Bio Blast: South Carolina Gamecocks

Kentucky took care of business with relative ease in Week 1 against a Sun Belt foe. South Carolina also took care of business in Week 1 against a Sun Belt foe but things did get a little sticky in the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Now the SEC foes will meet in a measuring stick game.

An early swing moment for both programs has arrived in the second week of the college football season. KSR has entered game prep mode. Let’s look closer at Shane Beamer‘s fourth team in Columbia.

New-look offense

Spencer Rattler is now with the New Orleans Saints and that has created a different offensive approach in Columbia. Second-year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is committed to getting the run game going in 2024.

After being one of the worst SEC rushing operations since 2021, the Gamecocks are leaning into the strengths of redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers. A pass-heavy offense has turned into a run-heavy offense.

Operating out of the shotgun in a plethora of spread looks, South Carolina showed multiple run looks with the quarterback in their Week 1 win over Old Dominion. We saw zone reads, triple option, and QB sweeps. South Carolina even added Auburn transfer Robby Ashford in the offseason to give the offense a true dual-threat backup. The Gamecocks are all-in on the run game.

Arkansas transfer Rocket Sanders was this program’s big-ticket addition in the transfer portal and the former All-SEC tailback received 25 touches in 64 snaps on Saturday. South Carolina produced a 65.8 percent run rate with Sanders and Sellers combining for 42 non-sack carries.

But the efficiency is not there yet.

The Gamecocks finished the first game averaging under four yards per rush with Sanders logging only a 37.5 percent rushing success rate. The veteran only had one rushing attempt go longer than 12 yards. South Carolina is committed to a new philosophy but got off to a rough start in Week 1.

High expectations on defense

Clayton White is now in year four as South Carolina’s defensive coordinator and has yet to produce a unit that finished in the top 60 in points per drive, success rate, or yards per play.

That will likely change this season.

The Gamecocks returned six of their top seven tacklers from last season and entered the 2024 campaign with high expectations. White’s unit looked the part in the havoc department to begin the season.

South Carolina recorded 10 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 72 snaps last week. Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard, five-star true freshman Dylan Stewart, and Florida State transfer Gilber Edmond combined to record 14 pressures off the edge against Old Dominion’s spread offense. Nick Emmanwori is one of the best safeties in the SEC, and the linebacker unit appears to be much improved.

After switching to a 3-3-5 look late in the season, South Carolina went back to playing White’s traditional 4-2-5 scheme last week and looked the part. The Gamecocks led the SEC in takeaways in 2021 and 2022. The unit is off to a strong start in 2024 and will need to play well for this team to win games.

Young and unproven at wide receiver

The offensive line is still a concern at South Carolina, but wide receiver entered the season as the most unproven position on the roster. The first performance was not great.

Coastal Carolina transfer Jared Brown entered the season as this group’s most proven receiver and likely WR1. The redshirt junior was lost to injury during the Old Dominion game. South Carolina is expected to get him back soon but his status for Saturday is unknown. Vandrevius Jacobs led the receiver position in snaps and earned his first start as a redshirt freshman. Mazeo Bennett Jr. is a true freshman who played 33 snaps in his first collegiate game. The position group produced only six receptions in Week 1.

Wide receiver play is a major concern in Columbia and could give this offense a low ceiling. The Gamecocks need a young room to grow up fast. Miami (Ohio) transfer Gage Larvadain likely needs a bigger role after averaging 16.2 yards per reception last year in the MAC.

South Carolina is still waiting on a breakout performance from former five-star recruit Nyck Harbor. The Gamecocks are asking an awful lot out of a bunch of first and second-year players.

Beamer Ball is still a thing

Special teams coordinator Pete Lembo is now the head coach at Buffalo and starting kicker Mitch Jeter is at Notre Dame, but South Carolina’s aggressiveness has not gone away. Beamer Ball is still alive and well in Columbia.

Week 1 included plenty of fireworks in the third phase.

The wonderful fake field goal was called back due to an ineligible man downfield but was again further proof that the special teams element of the game is not going away under new coordinator Joe DeCamillis.

Kentucky must be ready for the unexpected on Saturday in the kicking game.