South Carolina’s record says 3-3, but that number barely scratches the surface of how strange this season has been.
The Gamecocks head into their bye week at 1-3 in the SEC after a 38-19 win over No. 16 Florida last Saturday, a result that snapped a rough conference start and gave Shane Beamer’s team a badly needed jolt. Before that, the mood around the program had swung hard between frustration and celebration, with losses to Mississippi State and Kentucky feeding one kind of feeling and the Florida win flipping it completely.
If you want a clearer read on the season so far, the numbers tell a much better story.
South Carolina has given away 33 points worth of leads in its first-half collapses against Mississippi State and Kentucky. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 16-0 lead against Mississippi State and a 17-0 lead against Kentucky, only to lose both games.
Against Mississippi State, the Bulldogs ripped off 27 straight points to open the second half and emptied a lot of Williams-Brice Stadium before the fourth quarter. Against Kentucky, South Carolina still had a chance after forcing overtime, but the Wildcats finished it with a two-point conversion.
The one exception to that pattern came against Florida, when the Gamecocks were up 17-10 and kept pouring it on instead of letting it slip away.
There has also been a dramatic change up front. South Carolina has allowed just 10 sacks this season, or 1.67 per game, after giving up more than 40 sacks in each of the previous three years and nearly three per game on average since Beamer arrived in Columbia.
New offensive line coach Randy Clements has helped stabilize things, and quarterback LaNorris Sellers is finally operating with more breathing room. For the first time in his career, he is not constantly scrambling for his life.
With four newcomers often starting on the line - three transfers and true freshman Darius Gray - Sellers has had time to let plays develop.
That cleaner pocket has not always been rewarded. Sellers has thrown 20 passes that were dropped, according to Pro Football Focus, and two more drops came with backup Cutter Woods in the game.
Beamer said his staff charted six drops against Kentucky, while PFF credited South Carolina with four. Either way, the number is ugly.
Nyck Harbor has five drops, Mazeo Bennett has four, and Nitro Tuggle and Brady Hunt have three apiece. The Kentucky loss was especially painful, with Harbor unable to secure a third-and-2 throw late in the game that would have put South Carolina near midfield with two minutes left.
Even with those missed chances, the run game has become the team’s foundation. South Carolina is averaging 232 rushing yards per game, tops in the SEC and 10th nationally.
It is also the only SEC program with two players inside the conference’s top nine rushers. Matthew Fuller sits fourth at 80.83 yards per game, while Sellers is ninth at 68.50.
That production has given the Gamecocks a clear offensive identity, and it could be even more dangerous if Sellers carries over the form he showed against Florida.
The defense has its own glaring issue: explosives. South Carolina has allowed 22 passing plays of at least 20 yards, a total that ranks 118th nationally and leads the SEC, though Alabama and Florida have also given up 22.
The breakdowns have come through busted coverage and broken communication, leaving receivers wide open far too often. Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor hit three touchdown passes of more than 20 yards.
Alabama’s Keelon Russell threw scoring passes of 75, 32 and 42 yards. Kentucky had a 32-yard touchdown pass, and Florida added a 59-yarder.
Over conference play, South Carolina has been giving up more than 290 passing yards per game, a damning sign of how often the coverage has simply fallen apart.
In Other News...
South Carolinas Rebuilt Roster Showed Promise And One Clear Concern
South Carolinas exhibition win over Wake Forest offered a useful early look at how Lamont Paris rebuilt roster is coming together. The Gamecocks controlled the game enough to leave Rock Hills Sports and Event Center with a 78-69 victory, and there were encouraging signs from key contributors as the group continues to settle into a new season and a new structure.
Jakub Necas led the way with 22 points, while Marcus Johnson added 13 in a game that showed some of the scoring balance Paris will need. Even so, the bigger takeaway was the work still ahead, especially on press defense and rotations, two areas the staff is clearly still trying to sharpen before South Carolina gets into its next exhibition and, eventually, the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Rebuilt Roster Already Revealed One Early Trend
South Carolinas first exhibition offered an early look at how quickly the rebuilt roster is starting to come together. In a 78-69 win over Wake Forest, the Gamecocks rolled out a starting group built around four transfers and one freshman, a clear sign of just how much turnover Lamont Paris has had to manage as he pieces together this years rotation.
Several newcomers made their presence felt, giving the staff an encouraging first read on how the mix might function once the games count for real. Paris also had some player-performance notes and injury updates to sort through afterward, which is exactly the kind of early October checkpoint that can help clarify where this group is headed before the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Showed One Early Strength Fans Will Love
South Carolinas first official exhibition game offered an encouraging early glimpse of what this team might be built around, and it came in a familiar winning recipe: effort on the glass and composure at the line. The Gamecocks beat Wake Forest 78-69 at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, with Jakub Neas pacing the offense with 22 points and five rebounds and Camden Heide adding 14 points.
The rebound margin stood out most, as South Carolina controlled the boards 40-30 and gave itself extra chances throughout the night. Even more promising for a team still settling in for the season, the Gamecocks were nearly automatic at the free throw line, finishing at 89.7 percent and showing a level of poise that should play well once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]