Beamer, Loggains outline ways South Carolina can unlock run game against Mississippi State

It’s no secret that South Carolina’s run game has been a source of concern early in the 2023 season.

Through three games, the Gamecocks have totaled just 159 yards on 86 attempts, averaging fewer than two yards per carry. I

Its 53 rushing yards per game is currently the lowest mark in the SEC so far this season. South Carolina also ranks 128th out of 130 FBS schools in this metric.

[Become a GamecockCentral member for $1]

Despite these struggles, Shane Beamer emphasized that establishing a run game still is one of the team’s top priorities.

“Next door in that team meeting room, the number one goal on our board is run the ball and stop the run as far as what we want to do each and every week. We’ve got to do a better job of it,” Beamer said.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re going to do what we have to do to win football games every single week. If that means throwing it 50 times and running it 10, then that’s what we’ll do. But we certainly have to get that running game on track.”

This week, both Beamer and Dowell Loggains listed a number of ways the Gamecocks’ running back could be improved. For Beamer, it starts with continuing runs after contact.

“When we do hand the ball off, we’ve got to break some tackles and make some people miss. I told our running backs that after practice today,” Beamer said.

“They want to run the ball more than anybody, but I don’t want to see us getting tackled one-on-one in the open field or one-on-one by a linebacker or a safety. We’ve got to break some tackles and be able to keep the chains moving.”

[Win a framed print of the 2022 A&M game]

For Loggains, continuing to have faith in his running backs is also important. Dakereon Joyner and Mario Anderson have gotten a majority of the snaps there, and Loggains said their performance thus far is indicative of future success.

“Mario has demonstrated the ability to create some stuff in the run game for us. That’s why he’s playing a little bit more. And if he continues to do those things, he will continue to play more,” Loggains said.

“We trust DK in knowing the whole thing, the whole system – the pass protections, being able to flex out and run routes, being able to run the football and do those things. It’s not just a trust factor from the coaches. He’s demonstrated the fact that he can mentally figure those things out.”

Beamer also cited last weekend’s matchup against Georgia to show how certain aspects of the game have affected South Carolina’s running back play.

In that game, the Gamecocks ran more RPOs than called run plays because of the Bulldogs’ defensive alignment. Beamer gave credit to Spencer Rattler for his decision-making in those situations, but hoped the team could take advantage of future opponents if the opportunity presented itself.

[Get breaking news from GamecockCentral]

“There are times where you just want to say, ‘Let’s call a run and hand it off, no matter what,’” Beamer said. “But we also want to make sure that we’re running into favorable looks, without a doubt, as well.”

Offensive penalties played a role in South Carolina’s difficulties of running the ball as well. In total, the Gamecocks were administered eight offensive penalties, including five false starts, for a loss of 46 yards.

This, in turn, forced them to call more pass plays to regain lost yardage.

“We had some running plays called on Saturday where it’s first and 10. Next thing you know, we’ve got a false start or something, and now we’re backing up, and it’s first and 15,” Beamer said. “It kind of changes how Dowell and our offensive staff are playing the game.”

Outside of the Georgia game, chemistry along the offensive line has been a season-long issue that has dampened the game-changing impact of South Carolina’s running backs.

[NEW! GamecockCentral Business Network]

“Every coach in America said it, and I’ve probably said it a million times too. When you’re talking about five offensive linemen in the run game, one guy can be off, and it can be the difference in a 10-yard run or a two-yard loss,” Beamer said. “So the continuity on the offensive line, to me, has to continue to come along.”

This weekend will provide a challenge for South Carolina to get its run game going again. Mississippi State’s defense ranks No. 45 nationally in rushing success rate against at 33.5 percent.

However, Beamer remains confident that fortunes will change for the running back room, despite playing a difficult opponent.

“This group that we’re playing this weekend is really disruptive up front. Their whole MO on defense is to make it really hard on you to run the football with what they do schematically as well,” Beamer said.

“We’ve talked about it as a staff. We’ve got to give our guys a chance to get the run game going, and I’m confident that we will.”

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!