Five things we learned in South Carolina’s loss at Tennessee
South Carolina is still finding its footing in Shane Beamer’s first year.
With another mixed effort, USC dropped to 3-3 and 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play with Saturday’s 45-20 loss to Tennessee (4-2, 2-1 SEC).
Here are five takeaways from the Gamecocks’ loss on Rocky Top:
RB Kevin Harris is getting closer to form
South Carolina’s rushing attack has been maligned for weeks and rightfully so.
Entering Saturday, the Gamecocks hadn’t run for more than 100 yards since the season opener against FCS foe Eastern Illinois.
But against the Volunteers, running back Kevin Harris looked closer to the form that helped him lead the SEC in rushing a season ago. Harris wasn’t perfect — his 16 carries for 61 yards left something to be wanted. That said, the Georgia native found the end zone twice and dodged tacklers with the strength and speed onlookers grew accustomed to a season ago.
South Carolina finished the afternoon with 153 rush yards — the most any opponent other than No. 20 Florida has accumulated on Tennessee this season.
It’s only one game, so it’s not quite worth overreacting to, but Harris and USC’s running game clearly looked closer to the part on Saturday.
South Carolina’s defense can click against stiff competition
Throw out the early start and South Carolina’s defense looks like it can play with the best of them.
After getting torched for 374 yards and 38 points in Saturday’s first half, the Gamecocks tightened up against the Volunteers’ warp-speed system. Tennessee recorded just 99 yards in the second half, while quarterback Hendon Hooker was limited to just nine passing yards over the final 30 minutes.
R.J. Roderick, who missed the first half due to a targeting penalty in the second half of last week’s game against Troy, helped steady what had been a leaky secondary in the first and second quarters.
South Carolina clearly adjusted at halftime and it paid off in giving the Gamecocks a chance to stick around despite a dismal start.
Gamecocks leaning on creativity
South Carolina’s offense might be maddening, but at least it’s creative.
The Gamecocks ran a handful of trick plays on Saturday in an attempt to spark what’s been a semi-stagnant offense the past few weeks.
Jordan Burch’s pitch-pass interception on the goal line will be circled for weeks as a play that ultimately sank South Carolina on Saturday, but it showed some level of ingenuity.
The Gamecocks also threw a reverse, a Statue of Liberty and fake punt pass that ended in a touchdown at the Volunteers.
South Carolina had its share of mistakes on Saturday (more on that in a second), but it tried some things that at least made a rough outing entertaining.
USC still starting slow
Saturday’s first half was a mess.
The Gamecocks couldn’t find a flow offensively, while the defense was torched for almost 400 yards and 38 points.
Beamer said postgame that he felt the preparations were solid, but it just didn’t translate to the field. Quarterback Luke Doty added there wasn’t the needed level of urgency early on in Saturday’s slog of a game.
The Gamecocks have struggled to get going in games throughout the year. USC has now trailed in the first quarter in four of its five games against FBS competition. The lone outlier was a 3-0 first quarter lead against Troy.
With a slew of high-powered offenses still on docket down the stretch, South Carolina has to find a way to get on the board earlier.
South Carolina is still maddeningly inconsistent
In a season that’s ebbed and flowed, the Gamecocks have been an ever-changing mix of peaks and valleys.
There’s been some good — like Doty’s emergence at quarterback and the defense’s improvement. There’s also been the bad — slow starts, an inefficient offense.
Now halfway through the 2021 season, South Carolina sits all square at .500. Games against No. 18 Auburn, No. 20 Florida, Texas A&M and Clemson will only make the tail end to the season more difficult after next week’s meeting with Vanderbilt.
USC profiled like an up-and-down squad this year given a coaching change and a two-win season a year ago. It has to find consistency if they want to hold onto an outside chance at bowl eligibility.
