No. 4 Alabama has ripped off six consecutive wins and coach Kalen DeBoer says there is room for improvement.
That can’t be soothing news for struggling South Carolina, which has dropped four of its past five games entering Saturday’s Southeastern Conference matchup against the Crimson Tide at Columbia, S.C.
Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC) has beaten four straight ranked conference opponents and is now on the short list of valid national championship contenders.
Yet DeBoer would like the caliber of play raised to another level.
“I challenged the guys, and they believe it, that the world has not seen Bama’s best yet,” DeBoer said. “That’s really what we’re striving to do. When you keep it really as simple as possible on that, have great preparation, everyone caring about what we’re trying to accomplish, you have that edge.”
One player re-emerging is star receiver Ryan Williams, who caught five passes for 87 yards and gained 16 more on a reverse in last weekend’s 37-20 home win over then-No. 11 Tennessee.
Williams sustained a concussion in the season-opening 31-17 loss to Florida State and missed the ensuing contest against UL Monroe. He returned to make five catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-14 victory over Wisconsin.
Then after a productive game (6 for 98, one TD) in a 30-14 win over then-No. 16 Vanderbilt, Williams was banged up the following week when the Crimson Tide notched a 27-24 victory at then-No. 14 Missouri on Oct. 11. He played just a handful of snaps and wasn’t targeted by quarterback Ty Simpson.
Still, Williams said his enjoyment level hasn’t wavered. He has 26 catches for 423 yards and three touchdowns in six games.
“Honestly, confidence has always been there, it’s just been a matter of playing my game and continue to keep the joy in the game,” Williams said. “It’s a child’s game, just having fun out there, playing for my brother right beside me because I’ve seen the work my brothers have put in, so I’ve got to do my part.”
Simpson has certainly done his part, passing for 1,931 yards, 18 touchdowns and just one interception.
South Carolina (3-4, 1-4) had high hopes entering the season but instead has been one of the more disappointing teams in the nation.
The Gamecocks have been outscored by 62 points in their four SEC setbacks, which includes a 26-7 drubbing at home by then-No. 14 Oklahoma last weekend.
“I’m not happy about the performance of the team and I feel like that I’m letting the players, the coaches and the fans down,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said at his Tuesday press conference. “But I’m going to get it fixed.”
Beamer’s name has been attached to the head coaching opening at Virginia Tech. His father, Frank, guided the Hokies to new heights during his tenure (1987-2015) and Shane was a player and an assistant coach at the school.
But Beamer said he’s not interested in leaving South Carolina. This is his fifth season at the school and his contract runs through 2030.
“I’ve conveyed many times how much I want to be here,” Beamer said. “This is my dream job. I said that when I came here. Nothing has changed.”
The Gamecocks would like to see star quarterback LaNorris Sellers pick up the production. Since passing for 302 yards in a mid-September loss to Missouri, Sellers has thrown for 153, 124 and 124 yards over the last three contests.
Alabama edged the Gamecocks 27-25 at home last season in just the second meeting in a 14-season span. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 47-23 road victory in 2019.
