Progress Made: Gamecocks 2016 Season Review
Now that some time has passed and many deep breaths have been taken, we are far enough removed from that beat down in Clemson to have some perspective. The bitter taste of such a resounding defeat to their biggest rival will always sting. However, that defeat should not overshadow the positives that can be found in Will Muschamp’s first season at South Carolina. Despite some struggles throughout the year, there is no doubt that progress was made in year one.
Most national analysts had the Gamecocks pegged as a team void of talent. Preseason predictions were calling for three wins or less. There were so many questions marks on offense and defense in the Fall; the team had too many unknowns for optimism. South Carolina was a team playing more than 75% freshman and sophomores, coming off a three-win season mired in turmoil.
Surpassing Expectations
To the surprise of many, the Gamecocks were able to reach six wins and receive an invite to the Birmingham Bowl. Getting that seventh win will not be easy, as South Carolina will face a 10-win South Florida team on December 29th. With expectations as low as they were heading into 2016, ending the season with a winning record would be a huge boost.
Coach Muschamp’s team is very young, and the extra bowl practices alone should benefit this program moving forward. With the extra practice time, this young team could show further progress before next season. The offense should benefit most from the extra work, with so many freshman contributing this year. After a disappointing first half to the season, South Carolina was able to change the program’s trajectory by winning four of its final six games.
The Positives
The Gamecocks struggled mightily through the first half of the season. Six games in, and South Carolina was among the worst in the country in scoring offense. During the bye week, coach Muschamp decided to pull the redshirt off of Jake Bentley and give him a chance to lead the offense.
Freshman Backfield
He took his chance and never looked back. The young signal caller finished his half season with 1,030 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions. His decision-making and energy galvanized the sputtering Gamecock offense. Bentley showed progress over his six games as the starter, and now has a platform of experience to build on.
Bentley’s emergence coincided with the return to health of freshman tailback Rico Dowdle, who missed the first handful of games recovering from a preseason injury. Once he was able to step into the lineup, South Carolina’s running game began to show promise. He finished with over 700 yards for the year, and ran for more than 85 yards in each of the Gamecocks’ final four wins. The freshman from Asheville, NC, has shown a toughness when running, and also shown the ability to make guys miss as well.
Catching On
True freshman, which is a theme with this team, Bryan Edwards showed from the beginning that he could become a star. He had eight catches and 100 yards in his first career game at Vanderbilt. He has the frame, athleticism, and skill set to follow in the footsteps of former Gamecocks standouts Sidney Rice, Alshon Jeffery, and Pharoh Cooper.
The Gamecocks were also able to utilize its tight ends this season. Hayden Hurst and K.C. Crosby were both able to contribute this season, and the two tight end sets helped with the lack of depth at receiver. Standing at 6’5″ with wide receiver skills, Hurst showed his potential as a match-up nightmare for defenses. Crosby showed considerable athleticism and the ability to make tough grabs in traffic, despite now having typical tight end size.
Sophomore Deebo Samuel was arguably the Gamecocks’ best offensive player this year. He is and explosive player, making big plays in both the passing game and running the football. He led the team with 45 catches and nearly 600 yards, despite missing three games with a hamstring issues. Samuel also contributed five rushing touchdowns on only fourteen carries. The speed sweep inside the red zone became a fixture in the offensive game plan.
Defensive Upgrade
The previous two seasons for the Garnet and Black defense were record-breaking. Unfortunately, none of the records broken were very good ones. Will Muschamp, known for his defensive prowess, brought a more aggressive approach to that side of the ball, which was evident from the beginning of the year. After allowing an average of over 30 points per game for the two previous seasons, it took until the eleventh game for an opponent to surpass that mark this year.
With basically the same talent as a season prior, the defense showed progress early. The Gamecocks were very much a ‘bend but don’t break’ defense. They also feasted on turnovers, and were especially good at forcing mistakes in the red zone. Depth and team speed were the biggest issues, which eventually caught up to them. The defense did not look the same over the last few weeks, possibly being worn down from a long season and a roster short on depth.
The Negatives
At 6-6 overall, there will undoubtedly be negatives to counter the positives. This season for the South Carolina was no different. The poor offensive showings during the 2-4 start to the year and the dismal defensive effort in the rivalry game, are prime examples.
Game Didn’t Travel
South Carolina was awful in road games this year. Struggling on the road is not totally unexpected with such a young team, however, the degree to which they struggled is concerning. The Gamecocks managed only one touchdown in the first half of its five road games this season. Their only victory away from Williams-Brice Stadium was the season opener in Nashville against Vanderbilt. They scored 14 points in a loss at Mississippi State, the most points they scored away from home. We all know how the last road game went, so no need to mention that again.
Not So Special Teams
The kicking game was solid this year; the same cannot be said for the rest of the special teams performances. Punter Sean Kelly and kicker Elliot Fry, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer, had solid seasons. Otherwise, the kick return and coverage units were poor. Coach Muschamp mentioned multiple times that lack of depth and team speed hindered his special teams units, in addition to the aforementioned affects on his defense.
The punt return team was a mystery all to itself. Early in the year, fumbled punts were a recurring problem. By mid-season, fans and coaches alike were just hoping to find someone who could field a punt cleanly and secure possession.
Unfortunately, they were never able to solve this issue. Often the Gamecock returners just let punts land without fielding them, costing the team valuable yards in field position in almost every game.
Shaky Line
South Carolina was beaten up at the point of attack in most of their losses this season. The defensive and offensive lines both had some very poor performances throughout the year. Having your lines on either side of the ball get manhandled can be demoralizing for a team, regardless of talent or depth issues. That happened to both lines for Carolina, in multiple games this year. The offensive line was looked at as a strength heading into the year, but injuries and inconsistency stifled its progress.
Offensive line coach Shawn Elliot recently accepted the head coaching job at Georgia State. In addition, reports that strength assistant Cedric Williams will also join Elliott as offensive line coach, so there will be a new look to the offensive line next year.
Progress and Move Forward
As stated before, this team was one of the youngest in the country this season. Doubling its win total from a year ago and earning a bowl bid, showed progress and laid a foundation to build on. Young players emerging at skill positions show promise for the future, and should continue to grow together. Ten of the 11 offensive starters will return next season. The defense will lose some veterans, but will also gain one back in All-SEC linebacker Skai Moore, who missed 2016 due to injury.
Will Muschamp has built a good energetic staff, one that values the hard work needed in recruiting. He said after the upstate loss that the only way to fix things is through recruiting. He has shown already that he will not be outworked in that regard. The Birmingham Bowl against South Florida comes up next, and with it a chance for the Gamecocks to end the season with a winning record.
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