South Carolina O-line depleted by injuries. It’s impacting how the Gamecocks practice

Every chance he gets, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer will echo the same sentiment.

The way you practice is the way you play.

Beamer is a staunch believer in practice habits translating to Saturdays. When he asked about Nyck Harbor or DQ Smith or whomever having a great game, he is often quick to point out that they had a fantastic week of practice. To Beamer, it is cause and effect.

Which perhaps explains some of the struggles USC (2-5, 1-4 SEC) has endured this season.

The Gamecocks have not just been bitten by injuries, they’ve been mauled — especially on the offensive line. Since the spring, South Carolina has lost 10 offensive linemen to injuries, seven of whom were scholarship players.

“I have never in all my years of coaching been around a year where you had that many injuries at one position,” Beamer said Tuesday.

As a result, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the Gamecocks have struggled protecting quarterback Spencer Rattler. Heading into week nine of the college football season, only three teams in America are giving up as many or more sacks than South Carolina (4.43 per game).

But, the offensive line injuries are not just bad for the offensive line. They impact how every South Carolina position group practices and, thus, how they play.

“If all the guys I mentioned as questionable, if they’re not able to practice on Tuesday,” Beamer said during his Sunday teleconference, “we don’t have a backup offensive line. Typically in practice, you have your first five and then your second five. We don’t have 10 guys who can go out there and practice.”

And, thus, the trickle down begins.

Take last week for example. South Carolina is not a team that spends loads of time having their starters go up against a scout team, but the Gamecocks do it some. So, of course, they needed to simulate Missouri’s offense. Problem was, there weren’t enough bodies.

Which meant that the guy acting as Missouri right tackle Armand Membou — who might be a high NFL draft pick in two years — was not an offensive lineman. It was freshman tight end Lukas Vozeh.

“Well, he’s not an offensive tackle,” Beamer said. “He’s doing the best he can, but our defensive ends aren’t really getting better against him. It becomes more of an assignment check, if you will. Just making sure you’re in the right place, stepping with the right foot.”

Added tight end Trey Knox: “(We’re) really just trying to create depth and help guys learn.”

Beamer is not trying to use his offensive line injuries as an excuse for a 2-5 start to the season. He’s not the first coach to be ravaged by injuries. Heck, NFL teams have practiced just fine for decades with only 53 guys on the roster. A college roster has well over 100 players.

But it’s past the point of overlooking. The injuries have piled too high. The impact is too great.

How Beamer and South Carolina tweak and adjust to practice despite the injuries might determine if the Gamecocks make a bowl this season or not. Beamer knows that. So the South Carolina coach spent the past few days reaching out to contacts who might provide some useful advice.

“(I) called two NFL head coaches that I have good relationships with,” Beamer said. “(I) talked to them about that because you do have a smaller roster and managing the roster when you do have that many people. … That was beneficial, just kind of picking their brain on some things.”

In addition to the pair NFL head coaches — who Beamer would not name, but noted they are both leading teams in the AFC — he also reached out Monday to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley.

“Not necessarily how to practice the offensive line — she can’t help me with that. Certainly other things,” Beamer said. “And (I talked to) some coaches that I have relationships with. Just picking their brain on some ideas and bouncing things off of them.”

In the transfer portal era, some coaches have used college football’s free-agent market as a way to load up on big-bodied linemen. A number of the transfer acquisitions have slim chances of actually playing, but their presence can allow more guys to get reps at practice.

Obviously, in the middle of the season, loading up on bodies is not an option for Beamer. So he will have to get creative and find solutions.

“You have to tweak,” Beamer said. “You can’t practice how you want to practice. Does that mean more meeting time and less time on the field? Maybe. Does that mean more scout-team work and less good-on-good work? Maybe. Does that mean more one-on-one, individual, competitive drills for your good-on-good work and less team work?”

Next South Carolina football game

Who: South Carolina (2-5, 1-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC)

Where: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas

When: noon Saturday

TV: ESPN

Line: Texas A&M by 14