South Carolina Football: 7 Reasons the Gamecocks Will Improve over Last Year

The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off their most successful season in recent memory, winning 11 games and a bowl victory for the first time since 2006. With 13 starters returning, including seven on the offensive side of the ball, this could be an even bigger season for that forgotten team in the SEC.

While everybody is talking about Arkansas, LSU and Alabama to win the SEC, the Gamecocks could be the surprise team of this conference in 2012 if a few things go right.

With the college football season right around the corner, here is why South Carolina will have an even better season in 2012.

Bruce Ellington Is Due for a Breakout Season

Wide receiver and kick returner Bruce Ellington really showed some of his potential last season. He caught 17 passes for 211 yards, rushed for 106 yards and returned 20 kickoffs for 463 yards.

It was a mystery on whether Ellington would even play football in 2012 or just stick to basketball, but he has decided to play both sports.

With the wide receiver position a little shaky, the playbook should open up a bit more for Ellington. He isn't the biggest player at 5'9", 197 pounds, but he has great speed and big-play ability.

Look for the sophomore to have an even bigger season and become more of a factor in special teams and on the offense.

Quarterback Connor Shaw Should Be More Comfortable

For a quarterback that was thrown into the starting lineup after Stephen Garcia began his whole mess, Connor Shaw handled everything fairly well.

Shaw completed over 65 percent of his passes, threw for over 1,400 yards and tossed 14 touchdowns. Those numbers also don't include his mobility, as he rushed for 525 yards and an extra eight scores.

Now, with a year under his belt and a whole offseason to prepare with the starters, Shaw is building up confidence and should enter the 2012 season even better.

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There are a lot of things he can do better. Head coach Steve Spurrier said. But, man, he finished up last year about as well as you can. He got a lot of passing in this spring, too, and works at it exactly the way you'd hope your quarterback would. We're still working with him. He’s done some things a lot better. He needs to get better with his look-offs and speeding up his delivery, which he’s done. (Via ESPN)

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The Gamecocks passing game was ranked 95th in the country last season; expect those numbers to improve with an improved Shaw taking over.

Steve Spurrier Finally Got over the Hump

Head coach Steve Spurrier had won 81 percent of his games at Florida, including six bowl games, six SEC championships and a national championship.

However, it took him a while to find that magic once he began coaching South Carolina.

It looks like he is beginning to figure things out in Columbia, as he is now undefeated against rivals such as Clemson, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee the last two seasons.

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The record against Tennessee and Florida in 13 years was one win and 25 losses. Now, we're 7-7 and swept Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee the last two years and are 8-0 against those guys. I think Lou [Holtz] was 3-21 in his six years against those four. Steve Spurrier said. (Via ESPN)

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It has been a while since we have considered Spurrier as one of the top coaches in the country, but this is a coach that is second all-time in SEC victories, only behind legendary Bear Bryant.

It may have taken him seven years to figure things out, but things could get real interesting if he can continue this success.

Shaq Roland Will Replace Alshon Jeffery

South Carolina put together a 2012 recruiting class that includes 25 talented prospects. One of the biggest signings of that group is wide receiver Shaq Roland, who will be expected to help fill Alshon Jeffery's shoes.

Jeffery was a terrific receiver for three seasons at South Carolina, hauling in over 150 passes for over 2,500 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.

Roland is a 5-star wideout who has decent size at 6'1", 200 pounds and gets downfield in a hurry. He is very athletic, has great hands and can even be a factor on special teams, due to his playmaking ability.

It is foolish to expect a freshman to put up Jeffrey-type numbers right away, but Roland should do a nice job of making Gamecock fans forget about the former receiver.

Jadeveon Clowney Is Entering His Second Season

Jadeveon Clowney was the prized pickup of the 2011 class, and he certainly didn't disappoint in his freshman season. The former 5-star defensive end finished the year with 36 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Heading into his sophomore season, Clowney has the talent to become one of the best defensive players the college level has ever seen. His athletic ability is through the roof, he gets off the ball more quickly than anybody on the field and makes things extremely difficult for the opposing offensive linemen.

He is also hungry for more individual and team success in 2012.

“All of that makes me feel good, but what’s important is what we do on the field this season,’’ he said. “The 11 wins last year were a school record. But we are better than that. We are hungry and want more.’’ (Via HeraldOnline.com)

With Clowney picking up a year of experience, you can expect him to take that next step as a football player and have a career season.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com

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Clowney's Pass Rush Will Help This Young Secondary

With players like Clowney and Devin Taylor rushing the passer, it should make things easier for a secondary that has a few question marks. The Gamecocks lost a few members of last year's secondary, including first-round pick Stephon Gilmore.

But even with the holes to fill, this unit is not short on talent. Junior cornerback Victor Hampton has the potential to become one of the best corners in this conference. He is very aggressive, has great ball skills and is awesome at jamming his receiver at the line.

The Gamecocks also look to get back Akeem Auguste, who missed the entire season due to a foot injury. He finished the 2010 season with 58 tackles, four tackles for loss and two broken-up passes.

The safety position will be led by senior D.J. Swearinger, who has over 150 career tackles and four interceptions in only 21 career starts.

While depth in the defensive backfield may be an issue, the talent is there. With a relentless pass rush up front, it will make things easier for this group of guys until they figure things out.

Marcus Lattimore Is Back

I'm not sure there is a more consistent back in the country than Marcus Lattimore.

He rushed for over 1,100 yards in 2010, scoring 19 touchdowns. Last season, he averaged five yards a carry, rushed for 818 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in just seven games. Lattimore ended up suffering a knee injury, which forced him to miss half of the season.

Good news for Gamecock fans is that he expects to be 100 percent by the time the season begins.

When healthy, Lattimore is a Heisman candidate and arguably the best back in college football. He should once again be the workhorse for this offense and will add another great player to this team as South Carolina chases an SEC title.