South Carolina football: Will Gamecocks waste an elite defense?

The South Carolina football team’s offense is a question mark heading into the season.

This past April, the Gamecocks saw three members of its 2019 defense drafted, including first round pick Javon Kinlaw. Though some talent has left Columbia, the unit could be even stronger in 2020.

South Carolina has potential first round talents in cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu. Jammie Robinson returns after an All-SEC freshman campaign. Ernest Jones is back following a 97-tackle season. And the Gamecocks have former four- and five-star prospects across the defensive front.

Defense has long been Will Muschamp’s forte. Prior to his head coaching stop at South Carolina, Muschamp was the defensive coordinator for storied programs Auburn, LSU, and Texas. He helped bring a national championship to Baton Rouge in 2003.

Now, he should field what’s been his best defensive unit since arriving to Columbia. Four defensive players have been named to preseason all-conference teams. Others are poised for new roles and breakout years. The ceiling is high for the group, but there may be one thing holding the defense back… the offense.

Offense will determine the success of the South Carolina football season.

Will Muschamp is now on his third offensive coordinator in five years with South Carolina. His first hire, Kurt Roper, didn’t work out. In two seasons under Roper’s guidance, the Gamecocks finished ranked 116th and 99th nationally in scoring.

When Roper was let go, Muschamp decided to take a chance on first time playcaller Bryan McClendon. The experiment appeared to work out initially, as the Gamecocks climbed to 56th in scoring in McClendon’s first season, averaging more than 30 points a contest. Unfortunately, it came to a screeching halt last year, as the offense slipped back into the mediocrity, finishing 104th in the country in scoring offense.

Now, Mike Bobo comes in as Muschamp’s last-ditch effort to put a formidable product on the field. Bobo has the resume, heading high powered offenses at both Georgia and Colorado State. He’s worked with quarterbacks like Aaron Murray and Matt Stafford, both of whom had productive careers in Athens. Stafford went on to be the first pick in the NFL draft following his three seasons at Georgia.

But it’s still yet to be seen what Bobo can do for the Gamecocks. The South Carolina offense ranked an abysmal 117th (out of 130 teams) in time of possession last year, forcing the defense to spend the majority of games on the field. Pair that with a group that could barely score 20 points a game, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Even in its wins over Georgia, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt, the defense had to carry the team to victory. The Georgia game, most notably, saw the defense reach the endzone as many times as the offense. And the unit was even worse in the Gamecocks’ losses, especially late in the year. South Carolina scored one touchdown over its final 12 quarters of play, and that was against Power 5 opponent Appalachian State.

Quarterback play will be an important piece of South Carolina football’s offensive growth.

The offense, particularly the play at quarterback, will be the deciding factor in the success of the South Carolina football season. As mentioned before, this could be the best defensive unit Will Muschamp has had in Columbia, but that will mean nothing if the Gamecocks can’t stay on the field and put points on the board.

There are reasons for optimism. The previously mentioned Bobo should be the best playcaller that Muschamp has had in both his time coaching at South Carolina and Florida. Bobo brings with him an experienced passer in Collin Hill, who beat out incumbent Ryan Hilinski in the Gamecocks’ offseason quarterback battle. The offensive line unit may be the best of any on the entire team.

But like many Gamecock fans, or folks who’ve followed Will Muschamp’s head coaching career, I’ll be in “believe it when I see it” mode.

If the Gamecocks want to have any chance of being successful in what’s looking to be an extremely tough season, they’ll need to score. If not, Will Muschamp could be counting down his days on the South Carolina sidelines.