How much can South Carolina’s offense improve in season’s final stretch?

On Saturday night, in the wake of South Carolina’s most-dominant performance of the season, Shane Beamer could have said just about anything and fans would’ve convinced themselves it was true.

Thankfully, following USC’s 35-9 win over Oklahoma, he stopped short of declaring the Gamecocks playoff contenders or putting out a prediction they could run the table. But South Carolina is 4-3 (2-3 SEC) with its losses all to ranked teams and near victories over LSU and Alabama, earning him the right to speak with confidence.

“We can go toe to toe with anybody in this country,” Beamer said.

The obvious retort, which numerous Gamecocks fans made on social media: Well, South Carolina’s defense can. The offense, though?

Think about this: South Carolina beat Oklahoma by 26 points on Saturday despite being outgained by nearly 40 yards. That doesn’t even seem possible. And, yet, the Gamecocks defense was so spectacular — forcing four turnovers and scoring two touchdowns — that the offense could have just taken knees all game and South Carolina would have still won.

We’re now through seven games of this South Carolina season. At some point, the Gamecocks are who they are: A great defensive team being held back by a mediocre offense.

Early in the season, the reason for optimism was youth. South Carolina was starting a redshirt freshman quarterback, a true freshman left tackle and had other true freshmen playing extensively at wide receiver and tight end.

“We’re seven games in now,” Beamer said. “We’re not gonna use the excuse anymore that we’re young.”

So what’s the fix? Is there a fix?

The obvious first place to start is with the running game, which accumulated just 74 yards on the ground against Oklahoma. Even when you account for the yards lost because of South Carolina’s half-dozen sacks and two victory formation kneel downs, the Gamecocks still only averaged 3.75 yards per carry. That isn’t good enough.

Even the stats can be deceptive.

Though the Gamecocks are 65th in the nation in yards per game (160.9 ypg), only five teams in America run the ball for fewer yards per carry than South Carolina (3.66 ypc).

Is that on the offensive line for not creating holes? The running backs for not bursting through open space?

“I think any time you struggle like that, you look at everything,” Beamer acknowledged.

The head coach wasn’t ruling out anything. Was quarterback LaNorris Sellers making the right decisions? Was the running back darting where he was supposed to? Were the linemen and tight ends following the plan? Were the wide receivers executing their perimeter blocks?

“All five positions on the offense (Saturday) had a hand in the good runs that we had, and there were some good ones,” Beamer said, “and the bad runs that we had, and there were some bad ones. So we all have a hand in it, coaches as well.”

Is it really possible for a football team to suddenly turn a corner in November? Doubtful. But with a bye week coming up, it will be imperative South Carolina finds ways to be more efficient with its personnel.

Finding where it can be successful in the run game. Finding where Sellers, who completed 67% of his passes for 175 yards against Oklahoma, continues to limit his turnovers. And finding every max-protection option to keep Sellers upright.

Good news for the Gamecocks: They have an off week to figure it out. Bad news for South Carolina: Last time it played after a bye week, USC got blown out by Ole Miss. And up next is No. 14 Texas A&M, which sits atop the SEC standings at 4-0 in the conference.

“We obviously played like hot garbage against coming off the last off week,” Beamer said. “It’s what do we need more of (during this bye week)? What do we need less of? Where are we struggling now? Is it certain situational things that we need more work at?”

Next South Carolina game

Who: South Carolina vs No. 14 Texas A&M

When: Saturday, Nov. 2 (night kickoff, time TBD)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC

TV: TBD

Gamecocks 2024 football schedule

• Aug. 31 – South Carolina 23, Old Dominion 19

• Sept. 7 – South Carolina 31, Kentucky 6

• Sept. 14 – No. 16 LSU 36, South Carolina 33

• Sept. 21 – South Carolina 50, Akron 7
  
  

• Oct. 5 – No. 12 Ole Miss 27, South Carolina 3

• Oct. 12 – No. 7 Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
  
  

• Oct. 19 – South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9

• Nov. 2 – vs. Texas A&M – TBA (night)

• Nov. 9 – at Vanderbilt – TBA (afternoon)

• Nov. 16 – vs. Missouri – TBA (afternoon)
  
  

• Nov. 23 – vs. Wofford – 4 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+

• Nov. 30 – at Clemson – TBA