South Carolina Football’s Three Keys to 2022 Success

The South Carolina Gamecocks ended 2021 on an ideal note as they dominated North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. They will need to improve on their 3-5 SEC record to finish higher than fifth in the East this fall.

By Steve Wright

Here are the three keys for the Gamecocks in 2022:

Spencer Rattler is as Advertised
Spencer Rattler was one of the big quarterback transfers out there and the Gamecocks beat a bunch of other schools for his commitment. A former top-rated quarterback coming out of high school, Ratterler can make every throw on the field and gives the Gamecocks a valuable leader under center.

It didn’t work out for Rattler at Oklahoma in 2021, but in 2020 he passed for over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns while running for eight more. Reproducing that level of quarterback play alone should see the Gamecocks rise up the rankings in the SEC East.

Can the Running game get Going?
The running game was a weird problem for South Carolina all of last year. The talent was there – it was almost like there was too much talent at times – but injuries, poor offensive line play, and just bad decisions in space by the backs kept the running game down. The Gamecocks come into 2022 with a running back group that looks solid. MarShawn Lloyd seems to top the depth chart, but Juju McDowell and Christian Beal-Smith (Wake Forest transfer) offer plenty too. Working out the best use of this trio might not be easy, but it will be massive if the Gamecocks are going to have a big season.

Kicker Concerns
Parker White has moved on and while both Mitch Jeter and Alex Herrera did all that was asked of them in making field goals during the Garnet and Black game, it is always a worry when you enter the season with a new kicker.

Pressure is a funny thing and how individuals will react to it is never known until they have to actually kick in a live game. South Carolina doesn’t feel like a team that is going to blow out many people this fall – especially in SEC games so the ability of the kickers to come through in the clutch will be important.