Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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28 JANUARY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH CAROLINA completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 240.7 yards per game with 2 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions. The Palmetto State was supposed to be a breath of fresh air for the former five-star recruit who was booed off the field in Norman, Okla., by Sooners fans. The grass wasn't much greener on the East Coast at first after all. "I have to limit the turnovers, the in- terceptions," Rattler said after the loss to Georgia. He stuck to his word. In the nine games since throwing 5 in- terceptions in his first three starts, Rattler has only had 6 passed picked off. He had a passer rating of 75.6 against UGA, but since then has averaged a mark of 149.5. Still, the last nine games have not been bereft of struggles. Missouri shut down South Carolina in a 23-10 Game- cocks loss at home Oct. 29. Florida dominated USC 38-6 in "The Swamp" Nov. 12. At that point, South Carolina was 6-4 with games against top-10 Tennessee and Clemson remaining on the regular season schedule. A 6-6 finish, the same record Beamer had during his first regular season, was staring the Gamecocks in the face. No new head coach wants to go without tan- gible progress from Year 1 to Year 2. That's a path that could get one caught up in a never-ending heaping of mayonnaise. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the South Carolina offense clicked in a way it hadn't all season. Rattler threw for 438 yards and 6 touchdowns without turning the ball over in a 63-38 dis- mantling of then-No. 5 Tennessee. He passed for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns, albeit with 2 interceptions, in a 31-30 triumph over then-No. 7 Clemson, their in-state rival. The Gamecocks, who Head coach Shane Beamer is 15-10 in his first two seasons at the helm of the Gamecocks program. PHOTO COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA 2023 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 3 at Ohio State L, 21-10 Sept. 10 Marshall L, 26-21 Sept. 17 California W, 24-17 Sept. 24 at North Carolina W, 45-32 Oct. 8 vs. BYU* W, 28-20 Oct. 15 Stanford L, 16-14 Oct. 22 UNLV W, 44-21 Oct. 29 at Syracuse W, 41-24 Nov. 5 Clemson W, 35-14 Nov. 12 vs. Navy^ W, 35-32 Nov. 19 Boston College W, 44-0 Nov. 26 at Southern Cal L, 38-27 Dec. 30 vs. South Carolina% (ESPN) 3:30 p.m. * at Las Vegas; ^ at Baltimore % Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. 2022 SOUTH CAROLINA SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 3 Georgia State W, 35-14 Sept. 10 at Arkansas L, 44-30 Sept. 17 Georgia L, 48-7 Sept. 24 Charlotte W, 56-20 Oct. 1 South Carolina State W, 50-10 Oct. 8 at Kentucky W, 24-14 Oct. 22 Texas A&M W, 30-24 Oct. 29 Missouri L, 23-10 Nov. 5 at Vanderbilt W, 38-27 Nov. 12 at Florida L, 38-6 Nov. 19 Tennessee W, 63-38 Nov. 26 at Clemson W, 31-30 Dec. 30 vs. Notre Dame% (ESPN) 3:30 p.m. % Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.