The seventh in a series previewing SEC football teams
HOOVER, Ala. — A lot of things went wrong for South Carolina last season as the Gamecocks struggled to a 2-8 finish against a 10-game SEC schedule.
It was the Gamecocks’ worst record since the went 0-11 under Lou Holtz — the former University of Arkansas coach — in 1999.
But 1999 was Holtz’s first season at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were 8-4 and 9-3 in his next two seasons.
Will Muschamp was in his fifth season at South Carolina in 2020, and the Gamecocks’ 9-4 record in 2017 seemed like a distance memory.
Gamecocks at a glance
SCHEDULE
DATE • OPPONENT
Sept. 4 Eastern Illinois
Sept. 11 at East Carolina
Sept. 18 at Georgia
Sept. 25 Kentucky
Oct. 2 Troy
Oct. 9 at Tennessee
Oct. 16 Vanderbilt
Oct. 23 at Texas A&M
Nov, 6 Florida
Nov. 13 at Missouri
Nov. 20 Auburn
Nov. 27 Clemson
LAST SEASON 2-8 (sixth in SEC East)
COACH Shane Beamer (first season)
RETURNING STARTERS 14: Offense 7, Defense 5, Specialty 2
KEY PLAYERS RB Kevin Harris, QB Luke Doty, TE Nick Muse, DE Kingsley Enagbare, CB Cam Smith, DT Jabari Ellis
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Marcus Satterfield (first year)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Clayton White (first year)
SEC EAST TITLE SCENARIO Beamer is the son of a Hall of Fame coach — Frank Beamer — and now in his first head coaching job will see if he can make a name for himself. He has been an assistant at several winning programs, including Oklahoma most recently with Lincoln Riley, at Virginia Tech with his father, at Georgia with Kirby Smart and at South Carolina with Steve Spurrier. But the Gamecocks have plenty of issues, as evidenced by their 2-8 record against SEC teams in 2020, and Clemson is back on the schedule this season. Beamer has a tough job ahead of him.
When South Carolina started 2-5, Muschamp was fired and replaced by offensive coordinator Mike Bobo on an interim basis.
Bobo is now Auburn’s offensive coordinator and Shane Beamer, a former South Carolina assistant from 2007-10 who was an Oklahoma assistant the previous three years, is the Gamecocks’ new coach.
Two things that went right for South Carolina last season were beating Auburn and the emergence of running back Kevin Harris.
The Gamecocks beat Auburn 30-22 for their first victory over the Tigers since 1933.
Auburn’s defense did a solid job against Harris, holding him to 83 yards on 25 carries, but he rushed for 100 more more yards in five games – and more than 200 twice — to become the first Gamecock to lead the SEC in rushing yards per game.
Harris, 5-10 and 225 pounds, rushed 185 times for 1,138 yards. He averaged 113.8 rushing yards to edge Alabama’s Najee Harris, who averaged 112.8.
“Obviously, we all know what Kevin Harris did at South Carolina last season,” Beamer said at SEC Media Days. “He’s excited to build upon that and to have an even better 2021 season.
“To lead the SEC in rushing yards per game and to go over a thousand yards on a team that didn’t have the success they wanted on the field, to me is remarkable, and just a testament to the workhorse that Kevin is.”
Harris, a junior from Hinesville, Ga., had his best games against Ole Miss (25 carries for 243 yards), Kentucky (21 for 210), Vanderbilt (21 for 171) and LSU (12 for 126). His 6.2 yards per carry average led all SEC backs with at least 150 carries.
“I definitely feel like he’s the best SEC back and really the best back in the nation, honestly,” South Carolina senior defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare said, “He’s definitely a guy who’s going to show out again this year, as he did last year.”
Gamecocks senior tight end Nick Muse helped block for Harris last season.
“Just about everything impresses me about Kevin,” Muse said. “Everything besides maybe his height, I guess.
“He’s a stud. If he’s on your team, you’re going to have a hell of running back. He’s a great guy, great kid, does the right things in and out of the building. Academic honor roll.
“When you see him running behind you, I could miss a block, and I’m still confident he’s going to make a positive play out of it just because of how much athletic ability he has and just who he is in general.
“He’s 220 pounds of straight muscle, so not many people want to tackle him, and he runs pretty dang fast.”
Beamer said Harris is a tough, physical runner.
“He’s a guy that it’s hard for one person to bring him down,” Beamer said. He’s a downhill runner that’s really worked to improve his game. Not just carrying the football, but running routes, pass protection, all that stuff.”
Harris showed he could be a weapon in the passing game last season when he had 21 catches for 159 yards.
“He definitely works hard,” Enagbare said, “Everything you seen last year is a result of his hard work.”
The Gamecocks scored 29 touchdowns with Harris accounting for 16. He had 15 rushing touchdowns and one touchdown catch.
But South Carolina’s record last season shows the Gamecocks need more than Harris’ production.
Harris scored five touchdowns against Ole Miss, but the Rebels won 59-42.
Muschamp was fired the next day.