Gamecocks believe they're 'right on the doorstep' of turning losses into wins. But are they that close?
They're right there. It's right in front of them for the taking.
But time after time, South Carolina hasn't been able to finish. It's been a common theme of not just this season but Gamecock football in general. It's like seeing light at the end of the tunnel and then it cuts to black.
There have been many cases of this. Go back to last year when South Carolina had a 14-3 lead over No. 1 Georgia at halftime in Athens then didn't score another point en route to a 24-14 loss. Even this season, the Gamecocks had the lead in the fourth quarter against both LSU and Alabama. You see where this is going?
The point is, South Carolina has played much better than it did in an inferior 5-7 campaign last year. But while the performances have been more competitive, the team hasn't been able to throw the knockout punch. In both of those aforementioned losses, the Gamecocks beat the Gamecocks. They got in their own way with self-inflicted mistakes and paid the price.
"We've had two losses to top 10 teams by a total of five points. We had plenty of opportunities in both those games to win it," head coach Shane Beamer said. "The thing we've got to do a great job of is finishing. There's a lot of things that are disappointing about those games but probably the biggest thing for me is just that in both those games we led going into the fourth quarter. ... Those are the first two times in my time as the head coach that we've lost a game that we led going into the fourth quarter and it's happened twice now."
If you want to argue that LSU and Alabama were the better teams on those days, go for it. However, there's no denying South Carolina has played a hand in its own shortcomings. 13 penalties against the Tigers. Whether the calls were right or wrong is not the point. It also had a 17-0 lead and didn't keep pouring it on.
On the road in Tuscaloosa last weekend, nobody gave the Gamecocks a chance. But that's when they're at their best. They found a way to hold onto the lead into the fourth quarter. Just like before, though, the mistakes arrived just in the nick of time. South Carolina turned the ball over four times, which allowed Alabama to score six points off those mistakes, becoming the difference in a 27-25 loss.
So, with a trip to Oklahoma on deck, why are things going to be different? What will suddenly change to turn these excruciating losses into happier wins?
"We play cleaner football," Beamer said. "And we can look back at Saturday in Tuscaloosa and and there's so many opportunities on all three phases: offense, defense and special teams that we had opportunities to finish that game and not even let it get to a final drive. And a lot of those things are self-inflicted whether it be penalties, turnovers, you name it.
"We've just got to continue to be better and grow and learn and get better each and every week. And I see a lot of signs of that."
In fairness, it does feel like the team isn't that far off. If it weren't for the penalties and turnovers, South Carolina is probably 5-1 and looking to lock up a bowl bid this weekend.
Instead, there is still plenty of work to do at 3-3 with six games to go. But they know they're close to turning it around. The only question is, will they?
