NASHVILLE — When asked what he learned from last season’s 48-7 home loss to Georgia, South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler had a direct answer.
“We’ve got to get better,” Rattler said. “That’s what I learned.”
As for specifics, he was just as blunt with a two-word answer to the follow-up question about where South Carolina needed to get better.
“All areas.”
Getting better in all areas was the focal point of South Carolina’s appearance at SEC Media Days, from Shane Beamer’s 30,000-foot level view of the program to what happens between the hashes.
The Gamecocks are entering Beamer’s third year in the program with added momentum, a buzz around the program after it catapulted into the offseason off the back of wins over Tennessee and Clemson to end the regular season. He noted that season ticket sales are up 106 percent from last season. He trumpeted the success and optimism around the two new hires he made to his coaching staff, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and defensive line coach Travian Robertson.
But as fast as he reminded everyone of 2022’s peaks, he immediately pointed to the valleys. Most specifically the inconsistency on offense, from that Georgia drubbing to laying a six-point egg at Florida.
“The biggest question for us coming into 2023 is just to find better ways to do things,” Beamer said. “Don't just assume that the way that I did things last season or the way we did things in recruiting, nutrition, the weight room, are just going to remain status quo. Like, be better than we've ever been. That's the biggest thing is just no complacency and trying to get better."
The deficiencies stuck out like a sore thumb for a lot of 2022. The Gamecocks led the SEC in turnovers for the second consecutive season, tied for 126th out of 131 FBS teams with 27 turnovers. They lost 13 fumbles and threw 14 interceptions in 13 games, another stat that was a microcosm of inconsistency.
The 38–6 loss at Florida was marred by three turnovers on as many offensive snaps in the second half to deflate any hopes of a rally. An entire game without any turnovers defined the Tennessee triumph a week later.
“That's definitely a main emphasis for this year is limiting turnovers,” Rattler said. “You can't win games with turnovers. I take total accountability for that. What I see on film is just sometimes me trying to do too much, trusting my arm too much. Just trust the play, trust the offense, just protect the ball. That's what it comes down to.”
Run defense was another area the Gamecocks cratered in 2022, checking in at 117th nationally against the ground attack. Opposing teams checked in at nearly five yards per carry — 4.93 — and scored 23 rushing touchdowns. They are memories still fresh for everyone in the building after the Gator Bowl and a chance for a ninth win slipped away as Notre Dame gashed an exhausted defense for 263 yards on 46 carries.
Fixing it will require some immediate growth, both from returning players and new ones. Beamer was quick to point out that South Carolina is expecting to play true freshmen in every position group. This will include the front seven, where linebacker Pup Howard and defensive end Desmond Umeozulu will have to play big roles after both starting linebackers from last season’s team graduated and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens moved on to the NFL.
One of the returning leaders is Tonka Hemingway, who had to play every single snap of the Gator Bowl due to attrition on the defensive line. He played both inside and outside in Clayton White’s defense, totaling 33 tackles and four sacks.
“It starts with us,” Hemingway said about improving the run defense. “In the room, like, we don't mind it right now. If it needs to be us, we'll start it. We’re working on the run defense techniques, learning to be precise with everything, staying in our gaps.”
There will be no time to wait for improvement; the Gamecocks will face three teams projected to start the season ranked in the top-25 in September with a neutral site clash against North Carolina and a pair of road trips to Georgia and Tennessee. The narrative about momentum from the end of 2022 carrying into 2023 will have to be immediate
And clearly, as Beamer, Rattler, Hemingway and everyone else could put it — regardless of the success 2022 yielded — it has to be better.
The momentum that we took from the month of November into recruiting and into 2023 within our facility, but then outside the facility from a recruiting standpoint and just national narrative without a doubt,” Beamer said. “But also we understand, we have got a lot of work to do, too.”
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