The South Carolina football program endured an ugly loss on Saturday to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The 31-17 score was not indicative of how lopsided the matchup was in the trenches as quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Xavier Legette had tremendous performances in the passing game despite little to no blocking for most of the night. The defense was only slightly better, carried by linebackers and safeties who made virtually every tackle on the night.
This Saturday, an in-state opponent travels to Columbia for the Gamecocks’ first home game of the year as the Furman Paladins will drive down I-26 and bring their top-3 FCS ranking to Williams-Brice Stadium for a 7:30 kickoff.
The Gamecocks need to “get right” against the ‘Dins. While Furman is a very good program for the FCS level, they should not pose a real threat to Carolina on Saturday. If they do, the anxiety within the fanbase shown after Saturday will grow from relatively large to downright astronomical levels.
The “get right” that is needed is multi-faceted.
First, the Gamecocks need to get healthier. Injuries are starting to pile up for USC, and starters offensive lineman Cason Henry (out), offensive lineman Jaylen Nichols (out), and safety Nick Emmanwori (doubtful) are all expected to not play.
Important contributors like linebacker Mo Kaba (out), defensive end Jatius Geer (doubtful), defensive back David Spaulding (doubtful), and offensive lineman Markee Anderson (doubtful) are also believed to be sitting out on Saturday. Star receiver Juice Wells is expected to play after being limited heading into week 1 and then leaving the game with discomfort in his injured foot.
Hopefully, another week of healing and an opportunity to give some key players a break against the overmatched Furman squad will do wonders for the personnel.
Second, South Carolina football needs to show it has some life at the line of scrimmage. North Carolina whipped the Gamecock offensive line all night. A lineup shakeup is believed to be taking place for Saturday, and the new unit must perform better against a Paladin defensive front that has two preseason All-SoCon players.
The defensive line wasn’t much better than their offensive counterparts in game 1. The front got no push and even less pass rush against the UNC offensive line. Furman will bring a solid running game (led by All-SoCon running back Dominic Roberto) to Columbia that could still reveal major cracks in the foundation of the defensive front if the unit does not improve.
Third, the Gamecocks have to play a more balanced game on offense. Because of the struggles of the offensive line, there was no running game on Saturday, and, eventually, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains had to abandon all hope of a ground attack.
Against Furman, establishing a running game has to be a top priority. Figuring out how to have even a marginally successful ability to move the ball on the ground will be needed to win games in the SEC. Working out some more of the kinks against an FCS opponent could be exactly what the football doctor ordered for this South Carolina football squad.
Furman coach Clay Hendrix is in his seventh season leading the Paladins and has had winning seasons in five of his six completed years at the helm, including a 10-win campaign last year. Furman is a good FCS team who will not just lie down and die against their in-state big brother.
Roster-wise, a game against a much smaller opponent will not reveal much about the Gamecocks and their place in the SEC’s hierarchy of talent and potential. However, it can show whether South Carolina football has the mental fortitude to fight through its deficiencies. If USC struggles again, alarm bells will be (rightfully) ringing all across Gamecock Nation.
During Shane Beamer’s first two years as head coach, the Gamecocks have outperformed expectations and, generally, played above their talent level. Can the 2023 version of his team rebound and do the same?