In test game, South Carolina falls short against No. 12 Ole Miss

Saturday was supposed to be about South Carolina proving something.

Proving that the Gamecocks didn’t need that quitter, Juice Wells. Proving that South Carolina’s defense was truly threatening, that no offensive genius could stop Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart. Proving that USC was a real threat, worthy of all the hype and praise that should have come after the LSU game.

Instead, in their 27-3 loss to No. 12 Ole Miss, the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2 SEC) showed that they are still outmatched against the SEC’s elite, and it’s hard to say how close South Carolina is on the rise because it can’t get out of its own way.

It may be foolish to delve into the minutiae of a game that was clearly dominated by one side, but every moment South Carolina could have turned its fortunes around or conjured a bit of momentum, it hit a wall.

“I’m surprised by the way we played, to be frank and completely honest with you,” head coach Shane Beamer said.

What went wrong against Ole Miss?

It started on the first offensive series of the game, a series that for some reason did not include starting running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Facing a fourth-and-1 in their own territory, the Gamecocks lined up to punt, hitting the Beamer Ball button to absolutely no one’s surprise.

Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1 SEC) loaded the box. South Carolina took a shot directly at tight end Maurice Brown. He didn’t gain a single meter. The Rebels scored a touchdown a minute and a half later.

“I thought we had a good decision, it was something we’ve been representing since August,” Beamer said. “Not very good of me. I certainly wish I could get it back. I thought we could get a subway.”

South Carolina got the ball back and seemed to abandon its offensive script, preferring pretty over comfortable. The Gamecocks brought in backup quarterback Robby Ashford, who fumbled untouched. The Rebels scored another touchdown three minutes later.

If that was simply bad luck, what soon followed for South Carolina were questionable coaching decisions.

Ole Miss had the ball with just over a minute left when Kennard sacked quarterback Jaxon Dart for minus 7 yards. There was a flag on the play to hold the Rebels, which meant Beamer had two options: put Ole Miss on first and 20 or second and 17. He chose the first option and the Rebels were at the goal line three plays after.

“I don’t really remember (that play),” Beamer said after the game. “I will have an answer (Sunday) night” on his weekly conference call.

Early in the second half, it looked like Beamer wanted to grab one of South Carolina’s white towels and start waving it in front of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Facing a fourth-and-four with his team trailing by 21 points, Beamer sent in kicker Alex Herrera to keep a three-point game in a three-point game.

Herrera’s kick missed. Beamer looked like a man who had just spent his life savings on a hand of blackjack. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back.

Those are not the decisions or plays that ultimately doomed South Carolina. Those are just the decisions or plays that ensured the Gamecocks had no chance of pulling off their biggest upset in two years.

Ole Miss outscored South Carolina 425-315. He had six quarterback sacks to one for the Gamecocks.

USC quarterback LaNorris Sellers returned from his ankle injury suffered against LSU and started Saturday’s game. He finished 20 of 32 passing for 162 yards and one interception. He ran the ball 15 times for 55 yards but lost 25 yards on sacks.

South Carolina also had a series of ill-timed penalties (eight total for 90 yards) continuing a season-long trend of this Gamecocks team being undisciplined.

“(This is) the most disappointed I’ve been as a football coach with the way we played,” Beamer said. “And that starts with me.”

South Carolina was called offside four times in three quarters, each time when Ole Miss faced third and long.

Also on third down: Stewart, the true freshman star pass rusher, sacked Dart, which should have set up an Ole Miss punt, except Stewart stood next to Dart and pretended he had a shotgun, then mimed shooting the quarterback of Ole Miss field.

A flag waved. Ole Miss got a first down.

South Carolina, once again, proved that it’s impossible to beat an opponent when you can’t stop beating yourself.

South Carolina’s next game

Who: South Carolina at Alabama

When: October 12 at noon

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Television: ABC