During Kentucky football’s game against South Carolina, a wild situation unfolded after the Wildcats scored their only touchdown of the game. UK running back Seth McGowan ran in for a 20-yard touchdown to open up the scoring in Colombia. After the rush, McGowan celebrated by uncorking the ball against the barrier at the back of the end zone.
The issue is that he missed the wall and pelted a South Carolina fan in the front row. As it turns out, that fan was the wheelchair-bound grandfather of Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers’ grandfather is okay, but the star South Carolina quarterback did see it unfold.
“I saw everything happen,” Sellers said. “I saw it, then they showed it on the jumbotron, and I was like, ‘Oh, yo, that’s my granddad.'”
South Carolina would win the game 35-13.
.@Sjmcg_28 taking off for twenty yards into the endzone for the TD.
📺 – ESPNNEWS pic.twitter.com/oIBhHL355N
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 28, 2025
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McGowan finished the game with the score to go with 112 yards on 17 carries. After the game, he took to his X account to apologize for the incident.
“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.”
Out of high school, McGowan signed to play for Oklahoma. In 2020, he ran for 370 yards and three touchdowns for the Sooners. However, in April of 2021, OUDaily reported that he was sentenced to a year of probation after taking part in a drug-related crime.
The report said McGowan ‘was initially charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on May 7, 2021, in Cleveland County District Court. He pleaded guilty to larceny from a person at nighttime on Dec. 13. Other charges in the case were dismissed.’
McGowan would go to the juco level to play for Butler CC in 2023 to return to football. He then moved back up to the FBS level at New Mexico State, before hopping up again to Kentucky this season. He was a Second Team All-CUSA member at NMSU in his lone season with the Aggies.
Tennessee will play Kentucky on Oct. 25 in Lexington. The game is slated to be a night kickoff, meaning it will begin between 6-8 p.m. ET. The exact kickoff time and TV designation will be revealed at a later date.
