How the Gamecocks can be a heavily run-first offense — and find overall success

The quarterback position for South Carolina’s football team? There are some unknowns.

The receivers? They’re less proven than they were a season ago, despite so many chances in 2020 to prove themselves. The pass blocking? It was the Gamecocks’ most understated, debilitating issue last season. The tight ends? They might have to be the saviors.

But go to the running game, and the Gamecocks are looking pretty good. The question will linger into September: Can that be enough?

Historically, it could be. If the starting QB is on the green side, you could put him under center, line up a beefy fullback and then rotate a couple talented tailbacks behind him — and just let them work. A passer could be a complement.

In the modern game, it’s less clear if that arrangement can be possible. There are some schools, but not many, that fall back on a ground game to carry things.

Yet the best play-makers on South Carolina’s roster are likely Kevin Harris, one of the best rushers in the country last season, and MarShawn Lloyd, who likely would’ve started ahead of Harris were it not for a torn ACL.

The offensive line is at least seasoned — and solid at run-blocking.

This leaves a conundrum for offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, head coach Shane Beamer and the rest of USC’s offensive staff. Can they find a way to feature two top talents when sharing the field won’t likely be a common thing.

In the last full season of college football, the top three rushing offenses were options teams. No. 4 played a receiver at QB most of the year. The rest of the top 10 featured teams with highly efficient passers (Ohio State, Louisiana), another option-style team (Georgia Southern) and two teams that used QBs modestly to heavily in the run game (Boston College and Ole Miss).

The only school that rested heavily on its tailbacks without a good bit of passing support: a Buffalo team that went 8-5.

North of the border, Mack Brown’s UNC squad had a pair of backs with more than 1,100 yards, but also had an all-conference QB running the show in Sam Howell.

What this all means: It’s hard to see the Gamecocks being able to go heavily run-first without some decent level of production through the air, or from a running QB. That comes after two years of questions at the quarterback spot.

The last time Satterfield ran his own offense at the FBS level, tailback Jahad Thomas was a workhorse for Temple, and quarterback P.J. Walker offered a little dual-threat ability while throwing nearly 31 times a game.

The schemes in this kind of offense are more diverse than many, involving some under-center looks and getting downhill often.

For now, sophomore Luke Doty appears to be the man behind center. His passing is coming along after being plenty inconsistent after being thrown in as a true freshman. There’s not much question about his ability to move and make plays as a runner.

And he’ll be able to hand off to Harris, a power back who can get going with a little space, and Lloyd, whose electric play-making and elusiveness impressed South Carolina defenders the last preseason.

It’s been a long time since the Gamecocks could pair productive running backs, dating back to the early Lou Holtz era and the times USC ran the option at various points.

So the question lingers: In an era when the structure of offenses puts a lot on quarterbacks to be play-makers, or at least be efficient, can a team like South Carolina fall back on its tailbacks?

It’s not a question Gamecock coaches likely want to think about yet, but it’s one that could be on their plate when the season rolls around.