What's wrong with South Carolina Football?

What's gone wrong with South Carolina Football?

That is the question we are all grappling with these days. SC is in the throes of it's worst season (4-7), at time of this article, since a disastrous (3-9) 2015 campaign. Fans and boosters are frustrated, coaches are frustrated, and former players have shown their frustration on various social media platforms. Four years into the Will Muschamp Era and there are concerns that this Gamecock program is regressing instead of progressing.

It's easy to lay the blame at the feet of former head coach Steve Spurrier for all of the current problems. After all, most believe that a series of events near the end of Spurrier's tenure including flirtations with retirement and not being totally committed to recruiting were factors in the programs decline. Fair enough, however, whereas those contributing factors are well documented and certainly contributed to a dismal 2015 season, that is not what is currently ailing the current South Carolina team. Blaming Spurrier has been the easy way out. As a fan base and more importantly a coaching staff we need to move past that narrative, attempt to pinpoint the maladies, and find a cure.

Offensive productivity, creativity, and ingenuity have been abysmal. Sure you can toss around a variety of numbers and statistics and conclude that the offense is not as bad as it seems. They would be misleading. This team does not pass the eye test. They have lacked consistency all year. The best example of this dumbfounding inconsistency is Gamecocks ability to defeat #3, at the time, and current College Football Playoff #4 Georgia in Athens, playing competitively vs. Alabama and Florida, but also having loses to NC, Mizzou, FL, TN, App St, and TAMU. It's one thing when a team is productive and you don't like their style (see triple option) of offense, It's another when you're left wondering and questioning "What exactly is our offensive approach and team identity?"

Do injuries play a part? Certainly. We have to acknowledge that this team lost it's starting QB Jake Bentley after the first game of the season. A highly publicized, highly skilled, yet unproven backup in Ryan Hilinski was thrust into a starter's role. Making the adjustment from high school to big time collegiate sports is a shock to the system for any high-schooler, let alone a QB. Hilinski has battled inconsistencies in play from offensive line, running backs, and the receiving corps as well as his own mechanics which have affected his accuracy and touch at times.

Last year as the season progressed we were inundated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Although we have had our share of bumps and bruises on defense this year the offense seems to be affected and afflicted the most by injury. Injuries to the offensive line have led to some adjustments in game plans and have also led to inconsistencies in the run game. Alternating injuries to starting running backs Rico Dowdell and Tavien Feaster have not helped the matter. The receiving corps has been the most inconsistent and frustrating of all the offensive groups. There has been a notable absence of a consistent vertical passing game this year. Sure we have taken a few shots down the field and have been successful a handful of times. However, more likely we've witnessed dropped balls, inaccurate throws, and a steady diet of slants, curls, quick outs, and wide receiver screens. More concerning is that receiver group with exception of Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith (when healthy) do not seem ready to play.

The South Carolina defense has given a yeoman's effort this year. The front four led by Javon Kinlaw have been impressive, especially in run defense. We have seen an increased focus on tackling and depth is starting to build. I've been impressed with the LB play of both TJ Brunson (Sr.) and Ernest Jones (So.) and the corner position where Sophomores JC Horn, especially, and Israel Mukaumu have been solid. Mukaumu tends to get most of the action due to Horn's lockdown abilities and at times it can be feast or famine with Israel as well. In the latter part of season the defense has simply been worn down going into the 4th quarter with the offenses inability to stay on the field.

So what does all of this mean?

It means there are tons of questions swirling around this program regarding ongoing status of position coaches, recruiting, and last but not least player evaluation and player development. We currently sit eighth in SEC recruiting rankings behind all of the usual suspects including SEC East brethren Georgia (2), Florida (5), and Tennessee (7). We have a chance to climb that recruiting ladder a bit if we can land highly rated TE from a local Columbia, SC school in our backyard. The SEC talent gap can only be reduced by great recruiting and development.

Coach Muschamp has had three recruiting classes of his own. It's no longer a matter of not having HIS players. Now it is a matter of identifying, evaluating and then developing the recruited talent and that on hand. The South Carolina administration has been circling the wagons around Muschamp in recent days. If there are going to be changes it seems most likely they will come at the expense of the Offensive Coordinator, a position hire that has plagued Coach Muschamp throughout his head coaching career.

The natives are getting restless here in Columbia, SC. Coach Muschamp claims "we are not far off" and he plans to "take this program to places it hasn't gone." The sound bites are great but now it's time for results to back up those words.