COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina needs to gets its offense going — and in a hurry.
The Gamecocks emphasized starting faster out of the gate on offense throughout the offseason and figured to have a few bumps minus playmakers like quarterback Spencer Rattler and receiver Xavier Legette.
But things were supposed to be better than what they showed last week in the opener, a 23-19 victory where the Gamecocks’ attack looked like it was playing in quicksand instead.
“No one’s happy in this building with the offensive performance at all,” coach Shane Beamer said Tuesday.
Especially not after the Monarchs of the Sun Belt Conference held South Carolina to 288 yards, just 114 passing. There were long drives stalled inside Old Dominion’s 30 and missed connections between first-time starter LaNorris Sellers and his receivers.
“We all need to be better,” Beamer said. “Starting with me.”
And things won’t get easier as the Gamecocks (1-0) start Southeastern Conference play at Kentucky (1-0) — it’s the first league game of the season and the only one played Saturday.
Even with Rattler, who threw for 3,186 yards, and Legette, who had 1,255 yards to rank second among receivers, The Gamecocks were 12th out of 14 SEC teams in offense last season.
The inexperience showed. Coastal Carolina transfer receiver Jared Brown dropped a sure touchdown pass on a well-thrown ball by Sellers, the second-year freshman who tutored under Rattler last season.
Sellers, usually sure handed, fumbled and was sacked four times.
Arkansas transfer Rocket Sanders, brought in to spark up the running game, showed some glimpses of his time with the Razorbacks and finished with 88 yards on 24 carries as the offensive line played inconsistently.
It was South Carolina’s defense that made the game-changing plays, forcing an Old Dominion fumble near the goal line that Sellers took 6 yards for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard and South Carolina freshman defensive end Dylan Stewart were co-SEC linemen of the week. The two combined for four sacks against the Monarchs and Stewart forced two fumbles, including the one in the fourth quarter that led to the Gamecocks final touchdown.
“That’s the hallmark of what our team’s going to be,” Kennard said. “There are going to be games where we need to pick it up and our offense is going to walk on ahead. We were able to do that for them this season.”
Sellers acknowledged he may have gotten caught up in the moment of his first start in front of some 78,000 people. He felt the nerves, rushed some of his decisions and did not have the usually solid technique he had shown throughout fall camp.
“It wasn’t the best,” Sellers said. “I was tentative a little bit, kind of nervous, scared of making a mistake. I’ve just got to play like myself.”
When the game ended, Beamer, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and offensive analyst Mike Shula all talked with Sellers about keeping positive and staying within himself.
Beamer told him before the game, “he didn’t need to be Superman. We’re better with the talent around him than were around Spencer last year.”
Beamer was pleased with his offense line, which included starter Josiah Thompson, a 6-7, 300-pound freshman, at left tackle.
“We played really, really hard on the offensive line,” Beamer said.
The group will need to up its effort this week against Kentucky, whose defense is led by a 6-6, 345-pound disrupter in tackle Deone Walker.
Walker “can wreck your entire gameplan, not just mess up a play,” Beamer said with admiration.
Sellers is confident he and the Gamecocks’ offense play will correct the issues and play like they know they can.
“I think it was just a first-game thing, with 80,000 people,” Sellers said. “Now, that I got that out of the way, I think I’ll be good from now on.”
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