Beamer Ball: South Carolina Special Teams Off to a BLAZING Hot Start

Beamer Ball was created in Blacksburg. Shane is continuing his father’s legacy at South Carolina. Say what you will about the Gamecocks, but they are an absolute force to be reckoned with in the third phase of football.

What makes them so effective? It starts with having a head coach who’s an expert in the field. It also helps when you have a dynamic return man.

Redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain has returned seven punts this season. Three of those returns ended in the end zone. To say that’s insane would be an understatement.

“He’s scoring touchdowns. When you’re putting the ball in the end zone, that sets the tone. He’s got everyone in our conference’s attention, and he certainly has mine,” said Kentucky special teams coach Jay Boulware.

Swain’s touchdown in the opener against Virginia Tech turned the tide in that game, paving the way for a South Carolina victory. He followed that up with two punt return touchdowns a week later against FCS South Carolina State.

The Key to Successful South Carolina Returns

Derek Abney is the best return man to ever wear a Kentucky uniform, and one of the best in SEC history. He set the NCAA single-season record with six return touchdowns in 2002. Four of those touchdowns came on 36 punt return attempts. This summer, I asked Abney what the secret sauce is to returning punts. Some of it is an innate feel for the game, but a lot of it falls on the shoulders of his supporting cast.

That’s what Boulware sees on film from South Carolina. The other ten guys do an exceptional job of creating run lanes, thanks to Beamer’s expertise. They put pressure on opponents by aggressively attacking the punter — they have one block this year, and almost blocked another kick at Missouri — before lining up their return.

“Their return game is set up by their block game. When you’re sitting in there protecting, those guys are able to grab you pretty good and get ahold of you at the line of scrimmage,” said Boulware.

“You gotta do a good job getting loose, because a lot of times they’ll go extreme and double, double, double (team) across the line, and single on the backside, and give that return guy a lane. That’s obviously a challenge. You gotta get some guys to beat a double-team.”

Fortunately, Kentucky appears to have the guys who can beat those South Carolina double teams. Kentucky’s special teams unit ranks No. 7 in SP+. The kicking game plays a role in that, but the Cats’ coverage units are also exceptional, ranking in the Top 20 in punt coverage this fall.

This series is defined by low-scoring, close games. A big play on special teams can change the outcome. Kentucky must be on their Ps and Qs against one of the top special teams units in college football.