Spencer Rattler’s attitude still positive despite South Carolina’s recent results

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler finished the 2022 season as hot as any college quarterback in the country. Rattler led South Carolina to victories over top-10 opponents in its final two regular-season contests.

Over those two games, he completed 54 of 85 passes for 798 yards, tossing eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

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Rattler returned to the Gamecocks during the offseason, likely expecting the team to achieve a similar level of success – or to even improve on an impressive seven-win campaign.

Unfortunately for Rattler and the South Carolina football program, things have not gone according to plan.

The Gamecocks head into this weekend’s matchup against Texas A&M with a 2-5 overall record for the first time in Shane Beamer’s tenure as head coach. In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the team is 1-4 against SEC opponents and 0-3 on the road.

Despite these results, Rattler has continued to be a bright spot for South Carolina’s offense. He has totaled 1,941 yards in the air with a 70.8% completion percentage and an 11-5 TD-INT ratio. Even in the Gamecocks’ heartbreaking loss to Florida, Rattler contributed more than 350 yards of offense and four touchdowns.

Rattler, like every other player on the team, did not expect to have a 2-5 record through seven games. But Shane Beamer said Rattler’s attitude remains positive as the Gamecocks navigate the second half of the 2023 campaign.

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“I feel for him because I talk about these seniors that come back – the same thing with him. He came back and is playing his butt off right now. He didn’t expect to have some of the injuries we’ve had on the offensive line,” Beamer said.

“But his energy at practice, his demeanor within the team. (It) goes back to … leadership: Be like Spencer and how he is handling his teammates.”

Beamer cited last weekend’s game against Missouri as an example of how Rattler’s leadership qualities showed during difficult times.

During the game, the Tigers’ defense held South Carolina to a season-low 12 points. Rattler’s 217 passing yards were the second-lowest mark he had registered all year.

He could have shut down as Missouri continued to pile pressure on the Gamecocks’ offensive line, but he continued to battle and motivated his teammates whenever he was on the sideline.

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“He got the crap beat out of him on Saturday. Never complained, never once came over there,” Beamer said. “(He) was continuing to lift up his teammates, was continuing to try and pick up the freshmen, was in there battling until the very end.”

Beamer said Rattler also demonstrated his selflessness in an encounter the two shared post-game.

“I got on the plane Saturday before he did. I was sitting on the aisle, not feeling good about myself or anything, waiting on everybody else to board. He came by me and stopped and put his hand on my shoulder and apologized to me that they weren’t able to get it done on Saturday,” Beamer said. “And I’m like, ‘Bro, I should be apologizing to you. You’re the one who just got beat up out there, and I didn’t coach well enough for you.’”

Although his team is in the midst of a rough patch, Beamer reiterated the confidence he has in Rattler to continue being a positive influence on the field and in the locker room.

“It’s not fake. That’s how he is, and that’s how he’s always been. And I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Beamer said. “There’s not another quarterback in the country I’d rather have than him leading this team. In these next five games, there’s still some great moments coming for him as a quarterback. Then he’s got a great future as a quarterback after he leaves here at Carolina as well.”

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