Can South Carolina’s special teams get back to Beamer Ball standard?
This is not meant to be some referendum on South Carolina’s special teams or the doctrine that is Beamer Ball.
It’s also not to say that special teams necessarily lost USC games last season. (The Gamecocks, for example, lost the LSU game for multiple reasons beyond a missed last-second field goal.)
But it’s impossible to say that special teams won the Gamecocks any contests in 2024. And by the standard that Beamer set in his first three seasons, that is a decline.
The Gamecocks missed more field goals (6) last year than in Beamer’s first three years combined (3). They had the worst average punt return in the Beamer era (6.94 yards, 10th in SEC) and the second-worst kick return average (19.25 yards, 13th in SEC).
Granted, the Gamecocks were one of the best in the conference at defending punt and kick returns.
“(We’re) really good in coverage,” special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said in December. “Not as good in the return game as I would like. (We) did some did some good things.”
South Carolina blocked two kicks, an encouraging stat when you understand only three other SEC teams matched that, and, yet, it’s a decline from the last three years. In Beamer’s first three seasons, respectively, the Gamecocks blocked four, six and four kicks.
And while punter Kai Kroeger had a bounce-back season, averaging a career-high 47.8 yards per punt, he didn’t complete a pass for the first time in his career (0 for 2, though a fake-punt touchdown pass against Old Dominion was negated because of a penalty).
There was another fake punt, too, that Beamer tried on the opening drive against Ole Miss. It never had a chance. Ole Miss took over on USC’s 36-yard line and scored five plays later.
So, now the question: Can South Carolina fix all that? Can it get back to winning games with its special teams? Get USC get back to Beamer Ball?
Well, the answer might be two-fold.
One one hand, it’s wishful thinking to believe that South Carolina’s special teams are going to improve while the team loses its starting punter (Kroeger), kicker (Alex Herrera), holder (Kroeger) and long snapper (Hunter Rogers).
On another hand, perhaps it’s not a coincidence that South Carolina blocked its fewest kicks during its best season.
Said DeCamillis before the bowl game: “You’ve got to remember, last year wasn’t as good a year. It’s easier to be aggressive when you’re not as good. When you’re going to be ahead in a lot of games, (it) just doesn’t make sense from a complementary football standpoint to be too aggressive, in my opinion.”
In other words: Good football teams don’t need to take as many risks on special teams, which is true, yet it doesn’t explain the poor field goal kicking and lousy return game.
So perhaps the Gamecocks get back to making a special teams highlight every other week. Maybe redshirt freshman punter Mason Love is as good as advertised. And, heck, perhaps he also becomes USC’s starting kicker. Maybe one of South Carolina’s freshman receivers breaks out in the return game.
Or maybe the Gamecocks will just leave the highlights to LaNorris Sellers and the offense.
25 QUESTIONS FOR THE 2025 SEASON:
No. 25 — What South Carolina positions have the most question marks heading into season?
No. 24 — A Gamecocks victory over Va. Tech would be biggest season-opening win since when?
No. 23 — How will South Carolina’s QB room shake out in 2025 and beyond?
No. 22 — If USC beat Bama or LSU in ’24, would national conversation be different right now?
No. 21 — Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line take a step forward in 2025?
No. 20 — What former South Carolina football player will get his jersey retired next?
No. 19 — Can South Carolina get to the LSU game undefeated?
No. 18 — Will Fred Johnson be South Carolina’s next great LB?
No. 17 — What’s the most important stretch in USC’s 2025 schedule?
No. 16 — Can South Carolina’s defense stay elite despite all its roster turnover?
No. 15 — What South Carolina school records could be broken in 2025?
No. 14 — What’s the ceiling for USC’s running backs, with or without Rahsul Faison?
No. 13 — Can South Carolina’s special teams get back to Beamer Ball standard?
No. 12 — Have Gamecocks found right balance of high school football talent, transfers?
No. 11 — How will Shane Beamer go viral this year with South Carolina?
No. 10 — Is South Carolina too young at wide receiver?
No. 9 — Is this South Carolina’s easiest schedule in the Shane Beamer era?
No. 8 — Will there be noticeable changes in Mike Shula’s offense at South Carolina?
No. 7 — Can South Carolina football stay relatively healthy again in 2025?
No. 6 — Is this the last year for Williams-Brice Stadium as we know it?
No. 5 — What does a path to the playoff look like for South Carolina?
No. 4 — What happens if South Carolina football is no longer an underdog?
No. 3 — How would a 10-win season in 2025 shape Shane Beamer’s legacy in Columbia?
No. 2 — Can Dylan Stewart have a better season than Jadeveon Clowney did in 2012?
No. 1 — Can LaNorris Sellers become the best QB in South Carolina history?
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
