South Carolina offense working to break out of backed up field position

South Carolina’s offense is off to a slow start in the 2025 season. Through two games, the group has accounted for only half of the Gamecocks’ total touchdowns this season.

Head coach Shane Beamer knows the offense can’t consistently rely on points from the defense and special teams units. Getting his offense to the opposing end zone starts with making sure they can get out of their own one first.

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South Carolina has started inside its own 20-yard line nine times this season. In those nine drives, the Gamecocks have gone three-and-out six times and allowed one safety. South Carolina started inside its own 20 five times in its 38-10 win over South Carolina State on Saturday.

“That’s tough sledding, but no excuse,” Beamer said. “We’ve got to be able to flip the field position when we’re in those positions.”

LaNorris Sellers called it “frustrating” starting possessions backed up near the end zone. However, the group knows they need to execute regardless.

“It’s just football,” Sellers said. “Sometimes you’ve got to go 95 yards, sometimes it’s going to be five yards, but you’ve got to execute.”

Beamer doesn’t want to overcoach things with Sellers when the offense is backed up against its own goal post. However, he does want his quarterback to know when to step up in the pocket.

“We’re trying to build a pocket where he can step up in it,” Beamer said. “… There’s a great example of LaNorris doing that, I think it’s the first third down of the second half where we hit Mike Smith, a little mesh concept, and great job by LaNorris of stepping up in the pocket and then delivering that throw to Mike for a big-time third-down conversion.”

Beamer and offensive coordinator Mike Shula want Sellers to be able to trust the protection the offensive line is giving him. The redshirt sophomore was sacked twice on Saturday.

The offense starting drives backed up in the shadow of their own goalpost led to the group struggling to get things going. When the offense gets off to a start like that, Sellers is talking to his guys to keep them calm.

“I’m talking to the boys constantly,” Sellers said. “I know we had a couple of false starts. I just let them know, hey, we’re good, we’re good. We’ve still got a lot of game left and stuff like that. 

South Carolina’s offense looks to get on the right track Saturday as the Gamecocks enter Southeastern Conference play against Vanderbilt. Kickoff is at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network.

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