Let’s predict South Carolina’s 2022 football schedule results, game by game

It’s just about time for South Carolina football.

The Gamecocks are less than two weeks away from beginning the second year of the Shane Beamer era following a surprising 7-6 campaign in 2021.

USC has enjoyed as much offseason hype as its received in years. Beamer and his staff have also plugged holes and upgraded the talent across the roster via the transfer portal and bringing back a handful of key returners.

On paper, this variation of the Gamecocks is vastly more talented than last year’s. Whether that actually equates to more wins against a tricky ledger remains to be seen.

Here’s a look at this year’s schedule and how I think it’ll shake out:

Sept. 3: home vs. Georgia State

The season opener has about as many storylines as one can get from a Group of Five vs. Power Five matchup.

Former Steve Spurrier assistant Shawn Elliott has done a fantastic job over his five seasons guiding what was a dumpster fire of a program when he inherited it. Elliott has guided the Panthers to bowl games in four of his five seasons — including a school-record eight wins last fall.

Georgia State is also led by ex-South Carolina player Jamyest Williams, a former defender who now makes up one of the Group of Five’s best backfields along with Tucker Gregg.

This game will also be a chance for one-time Panthers defensive lineman Jordan Strachan to face off against his old squad. Strachan figures to be a big part of the Gamecocks’ defensive line this fall.

Elliott’s squad is going to be motivated, and I think this ends up closer than it should be. I still like the Gamecocks to come away with a win in Spencer Rattler’s debut under center.

▪ Projected record to date: 1-0

Sept. 10: at Arkansas

It’s hard to call the second game of the season a must-win, but I really do believe South Carolina’s aspirations of a second- or third-place finish in the SEC East hinge on this one.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman brings back a veteran squad, though it’s one that will have to replace first-round pick Treylon Burks at receiver, among a handful of other key players from last fall.

K.J. Jefferson might be the best quarterback in the country no one is talking about. Combine that with what should be a physical Razorbacks team at the point of attack and on the ground, and this just a bad matchup on paper for South Carolina.

I’m going with the home team, but I have a feeling this one is going to get wacky.

▪ Projected record to date: 1-1

Sept. 17: home vs. Georgia

Yes, we all remember South Carolina’s trip to Athens last fall for the “100 five-stars” comments Beamer made after the Gamecocks were run over by the eventual national champs.

The part that’s easy to forget is that USC had its chances early to put some pressure on Kirby Smart’s team but failed to cash in.

This has the makings of a marquee game if South Carolina first defeats Arkansas. Yet, for all the excitement this matchup might bring to Columbia early in the year, there’s no way I’m picking against the Bulldogs.

South Carolina is losing this one — and it could be by more than two or three touchdowns.

▪ Projected record to date: 1-2

Sept. 24: home vs. Charlotte

Will Healy has quietly done one of the better coaching jobs in America turning Charlotte into a competitive program in the new-look Conference USA.

Healy hasn’t quite had the breakthrough year that would springboard him on to bigger and brighter things, but this is a good 49ers program that isn’t going to roll over against SEC competition.

That said, Charlotte isn’t the same kind of sneaky test as Georgia State. South Carolina gets the “W” here with ease.

▪ Projected record to date: 2-2

Oct. 1: home vs. S.C. State

Ah, yes, the annual SEC vs. FCS foe matchup we’re all craving.

Sarcasm aside, it’ll be fun to see Buddy Pough and South Carolina State make the trip to Columbia for this one. Games like these are good for HBCU football and for football within the Palmetto State.

Beamer and the Gamecocks win big, but it’s a nice thing that games like this still get played — at least on some level.

▪ Projected record to date: 3-2

Oct. 8: at Kentucky

Mark Stoops is having himself a hell of a few weeks.

First there’s the brouhaha with UK men’s basketball coach John Calipari. He followed that with a pre-recorded interview on ESPN that seemed to not-so-subtly throw shade at Beamer and the “culture” he’s built in Columbia.

South Carolina is going to be motivated in this one, if only for the fact Kentucky has beaten USC in seven of the last eight meetings. The Gamecocks also haven’t won in Lexington since Joker Phillips was the Wildcats’ head coach.

