South Carolina Football: 6 Challenges Facing the Gamecocks in 2012

Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks are anything but disappointed after giving the University of South Carolina its best football season in school history, posting an 11-2 record.

Having taken down Nebraska to win the Capital One Bowl and winning their third straight Palmetto Bowl over in-state rival Clemson, the Gamecocks still left a lot to be accomplished. A weak performance against the Auburn Tigers early in the season cost them a return trip to the SEC title game.

With the NFL Draft costing them some of their key players, the 'Cocks are going to have to deal with several things in order to build on their 2011 successes.

1. Marcus Lattimore's Health

The Gamecocks were 5-1 heading into an Oct. 15 game with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Up to this point, Lattimore had totaled 779 rushing yards through the first six games, averaging 5.34 yards per carry. After picking up 39 yards on 17 carries against Mississippi State, Lattimore suffered a knee injury that would force him to watch from the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

Having spent the rest of the season and offseason rehabbing his knee, Lattimore is poised to make a return for the 2012 season. Seeing as how much the Gamecocks have relied on him in the past, whether his knee is fully healed and able to stay healthy during the season will be a huge factor.

After his injury, the Gamecocks turned to freshman running back Brandon Wilds. Wilds proved instrumental in continuing the Gamecock's success, picking up 411 rushing yards on 94 carries.

If Lattimore has more knee problems this season, look for the Gamecocks to look to Wilds or Kenny Miles to carry the load.

2. Connor Shaw

The Gamecocks offense was headed by quarterback Stephen Garcia up until Oct. 11, 2011, when he was dismissed from the program after multiple violations of team rules. This set the stage for sophomore backup Connor Shaw to show his ability, and he did just that.

After taking the reins from Garcia, Shaw passed for 1,419 yards, completing 67.2 percent of his passes. His only loss came at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Shaw headed the Gamecocks to an 11-2 season, a third straight win over the Clemson Tigers and a win over Nebraska at the Capital One Bowl.

Shaw has been shaky in the past, however, and will need to add to his 2011 performance if the Gamecocks hope to improve from last season.

3. Alshon Jeffery's Departure

The Gamecock Nation sat and waited this summer, hoping that their beloved wide receiver would return for his senior year. But, as expected, Jeffery declared for the NFL draft and was taken in the second round by the Chicago Bears.

After playing such a key role in what the Gamecocks were able to accomplish in the 2011 season, they will need to find someone who can fill in Jeffery's shoes.

His biggest season came in 2010, where Jeffery made 88 receptions for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. After the quarterback switch in which Shaw took over, he saw his role diminished somewhat and was thrown less passes than in previous seasons. In his final season in a Gamecock uniform, Jeffery had 49 receptions for 762 yards and eight touchdowns.

Jeffery's decision to enter the draft may have been in part because of the fewer amount of passes he was getting, but nonetheless, the Gamecocks will need to find someone to step up to the plate and take over Jeffery's role.

4. Stephon Gilmore's Departure

Like his teammate Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore elected to bypass his senior year and go to the NFL. However, Gilmore yielded a higher pick in the draft than Jeffery, being selected in the first round (10th overall) by the Buffalo Bills.

He started off with a big role in punt returning and gradually shifted more into the defensive aspects of the game as his college career progressed. For his final year in a garnet and black, he put up 46 total tackles, 35 solo tackles and four interceptions. Gilmore really flourished near the end of his time as a Gamecock, which played a huge role in his getting a first-round bid from the Bills.

Moving on, the Cocks will have to find someone who is able to recreate what Gilmore started near the end of his career. Look for Akeem Auguste to be given more a role at corner in his senior season.

5. Melvin Ingram's Departure

Affectionately named "Super Melvin" by the Gamecock nation, Melvin Ingram will be missed in the 2012 season for plays like this one.

However, this fake punt return was not the only thing that led fans to give him the name Super Melvin. He also put up 48 total tackles, 31 solo tackles, two interceptions and 10 sacks, and three touchdowns on the season (two of which came in the game against Georgia).

For his efforts in 2011, he received All-Team Southeastern Conference and First-Team All-American honors. Considering all of that, it really is no wonder that he was taken in the first round by the San Diego Chargers.

Finding a suitable replacement for a player of this caliber won't be an easy task for Steve Spurrier and crew, but it must be done if the Gamecocks hope to enjoy similar success this coming season.

6. Jadeveon Clowney's Role

Being the No. 1 high school pick coming into the 2011 season, Jadeveon Clowney had his own version of LeBron James' "The Decision" in which he told the nation he would be taking his talents to central South Carolina and playing for the Gamecocks.

The hype that he generated set the stage for the Gamecocks' season early. Clowney came to the team and played a smaller role than most thought he would in his freshman season, but look for that to change.

In 2011, Clowney registered eight sacks, 37 total tackles and 18 solo tackles. Having that year of experience under his belt now, look for the Gamecocks to expect more out of him this coming season.