Appreciating the Spencer Rattler-Juice Wells connection the final third of 2022

Antwane Wells Jr. stood there answering questions from reporters after South Carolina’s big win over Clemson. 

His jersey was still dirty from the day’s action and his cigar still smoldering in the midst of a celebration. 

Mid-answer, an arm wraps around his body and begins beating on his chest. 

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“He’s him!” Spencer Rattler shouts en route back to the party in the locker room. Wells smiles and takes it in stride. It’s not dissimilar to the strides he’s taken over the last four weeks, typically into the end zone. 

For Wells and Rattler both, Saturday’s 31-30 win over the Tigers was another day at the office. But each individual performance was another data point in what has been an impressive close to the 2022 regular season. 

Let’s start with Rattler, the object of plenty of consternation this season. 

After a start to the year where he struggled to really get off the ground, things have clicked to the nth degree. 

Over the last four games, Rattler has been nearly flawless, sans two throws Saturday. The last four weeks he’s completing 71.2 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

That’s an average of 9.03 yards per pass attempt. He’s only thrown two interceptions. One was a pick-six against Clemson and another on the goal line Saturday. All of that combines to a 121.72 NFL passer rating the final third of the regular season. 

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As it sits right now, Rattler is fourth in school history for passing yards in a single game. That came last week against Tennessee. In terms of single-season records, Rattler currently ranks ninth in completions (233), tied for tenth in attempts (349) and ninth in passing yards (2,766). 

“Spencer is awesome. He’s playing his butt off in the month of November. I’m really happy for him. You want to talk about Satt taking a lot of crap? He’s taken a lot of crap. He just comes to work every day, blocks the noise out,” Shane Beamer said. 

“I called him in my office before the Tennessee game. What I told him, and reminded the team, was he’s built for this. There’s no other quarterback I’d rather have and he could cement his legacy with what he does the next two weeks. Hopefully, he comes back next year and does it again.”

Wells is in the midst of a four-game stretch where he’s playing his best football. 

Of his 63 receptions, 898 yards and five touchdowns, 26 catches, 434 yards and three scores have come the final third of the year. The last two weeks against Tennessee and Clemson he’s had 20 catches for 308 yards and two receiving scores. 

His 63 catches are the tenth-most in a single season at South Carolina. The 898 yards are tenth as well in a single season. 

A 102-yard performance in the Gamecocks’ bowl game would move him to sixth-most in a single season and give South Carolina its first 1,000-yard receiver since 2014 (Pharoh Cooper). 

It would give Wells five 100-yard receiving performances in a single season. Only Alshon Jeffery, Sidney Rice (twice), Sterling Sharpe, Troy Williamson and Cooper have done that before. 

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“I mean, I feel like I left a good mark,” he said. “I feel like I can be remembered here for a long time.” 

Both have looming decisions about whether to stay at South Carolina or explore professional opportunities. None of those are settled yet. But their play has certainly been a boon for the Gamecocks’ offensively at the end of the year. 

“We knew the capabilities of this team before the season started. Y’all knew it. Y’all saw the hype build around the players,” Wells said. “We just had to get things clicking. Now that we have this offense rolling, it feels good. I’m speechless. It’s crazy, man.”

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