It's been another frustrating first half for South Carolina in Oxford, as the Gamecocks head into halftime 17-7 to No. 9 Ole Miss. While the scoreboard still keeps them within striking distance, the stat sheet paints a clear picture of a team struggling to find rhythm on both sides of the ball.
The Gamecocks tallied up just 93 total yards in the first half, 67 through the air and 26 on the ground. Ole Miss is already sitting at 277 total yards. South Carolina's offense has been forced to punt on several early possessions, converting only one of six third-downs and none on fourth.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has completed nine of 15 passes but is averaging only 4.5 yards per attempt, with little time to set his feet behind a line that has been overwhelmed by Ole Miss' defensive front. The ground game has not offered much relief either, averaging just 1.9 yards per carry on 14 attempts.
Defensively, the Gamecocks haven't had many answers against Lane Kiffin's balanced attack at offense. The Rebels have picked up 13 first downs, 175 yards rushing at 7.3 yards per carry. The defense did force a first-half interception, but two Rebel takeaways swung the momentum right back to the home squad.
If there is a silver lining in the second half of the game, it's that a win is still within reach. Shane Beamer's squad has shown fight all season, and they willl need that trademark resilience to claw their way back in the second half. Expect a few offensive adjustments, with quicker reads for Sellers and more pre-snap motion to confuse Ole Miss' defense.
Either South Carolina finds a spark, or Ole Miss begins to pull away. If there is ever a time to rally, it would be now.