South Carolina offense finds help from familiar faces

South Carolina scored its most points against an SEC foe this season after beating Vanderbilt 38-27 Saturday night.

For most of the year, the Gamecocks have had problems getting as many players involved in the offense. But Saturday was a different story. Names who have struggled or been a non-factor were vital in getting the team to bowl eligibility.

Spencer Rattler hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass in nearly three weeks. Against the second-worst passing defense in the country, it felt as if he was due to change that. And he did.

The Gamecock quarterback completed 16-of-23 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 70 percent of his passes for 8.1 yards per attempt and didn’t throw any interceptions.

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During his Sunday night teleconference, Shane Beamer named Rattler as one of the players of the game.

“The thing that I thought was great was the fact that he just gave our guys some chances to make plays,” Beamer said.

Now, who was the other player of the game for the Gamecocks?

Jaheim Bell probably wouldn’t have been at the top of that list earlier this week, but Beamer kept his word. He made sure to get him the ball more.

Bell hauled in three catches for 27 yards, averaging nine yards per grab. He also showed what he could do in the running game. The 6-foot-3 “tight end” touched the football 16 times, and he rushed for 56 yards, the most amongst his teammates.

With Marshawn Lloyd nursing a thigh contusion and unable to play, Bell stepped up for the Gamecocks.

“Credit to Jaheim, like I said last night, that wasn’t easy going and just literally changing positions at the beginning of the week,” Beamer said. “He’s just a really good football player.”

This was the most Bell got the ball all season and it could continue to be the case moving forward.

“I think he certainly looked very natural at running back last night,” Beamer said. “We want to continue to try and get our best guys out there and find ways to give them the ball. So we’ve got to continue to be creative. And certainly, I would imagine that would mean that you’d see Jaheim do a lot of that stuff, which he’s done some of that this year before. He’s lined up as a full back and handed him the ball in short-yardage situations also.”

One player that had been nonexistent since last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl was the game’s MVP, Dakereon Joyner. After carving himself a new role as a wide receiver and wildcat quarterback, it seemed like he was going to have a big year.

The redshirt senior one rush and reception before Saturday night. As has been a common trend, Beamer found a way to use his most versatile weapon.

With Joyner lined up in the backfield alongside Juju McDowell, he took a handoff, something he hadn’t done much lately. But with the ball in his hands, he rolled to the right, avoiding pressure and trying to find an open target. In a last-ditch effort, he threw the ball to Juice Wells, who scampered to the endzone for a 68-yard touchdown.

It was a play that Beamer said had been in the works since August.

“Every single time we’ve run it in practice, we’ve thrown it deep for a touchdown against our defense,” Beamer said. “Credit to DK that it wasn’t quite there like we practiced but then he scrambled around and made a big-time throw. And I can honestly say, I mean of all the times we’ve called that play in practice, it’s never happened like that.”

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Similarly to Joyner, Josh Vann wasn’t overly happy with his lack of usage this season. And how could you blame him? The fifth-year wideout was South Carolina’s most efficient player a year ago, with 679 yards and five touchdowns.

With only eight catches for 90 yards, it’s been a challenge for Vann to chisel out a role in this offense. His final stat line on Saturday wasn’t massive, but it was more than enough to make an impact.

Vann caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown—his first of the year. It came in a big spot as well. As the first half was winding down, Vann leaped higher than the defender covering him for the 19-yard score.

In total, South Carolina saw 13 different players touch the ball against the Commodores. It was a progression for a team trying to make the most of the talent in the locker room.

“We weren’t going to come out of here saying that we didn’t give our playmakers an opportunity to make plays,” Beamer said.

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