It’s no surprise that a large part of Beamer’s success early in coaching career at South Carolina has been due to special teams. This was on full display in his first 2 seasons as South Carolina qualified for a bowl game in each. Last season, however, special teams lacked their fireworks and the Gamecocks missed out on the bowl season.
If special teams can get back to being special, they will go bowling. However, if this unit under achieves, South Carolina will be lucky to win 5 games again.
Look back at Beamer’s first 2 seasons and you’ll find multiple examples of games in which the outcome was heavily influenced by special teams in South Carolina’s favor. Georgia State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Clemson from 2022 and East Carolina and Vandy from 2021 are all examples in which South Carolina either won directly because of a special teams play or a special teams play greatly influenced the outcome of the game in favor of the Gamecocks.
Had it not been for these special teams plays, South Carolina would not have won these games and would have missed out on a bowl appearance. Said another way, they were not good enough offensively or defensively to win these games and needed the help of special teams to make it to 6 wins those seasons.
During his first 2 seasons, I think South Carolina’s intensity, attention to detail, preparation, and actual game-planning on special teams took opponents by surprise. The extent of special teams preparation for most teams is trying to prevent mistakes that cost them an opportunity to win. For South Carolina, they’re trying to make game swinging plays on this side of the ball.
I like that approach and do not argue with Beamer wanting to have one of the best special teams units in the country. It has won him several games that the Gamecocks probably should not have won and is a big part of the game. I am definitely not trying to take anything away from those wins.
The problem with special teams is that the ceiling of success is much lower than the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Meaning, it’s much easier to reach your potential and “empty the chamber” of play calling compared to offense and defense. I think special teams is the hardest facet of the game to sustain year-to-year.
Offensively and defensively, personnel changes each year and, as a result, the identity on each side of the ball does as well. Maybe it’s not a drastic change, but there are new wrinkles added each year which contribute to and change the dynamics of that side of the ball. It’s just easier to keep expanding the playbook on offense and defense compared to special teams.
The result of maxing out the potential on special teams is what we saw last year: a special teams unit that was not really that special. Sure, there were still the trick plays and some blocked kicks/punts, but these plays lacked any real impact on the outcome of the game. It looked like opponents were beginning to catch on to South Carolina’s tricks and started to expect the unexpected.
It did not help that injuries to offense and defense took away from the available players on special teams and impacted the continuity to that unit, but things are not going to get any easier for the offense or defense next season.
Offensively, question marks remain to the offensive line, the best RB on the team has an injury history that significantly reduced his production a season ago, the entire WR position is a giant enigma, a first-time starter is taking over at QB, and the offensive coordinator had ups and downs in his first season. I think there is reason for optimism surrounding the offense next season, but at this point, it’s hard to imagine an offense that’s better in its first season without Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette while some of the same issues remain.
I like the additions to the defensive side of the ball. The front 7 looks to be much deeper and full of athleticism compared to past seasons. The defensive line, in particular, looks to have a much needed combination of size on the interior and speed on the outside which will hopefully result in the ability to stop the run and get pressure on the QB. Regardless of conference and level of football, this is a formula for defensive success all season long.
This is the side of the ball that has underwhelmed, however, despite having talented guys at all 3 levels. I expect it to be much better, but is it going to be so dominant that it can overcome possible and, at times, likely offensive struggles? As a Gamecock fan, it would be awesome if it were this improved, but we will have to see it to believe it.
That’s why, I believe, that in order for the Gamecocks to reach the bowl season, special teams have to be special again. I think this starts with the team as a whole staying healthy so that this unit is not depleted of talent. I also think that how it performs in the absence of Lembo will determine not just the success of the special teams but the team as a whole.
We know that Beamer will be heavily involved with this side of the ball, so we can all expect there to be plenty of tricks. Will these impact the outcome of the games, though? If they do, South Carolina may steal a few games as an underdog and easily qualify for a bowl, but if the special teams are far from special, it could be another underwhelming season from Beamer in year four.