Gamecocks Must Address PI Calls

South Carolina has a solid defensive backfield. Still, they've been called for more infractions lately, something Shane Beamer confirmed they are working on.

Heading into this season, the Gamecocks were returning all their starters from the defensive secondary they fielded in 2021, minus Walter Camp All-American safety Jaylan Foster. This returning group of starters included cornerbacks Cam Smith, Marcellas Dial, and Darius Rush. So, it was easy to see why Gamecock fans were optimistic that this group's returning starting experience, combined with another year of coaching from defensive backs coach Torrian Gray would take a step forward this season.

While those hopes aren't dashed, the secondary hasn't had its best moments in recent weeks as the Gamecocks have been called for defensive pass interference and holding penalties on multiple occasions. These penalties can be a backbreaker when a defense attempts to get off the field. It can be even more alarming when you consider the lower levels of competition the Gamecocks have faced the past two weeks in Charlotte and South Carolina State, neither of which compare to the teams the Gamecocks will face from this moment onward.

When asked about the penalty issues the secondary has faced, head coach Shane Beamer stated that while there are ways to try and correct it in practice, part of it goes back to how the coaching staff wants their defensive backs to play due to the group's collective size.

"Yeah, we've talked about a couple of different things. I've seen schools that have put gloves on, made them put their hands behind their backs, and all that. We want to be physical, and we're going to get our hands on guys at the line of scrimmage. We got defensive backs with size, and everybody in America wants big corners with length, and we have that in Cam [Smith] and Darius [Rush] and [Marcellas Dial]."

While Beamer did agree that the defensive backs will have to do better with their technique overall, he feels that this will be an issue that the group will be able to work through.

"The biggest thing we gotta do is just do a better job [with] technique at the line of scrimmage, coaching up technique. Not getting our hands outside on guys around their shoulder pads at the line of scrimmage, and that's what's gotten us in trouble a little bit the last couple of weeks, either at the line or [down the field]... but they'll be fine. Those guys have made way too many plays when they've been left out on an island, and it's a one-on-one shot down the field, and they've won it, and I have no worries about those guys going forward."

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