Through three games, South Carolina’s  anemic running game has struggled to find any traction.

The Gamecocks entered the season with high hopes for a running game featuring Rico Dowdle, fresh off a banner freshman season, and shifty speedster Ty’Son Williams. But so far, South Carolina is second from the bottom of the SEC at 85.6 rushing yards per game — 119th in the country out of 129 teams. Given the potential season-ending injury to star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the need for a consistent running game is now magnified.

Perhaps most alarming, South Carolina couldn’t gain 2 yards in three plays during a third-quarter sequence in its loss Saturday to Kentucky. The Wildcats took over on downs, went 12 plays, kicked a field goal, and led 17-6.

“I told the players all week, and I told them after the game … rushing yards,” coach Will Muschamp said after the game. “If we’re able to stop the run and run the ball, we’ll win the game. We were unable to do that.”

For perspective, Kentucky has the top rushing defense in the SEC, and the next two best run defenses, Texas A&M and Georgia, are on the Gamecocks’ schedule. So while Louisiana Tech is up this week, running the ball doesn’t appear to get much easier in the long term.

In the loss against Kentucky, Dowdle, Williams and A.J. Turner averaged just 2.7 yards per rush.

Muschamp admits some of the issues stem from run-pass option plays on which quarterback Jake Bentley makes the final call based on the defense.

“When Ty’Son Williams was in there, we had runs called and we had bad box situations and we are throwing the ball to the perimeter,” Muschamp said, according to The State. “Those are things we need to continue to explore. We need to narrow down what we do well in the run game and be able to block multiple fronts within that.”

The play-calling issues also center on personnel choices, such as why Turner, who is listed at 184 pounds, is in for short yardage plays. Williams and Dowdle are both listed at more than 200 pounds. The running back-by-committee approach continues a trend that at this rate could extend an ominous streak for the Gamecocks. They haven’t registered a 1,000-yard rusher since 2013.

The one position on the offensive line that had a preseason competition, left tackle, has already seen a shift in personnel. After Malik Young was whistled for two holding penalties and gave up one sack in the Missouri win, he was replaced by Dennis Daley. The Gamecocks also lost right tackle Zack Bailey following the Kentucky game to a high ankle sprain, and it appears Young will now move to right tackle.

If there’s any consolation, the Gamecocks had similar struggles last year. They were held to 34 rushing yards against Mississippi State, 91 rushing yards against Kentucky and 43 rushing yards at Florida. But they rebounded with 161 yards against Texas A&M, 158 yards against Tennessee, 174 yards against Missouri and 111 yards against Clemson.