South Carolina finds itself in all too familiar spot after four games

South Carolina’s back-to-back losses to start Southeastern Conference play mark yet another season the Gamecocks have started 2-2. In fact, that record has represented the start for all but one team under head coach Shane Beamer.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been here before — we’re 2-2, [and] we’re a third of the way through the regular season,” Beamer said. “We’re not where we need to be right now. We’re coming back home on Saturday night for another SEC game.”

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The lone exception to South Carolina’s 2-2 starts under Beamer was 2024, where the Gamecocks still found themselves at 3-3 following six games. A 2-2 start hasn’t always spelled disaster under Beamer, but it hasn’t always meant success either.

While Beamer has coached his team to a winning record in the games following a 2-2 start in three of four seasons, the outlier of 2023 continues to weigh heavily on the minds of Gamecock fans. It’s something that Beamer acknowledged before the season, as well.

“It’s something that I’ve thought about a lot, because coming off the finish of 2022 and then going into 2023, the first game was a neutral-site game against an ACC opponent, and we lost. And then the third game was an SEC game, just like it will be this year, and we lost,” Beamer said before the start of fall camp. “I was very cognizant of that group. Everybody’s patting them on the back, telling them how great they are, and making sure they don’t listen to it, making sure we keep our edge.”

Avoiding repeating the fate of Beamer’s only losing season at South Carolina starts with getting better himself.

“It’s a challenge, but that’s what we get paid to do,” Beamer said. “We [have] got to look at everything: schematically, personnel, everything that we’re doing.”

Quarterback LaNorris Sellers believes the team can figure it out.

“Last year, we were pretty much in the same situation. Start off slow at the beginning of the year, got it rolling later,” Sellers said. “Including with me, we can all get better. But I’m sure we can get it rolling, figure it out.”

The offense has improved with the start of conference play, with Sellers having his best performance of the season in the loss to Missouri. The sophomore threw for 302 yards, completing 18 of his 28 attempts, alongside two touchdowns. However, like the rest of the team, he struggled to run the ball.

However, in Sellers’ eyes, the thing in the offensive room that’s needed to turn things around and get back in the win column is executing better.

“That’s just what it comes down to. We’ve got to pass block, we’ve got to throw the ball, catch the ball, run the ball, just do all the things you need to do to move the ball. It takes all 11 of us,” Sellers said.

Defensively, it comes down to working on making tackles again. The Gamecock defense, for the second straight week, struggled to wrap up and get off the field on third down. That starts with playing complementary football, Gerald Kilgore said.

“That’s one thing that we preach, and I don’t think we’ve done a great job of that so far,” Kilgore said. “We have the keys, we have the players, we have the guys, that’s not the issue. We just have to keep pressing hard, be consistent … definitely have the team, just have to put it together.”

Despite the loss on Saturday, Beamer is leaving with some positives. To have so many issues and still have a lead in the fourth and a chance to win gives you the confidence of a place to start.

“We’ve been a team that’s always gotten better as the season goes,” Beamer said. “And [I’m] confident that this year will be no different.”

Change comes with eliminating backbreaking penalties. South Carolina gave up 98 penalty yards on Saturday on 14 penalties. Beamer said it’s hard to chalk that up to one bad night, given the high amount.

“The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again,” Beamer said. “So, when you have 14 penalties on the road, something’s got to change, starting with me.”

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