What to know about South Carolina football's 2022 schedule

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina has had its nonconference football schedule for 2022 finished for a while now. The Gamecocks found out how the rest of their football schedule for next season shakes out Tuesday night when the SEC released the 2022 conference games for all 14 teams on "SEC Now" on the SEC Network

Georgia State will be USC’s season-opening opponent at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 3 before the Gamecocks open SEC play on the road against cross-divisional West foe Arkansas.

Four of South Carolina’s first five games in 2022 will be at home, including Georgia (Sept. 17), Charlotte (Sept. 24) and South Carolina State (Oct. 1).

LUKE DOTY RETURNS:How return of Luke Doty impacted South Carolina's offense: 'What a warrior'

GAMECOCK BLUEPRINT:Football commentary: Shane Beamer, USC see where they aim to go vs. Georgia

The SEC East annual matchups for the Gamecocks flip. They travel  to face Kentucky on Oct. 8, Vanderbilt on Nov. 5 and Florida on Nov. 12 while they’ll host Missouri on Oct. 19 and Tennessee on Nov. 19.

South Carolina’s permanent cross-divisional opponent Texas A&M comes to Columbia Oct. 22.

USC closes out the 2022 regular season with its annual rivalry game, on the road at Clemson.

With the full schedule now on the books, let’s break down what’s in store for the Gamecocks in 2022

Easiest stretch: Charlotte (Sept. 24), South Carolina State (Oct. 1)

With back-to-back nonconference games against smaller schools four weeks into the season, South Carolina’s home games with the Charlotte 49ers and South Carolina State Bulldogs (FCS) could be a great segue into October and beyond. All the more important that these two contests follow up tough Week 2 and 3 matchups at Arkansas and at home against Georgia.

While coach Will Healy has built a solid program in Charlotte, it will have lost some key contributors the past couple of seasons while the Gamecocks will be better, talent-wise, at each position.

Toughest stretch: At Florida (Nov. 12), Tennessee Nov. 19), at Clemson (Nov. 26)

If South Carolina’s bowl eligibility hangs in the balance with three weeks left in Shane Beamer’s second season, it couldn’t have asked for a dicier finish to the regular season than a trip to The Swamp, followed by a rare, late-season showdown with rival Tennessee before closing out at Clemson.

Since Dan Mullen has taken over at Florida, he hasn’t lost to South Carolina before the 2021 meeting. The previous Gators coach, Jim McElwain, beat USC two of three times. Tennessee, in its second year under Josh Heupel, could be a much improved squad while Clemson is Clemson at the end of the schedule.

Most intriguing game: At Arkansas (9/10)

Sam Pittman has done a whale of a job at Arkansas. He has changed the culture, endeared himself with the masses in the state and his players have bought into their coach, who was not a sexy pick when he was hired before the 2020 season.

With Beamer trying to root his own image and culture into the Gamecocks football program, the early-season meeting between South Carolina and Arkansas could be a game where the loser could suffer a derailment two weeks in. It’ll be a vitally important clash between two programs that will need to win to place themselves in a good position to be bowl eligible comes 2022’s end.

Cory Diaz covers the South Carolina Gamecocks for The Greenville News as part of the USA Today Network. Follow his work for all things Gamecocks on Twitter: @CoryDiaz_TGN

South Carolina Gamecocks 2022 Football Schedule

Sept. 3: GEORGIA STATE

Sept. 10: at Arkansas

Sept. 17: GEORGIA

Sept. 24: CHARLOTTE

Oct. 1: SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

Oct. 8: at Kentucky

Oct. 22: TEXAS A&M

Oct. 29: MISSOURI

Nov. 5: at Vanderbilt

Nov. 2: at Florida

Nov. 19: TENNESSEE

Nov. 26: at Clemson