SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

South Carolina ended its season with a 38-3 loss to Clemson, and we look at the good and the bad from the day.

THREE UP

1. Shi Smith says he’s coming back

Shi Smith going pro would be a huge hit for the Gamecocks. He is the only proven receiver returning next year, and he is a really good one at that. None of the other returning receivers has looked good, and only freshman Xavier Legette has shown much potential.

2. Javon Kinlaw’s postgame interview

He was reflective, emotional, and thoughtful. There are a lot of problems with college football, but Javon Kinlaw is a feel-good story. He’s going to be a rich man in a few months, and he deserves it.

3. The season is over

One day we’ll look back on this season and laugh. Or shudder.

THREE DOWN

1. The offense

Injuries hurt, no doubt. It’s easy to forget South Carolina lost its senior starter at quarterback after one game (however you irrationally feel about him). And missing either Shi Smith or Bryan Edwards since the Tennessee game made the receivers too easy to defend.

But...

The offense was a disaster by the end of the season. Ryan Hilinski regressed, although he looked like he may have been banged up. And adding to the frustration was the utter lack of creativity. Kentucky scored 45 points Saturday with a wide receiver at quarterback and no hint that he would try to pass (just two pass attempts). That’s just the most recent example, but other teams around the country managed to figure out a way to move the ball while South Carolina was going run, run, pass, punt for two months.

2. The secondary

The Gamecocks gave up 211 yards rushing, but actually did well against Travis Etienne, holding him to 51 yards on 15 carries, his lowest output of the season. However, the secondary was picked apart, with Trevor Lawrence throwing to one wide-open receiver after another. There are no injuries to blame here, just poor performance.

3. The stadium

Announced attendance was 80,580. Actual attendance was not 80,580. There were large patches of aluminum, and at least a third, maybe closer to half, of the crowd was in orange. The only silver lining is that others had it worse: