SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Bryan McClendon will continue to call plays for the Gamecocks in their final game of the season against Clemson, but Will Muschamp was non-committal in saying if McClendon would be back next season.

As the Gamecocks continue to be anemic offensively, questions about McClendon’s future as the team’s offensive coordinator are starting to pop up on social media and Muschamp was asked directly about it Sunday on his weekly teleconference if McClendon will return for the 2020 season.

“We’ll evaluate that when the season’s over with like we always do,” he said.

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The Gamecocks (4-7, 3-5 SEC) are fresh off a 30-6 loss to Texas A&M that set any hopes of a bowl ablaze where they rushed for 45 yards, didn’t score a touchdown and put up just 102 yards in the second half.

It’s been like that all season for the Gamecocks, who rank in the bottom half of the SEC in rushing, total offense and scoring and it’s taking a toll on the second-year play caller.

“He’s frustrated like everybody, including our players and our entire staff. Bryan’s a competitor,” Muschamp said. “When you look at Bryan’s first year as coordinator, we averaged 31 points a game and improved ourselves in total points in rushing and passing in every category and had an outstanding year. This has been an unfortunate year.”

The Gamecocks finish with a losing record in the SEC and finish their conference slate averaging less than 20 points and five yards per play over eight games.

Over their last four total games, they’re averaging 16.5 points and have been held to one touchdown over their last eight quarters of football.

It’s caused some frustration to boil over, and Muschamp said he and the offensive staff are still working on how to fix a clunky unit.

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“Obviously my messages haven’t worked each Sunday,” he said when asked about what the conversations were like. “We got to try and find ways to be more productive to put guys in different spots to be successful. Whatever we’re doing’s not working, so we need to change. We’ll look forward to some more changes moving forward as far as what we can do to be more successful and more productive.”

He didn’t go into specifics when asked what will change with the offense, saying they want to get more explosive, but did mention the game plan process is collaborative and they want to try and scheme better ways to run the football.

“It’s a collaborative effort offensively, no different than it is defensively and all situations staff-wise from the offense or defense,” he said. “We put the run game plan together as far as coach (Eric) Wolford and coach McClendon and coach (Bobby) Bentley and coach (Thomas) Brown, obviously. The pass game goes back and involves Dan Werner a lot and the overall game plan obviously with Dan and Bryan, and Bryan calling the plays on game day. We have to find different ways to get guys in situations where we create explosive plays down the field. Our formula when we’re able to run the football, we’ve had success. We haven’t done that the last two weeks and the Missouri game.”

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McClendon hasn’t met with the media since mid-August, a few weeks before the season started, and won’t until spring practice under Muschamp’s media rules.

He won’t appear on his regularly-scheduled, annual Carolina Calls appearance this week either, with Muschamp filling in for him after Muschamp’s schedule cleared up, he said.

South Carolina is on a bye this week before hosting Clemson Nov. 30.