Thanks in part to the nation’s toughest schedule and a slew of injuries, Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football team has not had the type of year that was expected in Columbia. However, the poor product on the field has been the biggest culprit, and fans are calling for changes to the coaching staff.
At 2-6, the Gamecocks must win four in a row to reach traditional bowl eligibility. How possible is that type of strong finish?
Thankfully for South Carolina football fans, the USC schedule is loaded with home games in November. The ‘Cocks will take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores, Kentucky Wildcats, and Clemson Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium over the next four weeks.
Those four games represent four of the team’s more winnable games on the schedule, and Carolina will be favored in at least two (potentially all four) of the contests.
Reaching bowl eligibility seems unlikely, but it is far from an impossibility. Games against Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt should be considered wins until they aren’t, and Kentucky and Clemson are both only a little better than the Gamecocks. With all four games at Williams-Brice Stadium, there is a path to six wins and a bowl berth.
South Carolina Football’s pursuit of bowl eligibility:
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
It all starts this weekend in the Cock Fight with Jacksonville State. The Rich Rodriguez-led JSU program is a good team in their first year of FBS competition. The 7-2 Jacksonville, Alabama-based program has only lost to Group of 5 powerhouses Coastal Carolina and Liberty.
Jacksonville State didn’t just rip off South Carolina football’s nickname (Gamecocks), but they also stole the name of the mascot, Cocky. The “real” Gamecocks opened as about a two-touchdown favorite in the game. Kickoff is set for 12:00 on ESPNU on Saturday.
While JSU is a good team in Conference USA, they should not be able to match up with the roster talent of South Carolina. Similar to the Gamecocks’ game against Furman earlier this year, USC should be able to win the battle in the trenches (both on offense and defense) and win the game by a somewhat comfortable margin.
South Carolina Football’s pursuit of bowl eligibility:
Vanderbilt Commodores
Perennial SEC bottom-dweller Vanderbilt is next up on the schedule, and the Commodores are not any better than Jacksonville State. After starting 2-0 against Hawaii and Alabama A&M, Clark Lea’s squad has lost seven straight and should be 2-8 when they travel to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks.
South Carolina football beats Vandy at a better clip than almost any other SEC program and hasn’t lost to the ‘Dores since 2008. Without an SEC win this season and quarterback uncertainty, that streak does not appear in danger of ending, even with USC’s struggles this season.
Vanderbilt has not been good at anything really in 2023, but the Commodores do have some talented wide receivers. Will Sheppard, London Humphreys, and Jayden McGowan all could give the secondary fits, but Vandy shouldn’t be able to present any other trouble for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina Football’s pursuit of bowl eligibility:
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky will be in Columbia next, and the Gamecocks are looking to win their second in a row (and 3rd out of 5 meetings) over the Wildcats. Kentucky has one of the best running backs in the SEC in Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis, but inconsistent quarterback play from Devin Leary has been a problem for Mark Stoops’ team this fall.
Kentucky has played better than South Carolina this year, but since 2000, UK has only beaten USC three times in Columbia in 12 tries. The Gamecocks should have offensive success against a Wildcat pass defense that is only slightly better than Carolina’s. If the defense can be average, a win is very possible.
Carolina’s run defense has been at its best this season at home, and if Leary isn’t able to find his talented receiving group, the Gamecocks should be able to contain Davis and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye just enough to outpace the ‘Cats.
If Leary has success, however, that will open things up for a running game that performs very well with a lead. Stopping the run has not been something the Gamecocks have done well while trailing this season. The win in this one could be determined by which quarterback plays well early.
South Carolina Football’s pursuit of bowl eligibility:
Clemson Tigers
Then, one of the most pathetic Palmetto Bowls in recent memory could be in line for the November 25th rivalry matchup. With nothing on the line except for potential bowl eligibility for each team, the game could represent the lowest collective win total this millennium.
The Gamecocks and Tigers have both struggled mightily this season but have far more talent on their rosters than their records would indicate. The game should be looked at as a toss-up, but the Clemson offense has seemed allergic to end zone paint at times this season, and Carolina fans hope that trend continues.
If the USC defense can hold that weak offense back, Spencer Rattler and the offense might be able to score enough points to win. Clemson still has a tough defense, but they have shown some vulnerabilities this season.
A win becomes even more possible if Clemson turns the ball over, something they have done a lot of this year as the Tigers have only won the turnover battle twice this season in wins against Florida Atlantic and Syracuse.
South Carolina Football’s pursuit of bowl eligibility:
The Verdict
A 6-6 season would not be acceptable for the 2023 version of the South Carolina football team, but considering the 2-6 start, it is the most fans can hope for at this point.
The team, especially the offense, has been significantly better at home this season. Carolina has played three games at home, and those three efforts have been the top-3 yardage outputs from the Gamecocks so far. The pass defense has been awful all season, but in three games at Willy B, the USC run D has allowed under 100 yards in each contest. The competition plays a role in these stats, no doubt, but the confidence of playing at home could be a factor.
South Carolina football has sold out its other three home games this season. That seems unlikely against Jacksonville State this weekend based on the team’s recent play, but if Beamer’s group knocks off JSU and Vandy (and they should), the fans will return for the Kentucky game. If Carolina wins that one, the Clemson game will be, undoubtedly, a sellout and a raucous environment.
Based on how the rest of the year has gone, no one should be predicting a four-game winning streak to end the year, but the path to a streak is clear: beat the two teams you should beat, give Spencer Rattler time to tear apart your first three opponents, and ride the momentum through to the Palmetto Bowl.
A bowl game invitation would mean a lot to the South Carolina football program. Not only would a winning streak spark some confidence (and potentially some recruiting momentum) into the program, but the additional weeks of bowl practice are a big deal for a team with as many freshmen and sophomores as the Gamecocks (68/115 players).
6-6 is very possible, but the most likely scenario is one in which the Gamecocks go 5-7, beating two overmatched teams in Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt and splitting with Kentucky and Clemson.
However, barring an unexpected loss against the first two, all four games down the stretch will have significance for the program. Bowl eligibility is still possible until the Gamecocks lose, and the rivalry game at the end of the year always matters.
The football hasn’t been pretty to watch for South Carolina football fans in 2023, but the finish to the year could be an exciting one.