Checking in on the early-season temperatures in Columbia, S.C. …

HOT

South Carolina’s kicking game. Lou Groza watch list member Elliott Fry was named the SEC’s special teamer of the week on Monday after connecting on all four of his field goal attempts in last weekend’s win over East Carolina. The sophomore and former walk-on was true on kicks from 39, 42, 26 and 20 yards out and made three PATs. Fry’s chip shot with 90 seconds to play provided the Gamecocks with a 10-point lead and capped an incredible 18-play, 86-yard drive that spanned nearly 11 minutes of the final quarter.

WARM

The Gamecocks’ offense. South Carolina’s attention to pounding the football last time out is a great sign for a unit that’s still coming to grips without game manager Connor Shaw who was extremely effective on third down and knew where to go with the football. Dylan Thompson’s still a work in progress in that regard and though his numbers are promising (632 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT), decision-making has been an issue early. This offense has a chance to heat up if Mike Davis returns to midseason form. He showed glimpses of that last week, but the offensive line has to be more consistent snap-to-snap.

COLD

South Carolina’s chances in the East. There could be a rapid temperature change Saturday if the Gamecocks upset Georgia at home, but a loss all but eliminates Steve Spurrier’s squad from the division race. It would take South Carolina out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2010, too. Many of the talking heads who spoke highly of the Gamecocks at SEC Media Days and heading into the season have admitted they gave Spurrier the benefit of the doubt after losing the program’s all-time winningest quarterback, a No. 1 draft and top receiver Bruce Ellington.

FROZEN

Lorenzo Ward’s defense. The blame can be placed on players as well as scheme. South Carolina hasn’t tackled well when the Gamecocks have been in position to make plays and soft coverages have led to sizable gains on third down. The raw numbers are terrifying — 416.0 passing yards allowed per game (125th out of 127 FBS teams), a nation’s worst 62.1 conversion rate on third down and 123rd in total defense (566.5 yards per game). South Carolina’s defensive struggles could be a season-long question if the Gamecocks can’t find a way to get off the field on third down.