South Carolina special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis met with reporters Thursday to preview the Gamecocks’ upcoming season opener against Virginia Tech. The veteran coach, entering his 37th consecutive year on the sidelines, reflected on his journey, the competition among his specialists, and what he expects from both his unit and the Hokies.
Opening Remarks
“First, I just wanted to say something about this opening game. Thirty-seven years straight for me, right there,” DeCamillis said. “What an honor, what a privilege, to be a part of this great game. So, that’s pretty cool.
“And then, our guys that all made teams [in the NFL] from our school and made teams other places. What a credit to them, what a credit to what Coach [Shane] Beamer has built here. I just wanted to talk about those two things first.”
Specialists Still Battling for Roles
When asked about the starting group at kicker, punter, holder, and snapper, DeCamillis kept things close to the vest.
“They’ve done a great job of work, all of them. It’s been a great summer and fall camp for them. I think they’ve all improved,” he said. “I think you guys will know [who will start] when we’re getting started. Just watch the pre-game warmup, and we’ll be ready to rock and roll for you.”
Wide Receivers in the Mix
DeCamillis praised the receivers who could contribute on special teams.
“It’s been an extremely competitive training camp in all phases. I think all those guys have done a good job of learning the systems, especially the young guys,” he said. “There’ll be some guys that have a role, no question about it. And the guys returning from last year are also going to have a role.”
Evaluating the Kickers
Beamer had noted this week he wished the kicking game was sharper. DeCamillis agreed while pointing to progress.
“Obviously, I’m going to feel the same way as the head coach. But honestly, you want perfection every day. It was a little bit windy the other day when we came out. Obviously, we’re going to be playing indoors [on Sunday], so that’ll be a factor,” he explained.
“They’re younger kids that are learning to go at a high level… Do I always want to be perfect? Hell yeah, I want to be perfect. But I think they’ve learned how to deal with anxiety and pressure situations. We hope that translates into success.”
On Giving Young Starters Leeway
Asked how much patience he’ll show new starters, DeCamillis leaned on his NFL experience.
“This is a competition-based program,” he said. “In the NFL, this happened to me before… you had to make a decision and go from there and replace them with younger guys. That’s what’s going to happen here.”
He noted South Carolina has seven specialists in total, and competition will remain constant: “If one performs really well, that’s who we’re going to go with.”
Breaking Down Virginia Tech’s Special Teams
Looking at the Hokies, DeCamillis had high praise for coordinator Stu Holt’s group.
“I think they play very hard. They’re very well-coached,” he said. “They do some different things that are going to be tough to get under control, but he’s really, really done a good job of being aggressive and trying to make plays.”
Emphasis on the Return Game
South Carolina has made special teams returns a priority this offseason, and DeCamillis likes the strides made.
“I think it’s been a great offseason… the summertime’s been great for those guys getting better at catching the ball, and also from the standpoint of the blocking part of it, too,” he said. “You have to get a returnable ball, and that’s what we hope we can get. If we can, hopefully, we can make them pay.”
Preventing Blocked Kicks
Virginia Tech blocked multiple kicks last year, something DeCamillis has emphasized to his players.
“I think the biggest thing is we want a ‘one-down mentality,’” he explained. “We don’t have second or third down to get it right. We’ve got to make sure that one down is correct… kickoff, kickoff return, punt — you don’t get a second chance to get it right. That’s what we’re really trying to get done.”
