South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer sat down with Connor O'Gara from Saturdays Down South for an interview this week, and, after reiterating his support for former quarterback Spencer Rattler as he embarks on his NFL journey, the Gamecock headman said he has been able to identify "what went wrong" during the 2023 season.
Beamer made sure to give the proper "coach-speak" answers. as he told O'Gara "I didn't coach well enough," and "We did not maximize last year's team."
However, Beamer also shared a few specifics as to why 2023 was a disappointment for his South Carolina Gamecocks.
Depth was the first of these specifics Beamer mentioned. In particular, he reminded O'Gara that the Gamecocks suffered 12 different season-ending injuries to players in the 2-deep and that the offensive line was hit particularly hard by these injuries. All of the hurt players brought the depth issues to the forefront as backups and third-stringers were forced into action at some positions. With more depth built through the transfer portal this offseason and an improved (hopefully) bill of health, the Gamecocks hope to have shored up this issue some for 2024.
Beamer added to the injury conversation with several critiques of his offensive line's performance last season. As the most-injured unit on the team last year, the line wasn't good in 2023. Carolina had its worst-ever rushing yards per game output (85 yards) and was one of the worst groups in the country at protecting the quarterback. The Gamecocks are healthier, added some more solid players through recruiting and the transfer portal, and the young players are a year older. South Carolina football fans hope that equals a better showing this fall.
Coach Beamer brought up the defense's deficiencies, as well. Seemingly with a bad taste in his mouth, he mentioned that the defense, especially early in the year, surrendered too many explosive plays. The end of the year brought some hope to the fanbase, though, as the switch to the 3-3-5 base defense yielded positive results as USC was good on D against Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Clemson. With the defensive versatility of the 4-2-5 and 3-3-5 being in defensive coordinator Clayton White's repertoire and added experience, 2024 should be an improvement on that side of the ball, too.
"Shoulds" and "ifs" do not equal guarantees, but optimism reigns for the South Carolina football coach, and Gamecock fans can't wait to see if Beamer's optimism pays off this fall.