South Carolina football's game against Akron on Saturday was great. Some might even say wonderful.
Gamecock redshirt senior quarterback Robby Ashford, stepped on the field and dominated going 15 for 21. Then, when third-string quarterback and sixth-year Davis Beville came in, he didn’t let the team down either. Freshman wide receiver Mazeo Bennett had a touchdown, senior running back Juju McDowell had a touchdown, sixth-year running back Oscar Adaway III had two rushing touchdowns, and the Gamecocks ended the game with zero turnovers.
It was a stunning performance.
But wouldn't it be so much sweeter if the Gamecocks had come out on top against LSU a week prior? It would have meant an undefeated record for the Gamecocks thus far, and it would put South Carolina on the map as serious contenders in the SEC.
Instead, this past weekend’s win just seems bland — just a tick in the win column that was almost guaranteed going into the game.
Let's be honest, Akron doesn’t exactly have the best record. The Zips went 2-10 in the last three seasons and 0-4 against SEC teams. If the Gamecocks lost Saturday's game, this column probably wouldn't have even been written.
The student section was raucous for the entire game against LSU. All Gamecock fans knew that this was a big game for South Carolina, and emotions were heightened even more with the presence of College GameDay here in Columbia.
It was loud — so loud that the LSU quarterback looked visibly frazzled on some plays. Head coach Shane Beamer said in a pre-game press conference earlier that week that the energy of the fans would be important in this game, and he was right.
However, all of the life was sucked out of that stadium when sixth-year kicker Alex Herrera missed a last minute field goal. Everyone was heartbroken but not just because the Gamecocks lost.
Some seriously questionable flags were thrown in that LSU game, so much so that Beamer sent several plays to the SEC review following the game.
Let’s recap a few of the most controversial.
Most notably, there were two pick-6s overturned on personal foul calls against fifth-year edge rusher Kyle Kennard. Then a deep ball that was caught by LSU senior wide receiver Kyren Lacy at the 4-yard line was originally ruled an incomplete catch but was overturned and was ruled a fair catch with less than two minutes left in the game.
Now, it doesn't mean that none of these calls had any validity, because they might have. It’s hard for fans to judge when they are not right on the field in the middle of a play like the officials are.
However, the fact that Beamer sent in “several” plays to the SEC office when he had sent over none the past two weeks should say something. Unfortunately for Beamer, and for fans, nothing came of the review. The score will stay the same, the loss will still count and the game obviously will not be replayed.
And it is safe to say that fans feel absolutely gutted. One fan on X wrote that the officials threw more flags than the South Carolina quarterbacks threw footballs.
This was South Carolina’s chance to make a statement and really prove that the team can take on serious competitors, especially after having a blowout win against Kentucky the week prior.
South Carolina made some pretty big mistakes too. The team turned the ball over one too many times for comfort and made errors, such as jumping offsides on the fourth down. There is certainly room for the team to improve.
But it is frustrating that a game that started so well, ended so poorly. Flags and penalties aside, the Gamecocks squandering a 17-0 lead to a team whose total defense is still not ranked in the top 50 is embarrassing and disappointing to fans. Gamecock loyalists know that this team can do better, just look at their performance against Akron last week, or their stellar show against Kentucky a few weeks ago.
With another win under its belt and a bye-week next week, South Carolina can find its footing again. The team understands that the whole country is watching now, and it needs to step up their game. Hopefully, redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers and senior running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders get healthy for their next game because the Gamecocks are going to need all the help they can get on Oct. 5 against No. 5 Ole Miss.
And although it might be a controversial opinion, the Gamecock still have a chance to win against the Rebels.