Examining another anemic offensive output

Shane Beamer stood at the podium and gave the standard answers as to why, yet again, the Gamecocks struggled to put up yards and points Saturday night. 

The Gamecocks once again looked hapless offensively, limping to a six-point, 237-yard performance in what was one of the more anemic offensive performances for South Carolina. 

“It obviously wasn’t right tonight, whatever we did schematically offensively and defensively,” Beamer said. “We have to look at why and be better over the next two games and the bowl game.”

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South Carolina finished with six points, the lone score a 48-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal. Kai Kroeger connected with Dakereon Joyner, who zipped through a confused Florida secondary for the score. 

It ended up the Gamecocks’ longest play from scrimmage and 20.3 percent of the total offensive output Saturday night. 

South Carolina finished with fewer than 240 yards of total offense for the second time this season and the fifth time since Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield took over. 

Over a span of eight seasons, 2013 to 2020, the Gamecocks had the same number of games where the offense failed to eclipse 250 yards of offense All 10 of those games have been losses. 

The Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4 SEC) were anemic again in the run game, missing the likes of MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Beal-Smith. 

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South Carolina averaged 1.9 yards per rush, the third time this season that’s happened. The last time the Gamecocks had three games in a single season where they averaged two yards or fewer per rush was 2016, Will Muschamp’s first season. 

“It was very frustrating. It comes down to executing,” Joyner said. “We have to execute better. Whenever the play is called, we have to execute it.”

And the frustrating thing for South Carolina is the Gamecocks had not only the talent but the matchup to have success offensively. They were playing a Florida defense that struggled to limit big plays. 

Instead, the Gamecocks crawled through the game offensively with just seven chunk plays (four passing, three rushing). On non-explosive plays, South Carolina averaged 2.02 yards per play.

“I wish I knew. They were better than us tonight, without a doubt,” Beamer said. “One thing, I thought they did a really good job tackling. We had some one-on-one opportunities on the perimeter with our running backs and receivers. We lost some one-on-one battles with ballcarriers. We’ve won too many of those.” 

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The same issues that plagued the Gamecocks continue to pop up with three turnovers, only one trip to the red zone and going 3-for-11 on third down. When the same things pop up, that has to point toward coaching and consistency in installing a game plan. 

South Carolina also had 11 penalties for 82 yards. 

“I feel like there were a few times we got some things going,” Spencer Rattler said. “We were shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties. Just dumb stuff, man. We couldn’t finish. That’s on all of us.” 

Rattler ultimately finished going 18-for-26 for 145 yards while averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. But, despite some struggles, South Carolina didn’t look to make a change to Luke Doty late in the game.

“Late in the game, no. Luke is at a point now where he’s played in four games. I wasn’t going to put him in with three minutes or four minutes left in the game and burn that fourth game,” Beamer said. “I’m not sitting here saying we’re adamant about playing or redshirting Luke. But three minutes left in the game we weren’t going to win I wasn’t putting him out there late in the game at that point.” 

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