What the South Carolina Gamecocks Have to Fix As They Enter SEC Play

After picking up two wins in their first two games of the season, the South Carolina Gamecocks are preparing to enter their challenging SEC schedule. Their next non-SEC opponent will not be played until November 22nd, when they take on Coastal Carolina. Though they enter against the Vanderbilt Commodores this weekend as the favored team, there are certainly some concerns for the Gamecocks moving forward if they want to be successful against their own conference.

One of the most glaring issues is the offensive line’s inability to establish its dominance. This is not a new issue, as the Gamecocks were near the top of the leaderboard in sacks allowed. They find themselves once again in familiar territory, as they currently lead the SEC in sacks allowed and just outside of the top ten nationally. While sacks are not always a stat that is solely on the offensive line, their performance is typically the genesis of the number.

Their lack of dominance has not only been in pass protection, but it has bled into the run game for the Gamecocks. They are currently ranked as the third-worst rushing team in the SEC. This past week against SC State, the Gamecocks' rushing attack was almost non-existent. Sellers led the Gamecocks in rushing for the game before the starters were pulled in the fourth quarter, in which the Gamecock QB tallied 23 yards on the ground. Oscar Hadaway III and Rahsul Faison combined for an underwhelming 41 yards on 12 attempts. With the overwhelming talent gap between the Gamecocks and SC State Bulldogs, there is no doubt the Gamecocks should have been able to assert their dominance on the ground.

Their lack of gaining yards on the ground has created a negative impact on the Gamecock air attack, as they are constantly behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations. This has led defenses to sit back in coverage and take away Sellers' options and forcing him to typically scramble for a few yards. Their ineptitude to move the ball down the field in both air and ground has led them to gain the fewest first downs in the SEC through the first two weeks of the season.

Penalties have been another detractor for the Gamecocks this season. The Gamecocks rank fourth in the SEC in total penalties with 15, which have accounted for just shy of 100 yards on the season. With an offense struggling to find its rhythm, tallying senseless penalties will only hinder their ability to get things back on track. Also against SC State, the Gamecocks committed four procedural penalties that kept the Gamecocks behind the “eight ball” and struggling for field position.

As the Gamecocks begin to play in the SEC with an exponentially better pool of talent compared to their first two opponents, not addressing these listed issues will make their journey incredibly difficult. As a team with aspirations to make the College Football Playoffs, the Gamecocks will look to use this weekend as a pedestal to introduce a brand of football that includes no self-inflicted penalties and a dominant offensive line.

The Gamecocks will kick off against the Commodores on Saturday at 7:45 PM on SEC Network.