the sack fumble, you know, return for a touchdown, followed up with a tip-pick six.
“You know, those are just things that you’re going to just completely, you know, take you right out of the game plan in a place like this, and put us in some predictable spots that’s not good for us.”
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