Grading the Gamecocks at the bye week: Which South Carolina units deserve high marks?

Ben Breiner
·3 min read
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South Carolina’s football team went into the bye week limping but also having avoided its worst-case scenario.

Losing a swing game to UNC was inauspicious, though the Gamecocks avoided losing another to Mississippi State. Beating Georgia was always going to be a tall ask, and going to Knoxville to face Tennessee was going to be tough, even if it’s not clear exactly how potent the Vols will end up being.

It’s worth handing out a few grades to these 2-3 Gamecocks.

Passing offense: A-

This group has been sterling and frankly the saving grace of the 2023 Gamecocks. Quarterback Spencer Rattler has been superb. Receiver Xavier Legette went supernova. Considering the Nos. 1 and 3 receivers (Juice Wells, Ahmarean Brown) have been very limited, this is all the more remarkable. The only blemish had been the pass blocking, which has been a work in progress and made life much harder on Rattler.

Rushing offense: D+

Mario Anderson has been the bright spot here, showing a little pop and starting to take over more of the carries. But the top two running backs to start the season are averaging 2.2 yards per carry, and it’s not like the run blocking is giving them a ton of space. Rattler’s scrambling and sacks taken should probably be considered part of the pass game, but they instead put a dent in the raw rushing stats.

Passing defense: D+

This is an odd one because it’s not like they’ve given up a ton of outrageously efficient games or more than one high-yardage game (Mississippi State was a big one). But FBS opponents are still completing 69% of their passes and other teams are moving the ball. The pass rush mostly hasn’t been there, and it’s strange because only a few things seem egregious, but overall the final product has been rough.

Rushing defense: C-

Despite issues with play-making on the line and at linebacker, the final numbers have been better than you’d think in some ways. The first four Gamecock opponents were held under 4.4 yards per carry, and this group just smothered a good Mississippi State back. Things did get bad against Tennessee, and despite not allowing explosive plays, opponents are still moving the ball well on the ground.

Special teams: B

This group hasn’t been bad by any stretch, but it hasn’t been as game-changing as the last two seasons. A couple of long field goals have changed game situations, a fake extra point was that close to connecting and the fake punt against Tennessee was nice. Plenty of time to turn this, but the pop hasn’t been there yet.

Overall: C-

A reasonable optimist would probably have expected a 3-2 record at this point (4-1 would have been a pretty big ask). So 2-3 is a game worse than reasonably hoped. Some of the pieces have been worse than fans would like, but the team has been competitive every week. The schedule has been quite tough and probably won’t get much lighter. There’s some opportunity to rally down the stretch, but the team will have to shore up some things.

USC schedule