SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

If there’s one word Will Muschamp’s worn out using to describe South Carolina’s offense this season, it’s “inconsistent.”

The Gamecocks have bounced around from spread to RPO to all sorts of game plans through five games, but could have taken a big step forward in figuring out its identity Saturday night in a 24-7 win over Kentucky where they pounded the ball for almost 250 yards on the ground.

“The offense, the coaches tell us once the running backs get going and we run the ball it opens up the offense. I definitely think it’s starting to find our identity. The offensive line is doing a great job,” Rico Dowdle said. “When everybody goes out there and executes, we should be good.”

Also see: What Will Muschamp said after Saturday's game

Dowdle led the charge for the majority of the game, ripping off 102 yards rushing before he’d leave with an ankle injury he says isn’t major.

He and Tavien Feaster each eclipsed the 100-yard mark as the Gamecocks rushed 46 times for 247 net yards, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.

They’d go to the ground early—five rushes for 27 yards on the first drive alone—and often, finishing with a season-high in rushing attempts.

It comes after the offense rushed for just 16 yards against Missouri in a 34-14 loss.

“You do what it takes to win ballgames. We threw it a bunch against Alabama and had 480-something yards. We needed to score more points and needed to score in the red zone,” Muschamp said. “Tonight the run game was working. We felt good with some of the runs that we had going in the ballgame and we stuck with the run."

Also see: Instant analysis of the Gamecocks' win

Muschamp can say that all he wants about doing what it’ll take in a certain game, but it seems like the Gamecocks are figuring out what they’re really good at and forming the offense around it.

What they’re good at—through five games at least—is running the football in a way that gives them a chance to win almost any given Saturday.

In the team’s three losses, they’ve averaged 93 yards rushing on 28 carries per game, which is 3.3 yards per attempt. In two wins, they’re averaging 42 carries per game and 370 yards on the ground (8.8 yards/carry).

Now, yes, when a team is winning they tend to run the ball more, but it’s hard to argue the Gamecocks aren’t better when they have an effective running game.

“Last week, it just opened our eyes,” Donell Stanley said. “As seniors, we all just wanted to get together and emphasize doing the little things right. Once we do the little things and we get things going, we’re a hard team to beat.”

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It wasn’t a finished product by any means—they still had four three-and-outs and punted a grand total of nine times—but it’s becoming a little clearer now the offense goes as the running game does.

“I think we still have a few screws to screw in but we’re getting better every day, every game,” Sadarius Hutcherson said. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to find our mistakes, correct them and move forward.”