History be damned, though. (I’m going to regret this one.)

Quarterback Will Levis is getting as much hype as any quarterback in the league this offseason. I don’t buy it for a guy who completed 66% of his passes for just over 2,800 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

That’s not to mention Wan’Dale Robinson, the Wildcats’ best playmaker from 2021, is off to the NFL.

I’m taking South Carolina to find a way to win and benefit from catching Kentucky in the first half of the year.

▪ Projected record to date: 4-2

Oct. 22: home vs. Texas A&M

Is this the year South Carolina finally breaks its streak against Texas A&M?

The Gamecocks and Aggies will both be coming off open weeks in this one — the latter of which will be following a rematch with Alabama, which Jimbo Fisher’s bunch beat in 2021.

Texas A&M is largely perceived as the second-best team in the SEC West behind Alabama, but I really do think this is a more winnable game than it might be believed.

The Aggies have signed back-to-back historically talented recruiting classes. However, I think this team is still a year away from truly punching at the peak of the SEC.

I’ll give Texas A&M the benefit of the doubt (winning all eight previous meetings will do that), but I truly believe this has upset written all over it.

▪ Projected record to date: 4-3

Oct. 29: home vs. Missouri

Last year’s game in CoMo was downright ugly.

South Carolina had every opportunity to jump out to a 14-0 lead before a Jason Brown interception stalled a deep Gamecocks drive and turned into seven points on the other end.

Missouri isn’t quite in make-or-break territory for Eli Drinkwitz. He’s recruiting at too high a level for that. I do think the Tigers are a step behind just about everyone else in the SEC East not named Vanderbilt. (More on that in a second.)

Give me the Gamecocks in this one.

▪ Projected record to date: 5-3

Nov. 5: at Vanderbilt

What is there really to say about Vanderbilt football at this point?

You have to admire the job Clark Lea did reeling in a top 35 recruiting class during the 2022 cycle. That’s a statement in itself for a program that hasn’t just lost, but has done so spectacularly for the better part of 50 years.

I do think the Commodores are better on paper this year than they were last season, and they came a Zeb Noland touchdown pass with 37 seconds left in the game from stealing one in Columbia in 2021.

Still, South Carolina should roll in this one.

▪ Projected record to date: 6-3

Nov. 12: at Florida

Say what you will about the rebuild Billy Napier has ahead of him at Florida, but I tend to err on the side of the Gators figuring things out.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson’s sample size is small — only 12 career games. I get that. He’s also the kind of signal-caller who could absolutely explode with the right pieces around him.

Florida is probably a year or two away from really taking on Napier’s identity, but getting this one at home should make all the difference after last year’s embarrassment at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Gators take this one in The Swamp.

▪ Projected record to date: 6-4

Nov. 19: home vs. Tennessee

Anddddd here’s another one where we might see South Carolina beat someone it shouldn’t.

I’m probably being cynical — and I think USC may well end up being better than a .500 football team and closer to 8-4 — but it’s going to take some things breaking the right way for USC to really climb in the SEC East this year.

Tennessee’s offense is going to be dynamic. This much we know. Quarterback Hendon Hooker is back. As is the SEC’s leading returning receiver in Cedric Tillman.

That Volunteer defense, though, might be really, really bad.

Josh Heupel’s squad ranked 12th in the SEC in scoring defense and 14th in passing defense a year ago. It’s hard to imagine things going worse in 2022, but Tennessee figures to play plenty of 47-43 games this fall.

I think the Gamecocks offense shows up and South Carolina gets revenge for last year’s absolute stinker in Knoxville.

▪ Projected record to date: 7-4

Nov. 26: at Clemson

Sorry, this isn’t the year the streak gets broken.

The Tigers brought one of their worst teams in a decade or more to Columbia last year and steamrolled the Gamecocks. I don’t see things flipping in Death Valley, even if quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei turns in another wayward performance.

You can add another win to Clemson’s ledger in this one.

▪ Final projected record for regular season: 7-5