USC football’s season opener is here. Why ‘game ones stink in a lot of ways’
The Gamecocks will finally begin their season Saturday, but there’s still things to be learned.
Shane Beamer enters his second year as a head coach with some of the same feelings he had ahead of his first season. While he enjoys the opportunity to start a new year, the nerves still kick in for him.
“I love game ones, but game ones stink in a lot of ways, too,” Beamer said Tuesday in his weekly press conference ahead of the USC-Georgia State game. “Just the preparation because there is so much unknown.”
That’s no secret to anyone who’s seen the team’s first depth chart.
Many positions are set on the two-deep, but all three of the starting wide receiver spots list an “or” beside each player’s name — indicating there are options and lingering decisions.
Josh Vann returns as the team’s leading receiver from a year ago, but he will be joined with Antwane Wells Jr., Dakereon Joyner, Xavier Legette and others.
Beamer said that’s due to the combination of players who will be in on a given play, so the starter is ultimately based on what formation the team opens with.
This summer, Beamer’s spoken to the process of getting to know the roster’s personnel better, especially with the new additions. The most notable of those is quarterback Spencer Rattler, a former Heisman candidate who transferred in from Oklahoma.
“There’s so many unknowns because you’ve been practicing against yourself for so long,” Beamer said. “(Some) guys, it’ll be the first time they go out in an environment like that. We’re playing a lot of new players, freshmen, transfers as well.”
Georgia State serves as a chance for the team to face an opponent with SEC experience, as the Panthers — under head coach and former USC assistant Shawn Elliott — defeated Tennessee in 2019 and lost by 10 points to Auburn last season.
This presents the opportunity for the squad to learn about itself more before taking on SEC opponents. The depth chart gives a degree of guidance to how the team will structure its lineup, but how they mesh on the field will tell its own story once the season starts.
“I love night games (but) I’d play at 9 a.m. every Saturday if I could,” Beamer said. “Just get up and go. The nerves only increase throughout the day, just sitting around waiting.”
South Carolina vs. Georgia State game info
- Who: USC (0-0) vs. Georgia State (0-0)
- When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC
- Stream: SEC Network Plus and ESPN+
- Line: USC by 12
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 8:22 PM.
