By james art 
The South Carolina Gamecocks were on the verge of making the 2024 College Football Playoff. Here’s where they didn’t go wrong with The Bad from the Gamecocks’ 2024 season.
The South Carolina Gamecocks were respectable (9-3) at the climax of the regular season. They were even on the verge of being born into the College Football Playoff, or at least had a strong case to be one of the final 12 teams selected to compete for a title. That was until they were defeated by Illinois in their bowl game to finish (9-4) on the year. It was a season made up of many good ones, here are the bad moments of the 2024 seasons.
Revolutions:
Although they showed promise, the Gamecocks showed many flaws during the season. The turnover bug bit the Gamecocks hard in 2024. and it turned out to be contagious. With 21 turnovers, tied for 10th in the nation, their margin for error disappeared. In every regular season game they lost, they had the most turnovers. Their worst performance was a four-turnover game against Alabama that featured a La Norris Sellers fumble that led to an Alabama touchdown. While they have promise, they need to clean up the turnovers to be successful.
Laying an Egg vs. Ole Miss:
Teams having a game where nothing seems to be going their way is not uncommon in football. South Carolina was no exception as they played their worst game of the season during the October 5th game. According to the box score, the 27-3 scoreline was puzzling. The Gamecocks had more time of possession and first downs, which usually indicates a win in football, or at least would usually make for a more competitive game. However, as previously mentioned, the offensive line was dominated by a tenacious Ole Miss defensive front led by Walter Nolen. They prevented the Gamecock offense from establishing any rhythm and turned the ball over twice. Ole Miss simply outplayed South Carolina in every aspect. If the Gamecocks see themselves as a contender, they can’t have games where they can be dominated like that, especially considering they have to go through the SEC gauntlet.
Getting robbed against LSU:
This game may be remembered as the cliché “one that got away” from South Carolina’s 2024 season. After dominating early, the game turned after Lanoris Sellers was injured after being sacked late in the first half. He did not return to the game. Without Sellers, the offense stagnated and couldn’t establish any momentum after backup QB Robbie Ashford took over. The only offensive TD of the half came on an explosive 66-yard touchdown run by Rocket Sanders. Despite the offensive sputters, the Gamecocks still seemingly sealed the game after a huge pick-six from standout defensive back Nick Emanuori. Instead of extending their lead to 40-29 and potentially putting the nail in the coffin with less than six minutes left in the game, the officials called the TD back after a flagrant foul was called on Kyle Kennard. Kennard shoved LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier as he chased the return. The questionable flag took away every bit of momentum that could have carried the Gamecocks to victory. The Gamecock offense did not score another point and the Tigers emerged victorious 36-33 after South Carolina kicker Alex Herrera missed a game-tying attempt that would have sent the game to overtime. If officials hadn’t thrown the controversial flag, the 2024 story. in the South Carolina Gamecocks could have had a much different ending.
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