Muschamp 'really pleased' with early offensive improvement

Football is usually a sample size sport, needing a bigger volume of games or plays to make a conclusion about how good a team or an offense is.

The Gamecocks have played three games this year and 220 offensive snaps, and it’s enough of a data set to make Will Muschamp pleased with his new offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo.

“I think he’s done a really good job,” Muschamp said. “You go back to the first ballgame and I think we had some plays left out there we could have hit—should have hit—and we didn’t. I think he’s continued to develop packages for certain guys that he has a better comfort level with now that he’s been in a game situation with some of these guys in what they can handle and what they can do.”

Also see: Insider notes on the Gamecocks snap count

After slinking to the finish line last season, South Carolina’s offense has looked vastly improved under Bobo.

The Gamecocks are averaging 30.7 points through three games and have scored 24 points against Tennessee, Florida and Vanderbilt.

In eight conference games last year the Gamecocks scored at least 24 points just three times and averaged 19.9 points.

It hasn’t been perfect, but the Gamecocks are averaging 5.4 yards per play, 6.3 yards per pass attempt and 4.5 yards per rush. Muschamp thinks there’s plenty more room for growth.

They’re 1-2 currently, but the offense has done enough, Muschamp said, to keep the team in games.

“In our first ballgame we go four out of six possession with scores. I think we had a really good plan against Florida and gave up too much defensively, in my opinion, in that game,” Muschamp said. “We did a really good job in the run game yesterday as far as some things we can do in loosening them up with vertical balls. It created 11 explosive plays. I think he [Bobo] did a really good job.”

Also see: Ten stats from Saturday's blowout win

South Carolina had its best offensive game in almost two years against Vanderbilt, putting up 41 points on 485 yards with 289 of those coming on the ground.

It’s the most points against an FBS opponent since 2018 against Ole Miss, the most yards against an FBS team since 2018 against Clemson, and the most rushing yards against an FBS squad since 2001.

The 34-point win is also the largest margin of victory against an SEC team since beating Arkansas by 45 points in 2013.

The Gamecocks have a bigger offensive test this week against No. 15 Auburn, but Muschamp likes the wrinkles Bobo’s already shown this year.

“He continues to change the look each week of how we get things, whether it’s personnel, whether it’s formations, shifts, motions,” Muschamp said. “He continues to play with different tempos as far as being on the ball and huddling, which I think stresses the play caller and the defense as much as anything. I’ve been really pleased.”