The Good, Bad & Ugly: South Carolina at Midseason

Head coach Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks have had their ups and downs through six games in the 2022 season, but how do they grade out?

South Carolina enters their off week having played six games, making it through the first half of their season with a 4-2 record. While the program is probably content to come into the bye week with an above .500 mark, the picture hasn't always been pretty. As always, there are areas in which the team has excelled and areas in which improvement is necessary.

The Good: Beamer Ball

While it was made clear in the ACC Network's documentary on Frank Beamer that Beamer Ball doesn't entirely refer to special teams play, it's no question that the often-forgotten unit makes up the backbone of good teams.

That has certainly been the case for South Carolina this season, as they've converted multiple two-point conversion plays in different games and blocked five punts which is the best mark in college football. 

Special teams coordinator Pete Lembo's unit scored two touchdowns directly off those blocked punts. His coaching expertise and emphasis on hidden yards have seen wideout Josh Vann significantly increase his average punt return yards mark from 8 yards in 13 games last season to 13.8 yards in 6 games so far this season.

The Bad: The Defensive Front

For the overall depth South Carolina has with their box defenders, they haven't parleyed their talent and experience into production consistently. Take out the recent performance against a lowly Wildcat's offensive line, and the Gamecocks collectively have four sacks in five games, including two Group of Five teams and one FCS opponent.

At the same time, the Gamecocks haven't done a good enough job of stopping their opponent's ground game, as, according to footballoutsiders.com, the Gamecocks are the worst team in the SEC in run defense.

The Ugly: Turnovers

It's something hammered home in every college football program, protect the football, and so far, the Gamecocks haven't been able to adhere to this message completely. Quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty have collectively accounted for ten interceptions. The offense has lost five fumbles, giving the Gamecocks 15 turnovers on the year and the worst mark in the SEC.

While multiple other complex issues can be pointed to with this team, giving the ball away to their opponents won't help South Carolina down the stretch this season.

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