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Will Muschamp was brought in to help revitalize the South Carolina program and snap it back from last season’s 3-9 finish.
Of course, after a season like the Gamecocks had in 2015, there is a multitude of areas in which the team needs to get better.
Still, some issues require immediate attention, and here are five areas the team must improve to have a successful 2016:
STABILITY
Right out of the chute, things need to settle down. Here are just a few of the non-football related issues with which the team dealt last season:
- Steve Spurrier’s “enemies” press conference in July
- Torrential flooding in Columbia forced the Gamecocks to play a “home” game in Baton Rouge
- Spurrier’s decision to resign mid-season, elevating Shawn Elliott to interim coach
- A final month of the season filled with coaching search rumors
You can throw in a few other things, too. Connor Mitch’s shoulder injury, Brandon Wilds’ rib injury and a near-miss upset of No. 1 Clemson are just a few things that could have turned out differently.
Long story short, Muschamp needs to keep the focus on the field in 2016. As for injuries, there’s a solution for that, too.
TALENT/DEPTH
Injuries impact almost every college football team at one point or another during a season. The way to combat that is to build a deep roster filled with capable replacements.
Muschamp and his staff — specifically Travaris Robinson — are already addressing this issue with a strong late push for the 2016 recruiting cycle. There were 12 commitments the day Muschamp was hired in early December. Roughly six weeks later, that number is 21 (and rising).
The Gamecocks’ rise in the recruiting rankings has to excite fans about what this group can do with a full cycle next season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
South Carolina had the worst defense in the SEC last season and was dead last against the run (217 yards allowed per game).
The blame starts with the defensive line. Marquavius Lewis led the unit with 45 tackles, which was sixth on the team. Defensive backs occupied three of the first five spots on the tackle chart, which means that interior linemen Gerald Dixon Jr., Dante Sawyer and Phillip Dukes weren’t able to keep offensive linemen from reaching the second level. When that happens, linebackers get blocked and safeties have to tackle running backs.
A better pass rush from the ends would help as well. Darius English led the team with 4.5 sacks, while Lewis added three.
Muschamp and company recognize this, which explains why six of their current recruits play on the defensive line.
RUNNING BACK
Wilds showed flashes in his senior season, posting three 100-yard rushing games and leading the team with 567 yards.
He also missed most of the Georgia game and all of three other contests with injuries. His career ended after only three carries and eight yards against Clemson because of a concussion.
With Wilds and Shon Carson gone, finding some consistency at the position may depend on true freshmen. David Williams (299 yards, 3.5 yards per carry) was unspectacular in relief of Wilds last year, and he’s likely to be pushed hard by newcomers CJ Freeman, who’s already enrolled, and Rico Dowdle.
QUARTERBACK
Unless a team has a great defense, and quite a bit of luck, it’s tough to win without a good quarterback.
Former walk-on Perry Orth did what Mitch and Lorenzo Nunez could not last season — stay healthy enough to play. He was the league’s ninth-rated passer, finishing with 1,929 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine picks.
As of right now, every quarterback that took a snap last season remains on the roster, but they’ll have to contend with true freshman Brandon McIlwain, who’s already on campus, to win the job next season.
No matter who wins the job, getting a few more big plays from the position — especially in the red zone — would go a long way toward improving the offense.
Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.
