Muschamp: South Carolina star Deebo Samuel out for season

South Carolina lost one of its best players to injury on Saturday night.

In a disappointing 23-13 home loss to Kentucky, Gamecocks junior Deebo Samuel suffered a broken leg. USC coach Will Muschamp told reporters after the game that Samuel will miss the rest of the season.

Samuel, a big play wideout and dynamic return threat, injured his left leg in the third quarter. The replay showed Samuel’s left foot getting caught underneath a defender on a tackle.

Samuel actually was able to walk off the field under his own power, so it initially appeared he escaped significant injury. He even briefly returned to the game before it was determined he could no longer play..

Before the injury, Samuel had five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Samuel’s touchdown, a 68-yard catch and run, came on South Carolina’s first play from scrimmage. If the injury indeed ends his season (he said on Twitter he could be back in “5-6 weeks”), Samuel finishes the year with 15 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He also brought back two kickoffs for a touchdown and rushed for a score through three games.

It’s a big loss for South Carolina, which dropped to 2-1 on the year. The Gamecocks host Louisiana Tech next Saturday before entering the meat of their SEC schedule.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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