Marcus Satterfield ‘trying to be positive’ as Gamecocks navigate offensive woes
Marcus Satterfield can only grimace.
His right hand clutching the lectern at the front of South Carolina’s defensive team meeting room twitches. He can feel the irritation at his play calling creeping into his subconscious.
“That was a good question, because I started get angry at myself,” Satterfield said through a chuckle when asked how he’d evaluate his own performance through four weeks. “I could feel myself (getting annoyed). I’m trying to be positive.”
Satterfield will be the first to tell you South Carolina’s offense hasn’t been up to snuff in losses against No. 2 Georgia and undefeated Kentucky. He explains how he’s his own worst critic. His decisions, misfires or miscalculations eat at him.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Satterfield diagnosed a handful of the problems that have plagued the Gamecocks offense in recent weeks.
He mentioned how the offensive line has missed protections. He noted the running game and South Carolina’s quartet of talented tailbacks haven’t gotten going in the way they hoped. He explained how the Gamecocks wanted to attack downfield more against Kentucky, but never got that opportunity. He pointed to South Carolina running an untenable 15 of its 51 plays (just shy of 30%) on third or fourth down.
All of it has added up to a unit that currently ranks 115th of 130 FBS teams in total offense.
“I‘m usually really hard on myself,” Satterfield said. “This last game, which was our worst game ironically enough, I walked out of the thing feeling like I was good with all the decisions I made and the plays that were called. We just have to get everybody on the same page and get the execution level where it needs to be.”
Tuesday, head coach Shane Beamer stressed the need for consistency. That comes in coaching. It comes in execution. It comes in general demeanor.
Beamer was quick to assure he and his staff aren’t ready to blow up the offensive plans, or go as far as making staff changes or shifting play-calling duty around.
The pains of the past two weeks are, as Satterfield and Beamer alluded, part of building up a program that has won only six games over the past two years and has had a winning record in the Southeastern Conference just once since 2014.
“We’re 2-2, it is still September, the sky is not falling,” Beamer said Tuesday. “We have to play better, we have to coach better.”
Quarterback Luke Doty’s return has cured some ills. Still battling the foot injury that sidelined him for roughly a month, Doty was noticeably ginger in his scrambles during Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. Beamer lauded his toughness this week. Satterfield, too, commended his efforts under the circumstances.
But for where Doty’s feet haven’t quite been 100%, his arm has made up for it. He’s carried himself in the pocket with precision and poise, having completed 30 of his 51 throws this year. Had he played in one more contest, his 155.5 yards per game would also rank 12th in the SEC of the 25 quarterbacks who’ve played 75% of their team’s games.
And while Doty has been admirable in a less-than-ideal situation, the running game hasn’t exactly helped his case.
South Carolina hasn’t eclipsed the 100-yard mark as a team against FBS competition this fall. Some of that falls on the running backs. Other bits of the blame resides with an offensive line that’s been maligned for weeks.
Satterfield was resolute Wednesday in his assessment of the running game: It has to improve.
“We have to run the football,” he said. “That’s very 1985, I guess, but we have to run the football somehow, someway. Whether it’s quarterback runs, receiver runs, running back runs, trick plays — whatever it is, we have to run the football.”
South Carolina hasn’t scored more than 20 points in a game since the season opener against Eastern Illinois. The Gamecocks currently rank 11th in the SEC in rushing offense and 13th in passing offense. Those numbers aren’t good enough to win games. Beamer knows that. Satterfield knows that.
Until it changes, though, USC’s offensive coordinator may find himself gripping the lectern inside the Long Family Football Operations Building increasingly tight.
