The South Carolina football team (3-7) will return to Williams-Brice Stadium once more on Saturday to face the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-4), following a five-game losing streak.
With four of their five previous losses coming at the hands of AP Top-25 ranked opponents, the Gamecocks seek their fourth win of the season after changes in coaching and a break from top ranked SEC opponents.
Currently, South Carolina is ranked second-to-last in the SEC conference rankings with a 1-7 conference record. Their most recent loss came against the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies, who, after trailing against South Carolina 30-3 at halftime, scored 28 unanswered points.
On the other hand, Coastal Carolina ranks second within the Sun Belt conference. With a winning record and a conference record of 5-2, their most recent loss came at the hands of Georgia Southern, losing to the Eagles in a close game, 45-40, on Nov. 15.
South Carolina currently ranks last in the SEC for points scored per game, with an average of 20.70 points, while the Chanticleers average 25.70 points per game.
Coastal Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback Tad Hudson has thrown for 620 yards with a 54.20 completion percentage. However, the Chanticleers don’t just rely on Hudson, showcasing depth within their quarterback room. Redshirt senior quarterback Samari Collier has appeared in the last five of their previous games, with a 48.72 completion percentage for 489 yards and seven touchdowns.
Junior running back Ja'Vin Simpkins leads the Chanticleers with 553 rushing yards. Collier follows behind Simpkins with 458 rushing yards but leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns.
“Offensively, they are running the heck out of the football. They’ve used three quarterbacks this year; all three quarterbacks are a threat with their legs," Beamer said. "They’re really deep at receiver, play a lot of guys at the receiver position, talented at the running back position, they have size on the offensive line and they present a lot of problems for us at a schematic standpoint."
By contrast, South Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers has a 60.17 completion percentage on the season with 9 total touchdowns. However, Sellers has been stalled, in part, due to 37 total sacks committed against him on the season.
Even with the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Shula following the Gamecocks’ Nov. 1 loss against Ole Miss, South Carolina’s offense has been struggling for the entire season. Despite putting up 30 points in the first half against Texas A&M, the Gamecocks were held scoreless in the second half.
Not only do the Gamecocks average the lowest scored points per game among the SEC, but they are also tied second to last with LSU for least number of touchdowns scored with 25.
However, South Carolina’s defense has managed to come up with stops. The Gamecocks are tied for third in the SEC conference for most interceptions with 11. With 11 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries, the team averages 2.1 takeaways per game. The team has also logged 19 sacks on the season for a loss of 131 total yards.
Coastal Carolina also showcases a strong defense. The team has recorded 65.5 tackles for a loss of 198 yards, with 17 sacks for a loss of 67 yards and 11 forced fumbles. The defense has also logged 10 interceptions.
“They’re certainly a team that has gotten better as the year has gone on," Beamer said. "They present some problems defensively ... the scheme is a little bit different than what we see week in, week out of this conference, so we’ve got to do a great job of putting together a plan to go attack a defensive structure that is a little bit different."
The game on Saturday marks South Carolina’s annual Salute to Troops game, as well as senior day. Beamer is looking forward to recognizing those within the military and honoring the senior football players.
“I want to honor those guys. They’ve given so much to the University of South Carolina," Beamer said. "They love being Gamecocks, and I would really hope that our fans would be in their seats early to show appreciation for those seniors that will be participating on Saturday."
With a competitive, eventful game this coming Saturday, the Gamecocks will also prepare to play against Clemson, simultaneously dealing with the fact of knowing they are no longer bowl eligible.
“Not going to a bowl game, the biggest disappointment is for our seniors because they deserve a better goodbye. So, the next two weeks, we will play for them,” sophomore linebacker Justin Okoronkwo said.
Similarly, senior defensive back DQ Smith believes that while disappointment has hit the team, they still have two games left to play together to finish the year off on a good foot.
“It’s definitely tough. You know, not the season none of us wanted. We definitely had higher expectations, but we still have two games left. We can finish this year off strong," Smith said. "Like coach said, we’re playing for the state championship now, so just finishing off these guys, finishing out the next two games, we can really finish on a strong note."
What's next?
The Gamecocks (3-7) will face off against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-4) this Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium with the kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.