Biggest questions for South Carolina football, after dropping to 2-4

COLUMBIA — After a heartbreaking 41-39 loss to Florida on homecoming, South Carolina football has its worst record through six games in the Shane Beamer era.

The Gamecocks (2-4, 1-3 SEC) have given up 30-plus points in eight of their last nine games against Power Five opponents, and South Carolina ranks No. 121 out of 130 FBS programs in total defense this season. While the offense remains efficient averaging 28.75 points per game, the team still struggles in clutch moments with interceptions on fourth-quarter drives against both Georgia and Florida.

South Carolina's path doesn't get easier from here as it plays at No. 20 Missouri (6-1, 2-1) for the Mayor's Cup on Saturday (3:30 p.m., SEC Network).

Here are our biggest questions for the Gamecocks after Week 7:

Is there still a path to bowl eligibility?

South Carolina has two opponents left on the schedule that it's almost certain to be favored against: Jacksonville State on Nov. 4 and Vanderbilt on Nov. 11. It helps that both are at home, but the Commodores could easily be a trap game coming off of a non-threatening Jacksonville State team and looking ahead to Kentucky on Nov. 18.

If the Gamecocks don't win both of those games, there's really no hope of getting to six victories. Even if they do, the Gamecocks still likely needs two upsets to reach that threshold. Beamer is 0-2 against Missouri, so a victory over the Tigers amid their best start since 2013 would be a huge surprise. South Carolina earned its first win over Texas A&M in program history last season, but winning at Kyle Field is a tall order for a team that is 2-8 on the road under Beamer.

Kentucky and Clemson may be South Carolina's best chances, and the Gamecocks could be double-digit underdogs in one or both of those matchups. Kentucky has suffered back-to-back losses against Georgia and Missouri, and the Wildcats have underwhelmed throughout SEC play despite a 5-0 start. Clemson ranks seventh in the ACC after two early losses, and after last year's win at Death Valley, the Gamecocks could certainly pull off another upset at home with their season on the line.

Can South Carolina fix the secondary?

The defensive back room was expected to be one of South Carolina's biggest strengths preseason, but the unit has been a liability in nearly every game. The secondary gave up 423 passing yards to Florida quarterback Graham Mertz, a career high for the Wisconsin transfer. Star safety Nick Emmanwori, a freshman All-American in 2022, spent most of the game matched up in man coverage against top wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who finished with 166 yards and a touchdown.

The problem shouldn't be with the players in the room, because three of the five are returning starters from last year's top-tier secondary. It's notable that the two new starters are replacing second-round NFL Draft pick Cam Smith and fifth-rounder Darius Rush, but the problems seem to be a combination of scheme and a lack of confidence from the DBs. Those things should both be solvable, but it might be too little to late as the Gamecocks gear up for back-to-back road trips.

Will the offensive line keep a consistent lineup?

The Gamecocks tinkered with their offensive line during the open week and debuted a new lineup against Florida: Freshman Tree Babalade at left tackle, junior Trai Jones at left guard, Yale transfer Nick Gargiulo at center, freshman Trovon Baugh at right guard and junior Vershon Lee at left tackle. The line certainly fared better than it has, giving up just two sacks after allowing six to Tennessee in Week 5 and contributing to 183 yards rushing. However, the run game started to struggle again after Lee exited the game with a knee injury late in the first half.

Injuries have plagued the unit since Jaylen Nichols' knee injury during the spring game, and three offensive linemen have since suffered season-ending injuries. Cason Henry, who started Week 1 but exited on the first drive with a lower-body injury, is set to return in the next several weeks, and Jakai Moore is also recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against Tennessee. Beamer said consistency was a priority for the O-line's improvement coming out of the open week, but that continues to look less and less possible.