Handing out grades following South Carolina’s 7-6 finish, a season that fell far short of SEC Championship expectations coming off three consecutive 11-2 campaigns:

OFFENSE: B+

Thanks to the dynamic tandem of quarterback Dylan Thompson and wideout Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina’s offense nearly set several school records for efficiency this fall. Thompson’s 3,574 yards through the air eclipsed Todd Ellis’ 27-year-old single-season mark while Cooper’s 1,136-yard effort as a sophomore was second only to Heisman finalist Amari Cooper’s total. Mike Davis finished just shy of 1,000 yards rushing but did match last season’s touchdown total with 11. The Gamecocks scored touchdowns on 63.5 percent of red zone trips and led the Eastern Division in time of possession. Considering the losses on offense last season, notably Connor Shaw and Bruce Ellington, the Gamecocks exceeded what many thought was possible at 32.6 points per game this fall.

DEFENSE: D+

It’s cut and dry why the Gamecocks played in the Independence Bowl this season instead of a meaningful game in January — Lorenzo Ward’s defense fell apart for the most part, a four-month struggle with pressure, tackling and lack of improvement. The Gamecocks lost three games this season when leading by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter, the first time that has happened during Spurrier’s tenure. South Carolina finished 13th in the SEC in total defense and gave up a league-worst 6.2 yards per play. The Gamecocks finished in the red in turnover margin for the first time since 2009 and managed just 14 sacks all season — tied for 119th-fewest in the nation.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Elliott Fry was headed toward the Lou Groza award early this season before cooling off down the stretch. His 18 field goals were the third-most makes in the SEC. Fry was one of six league kickers not to miss an extra point (51 of 51). Take away Vanderbilt’s two kickoff returns for touchdowns that led to a comical postgame tirade from Spurrier and the Gamecocks fared well in the kick coverage category as well. In the stranger-than-fiction category, South Carolina hasn’t returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Sept. 7, 2002 — the fifth-longest active streak in FBS football.

COACHING: C-

Outside of the embarrassing season-opening home loss to Texas A&M, this underwhelming season can’t be blamed on preparation failures. South Carolina was ready to compete, but a lack of talent in key areas defensively along with a few head-scratching late-game decisions from Spurrier handcuffed the Gamecocks’ shot at remaining in the Top 25. For the first time in years, rarely had the look of a fierce division contender and at times, appeared to be heading toward the first losing campaign in more than a decade. No coaching decisions have been made yet defensively despite a unit among the nation’s worst at getting after the passer and making plays against the run — two areas paramount to success in the SEC. Questions concerning Spurrier’s future came to a head after the Tennessee loss dropped South Carolina to 4-6 and multiplied after his own admission a few weeks later led to several decommitments.

OVERALL: C

It’s difficult to fathom the severity of South Carolina’s steep decline as a preseason Top 10, but the losses of pass rushing forces Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles along with reliable cornerbacks Jimmy Legree and Victor Hampton will do that to a defense. Despite the Gamecocks’ obvious deficiencies defensively, this team was a couple fourth-quarter stops away from hitting nine wins this season in a beleaguered SEC East. The program’s fourth consecutive bowl win stopped the late-season bleeding, but wasn’t exactly the bow most of us expected for a preseason division favorite. If the coaching staff salvages what appears to be a Top 10 recruiting class over the next few weeks, this overall grade for the 2014 season improves a bit.