How Spencer Rattler has improved throughout South Carolina’s win streak
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield isn’t hard to find along the South Carolina sidelines.
He’s an exuberant yeller. His intensity, at times, boils over along the bench. Every now and then, though, a quick glance from his quarterback in the chairs situated along the 50-yard line brings an ease to the Gamecocks offense.
“When things are going crazy, I may be losing my mind,” Satterfield said, “(Spencer Rattler) will wink at me and smile and that will calm me down.”
Rattler has become increasingly at ease — and looked it— of late as South Carolina rode a three-game win streak into its bye week.
The former Oklahoma quarterback hasn’t quite exploded in the way preseason prognosticators perceived he might. But the last month has given hope that stat-stuffing performances might be on the horizon as he continues to find comfort with his weapons in Columbia.
“I knew that as the season went on, (Rattler) and our offense — from a passing game standpoint — would continue to get better just because of the familiarity with each other and getting to know each other better,” Beamer said. “And we didn’t have an offseason necessarily of doing that. We had a spring practice with not everybody here. I think they continue to get more and more comfortable and confident with each other.”
Rattler’s season has ebbed and flowed. Really, it falls in line with his previous seasons at OU. There’s been some good. There’s been some bad.
The Arizona native currently ranks eighth in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards per game and 10th in total passing yardage. He’s also worst among league passers averaging 15 or more throws per game with eight interceptions — though three or four of those fell more on receivers than anything Rattler did.
Still, Rattler has seemingly found a groove of late. He’s completed 73% of his throws or better in wins over Charlotte, S.C. State and then-No. 13 Kentucky. He rebounded from an erratic first half in Lexington, too, with an 8 of 10, 128-yard second half en route to the Gamecocks’ first ranked win under Beamer.
“He was more conservative (in the second half),” receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells said of Rattler postgame. “He wasn’t going to take any more risky throws. ... He sat back there and was actually seeing things.”
That Rattler has found more consistency in recent weeks is layered. There’s the natural comfort that comes with playing a handful of games with the same pieces for a few weeks. The recent productivity of South Carolina’s run game and improved offensive line play has also aided his play.
Rattler worked to develop chemistry over the offseason with his receivers. Wells even spent time with Rattler in Arizona over the summer to train and get to know one another before the campaign picked up in earnest.
That’s paid dividends so far.
Wells leads the team in total yards receiving and ranks seventh in the SEC in receiving yards per game. His 27 receptions are also seven better than the next best receiver on the roster and almost triple that of pass-catchers outside of receiver Jalen Brooks (20) and running back MarShawn Lloyd (15).
Other pieces, too, have begun to sort out there roles. Ahmarean Brown, Jaheim Bell and Brooks have all shown out in spurts this fall. In theory, the more games they play with Rattler down the stretch, the better the product should be.
Lloyd’s emergence has also been as big a help as any to Rattler’s recent form. The ex-top-65 recruit has recorded just under 83% of his 434 yards rushing over the last three games. Some of that has come from facing overmatched defenses in Charlotte and S.C. State, but it’s alleviated pressure on his quarterback.
South Carolina’s offensive line — which was maligned for most of last season and much of the first month of this fall — has appeared to find a groove as well. USC recorded its three best blocking efforts of the year the last three weeks, per Pro Football Focus. The pass blocking grades the past three contests are also three of the five best efforts in the 19 total games Beamer has coached.
“We could have done a lot of stuff better (offensively through six games), but we’re at a good spot,” Rattler said on Tuesday. “We still have everything in front of us. We just got to come to work every day and put our head down and grind. I know that sounds boring, but that’s what it comes down to.”
Rattler hasn’t been perfect. Far from it. But there’s been marked progress the last few weeks. Some of that has been opponent. Some of that has been simple progression.
Saturday’s matchup with Texas A&M may prove the best barometer yet of the strides Rattler has made. The Aggies rank second in the league in passing defense and have held four of their six opponents to 175 yards or less through the air.
South Carolina is sitting pretty at 4-2 with winnable games against Texas A&M, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Florida on deck. It’ll take the Rattler we’ve seen the last three weeks — and, perhaps, a wink or two — to take advantage of that slate.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 6:40 AM.
