SB Nation - Carlos Thomas

Post-Spring Preview: NC State, Cont.

Gamecock Man — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:11:42 -0000

This column continues my recent comparison of the two teams' offenses. I would say that our offenses look fairly similar--both have potential but have some questions to answer. On defense, though, I'd say we have a distinct advantage that should play to our favor in the game.

Defensive Line

State's defense was overall pretty regrettable last year, but they were OK against the run (although that's possibly because teams liked to throw against them) and had a solid pass rush. Part of the credit goes to a solid defensive line, most of which they return. The leader is sacks specialist Willie Young.

Carolina loses fifth-year senior and consummate party animal Jordin Lindsey but returns the rest of its line, which includes standouts Ladi Ajiboye, Nate Peppers, and Cliff Matthews. I would expect that Clifton Geathers, who received plenty of PT and made some big plays last year, will replace Lindsey in the starting lineup. It's worth nothing that Ajiboye will be suspended for at least one game due to his academic and legal troubles; whether Spurrier will opt to suspend him for this game or wait until we play a cupcake remains to be seen. All in all, this is a stellar unit in comparison to that of State. While it wasn't our forte last year, the defensive line was serviceable and could be great this year with more experience. Depth will be an issue as always, especialy considering the frequency with which defensive linemen get hurt. However, the same goes for State. Moreover, while our line wasn't our strength last year, it was still one of the better in the SEC, and while State's was their defense's strength, it was still one of the worst in the ACC. I'm going with Carolina on this one, although not by much.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

This is where things begin to get a little more uncertain for State. The 'Pack do return a couple of linebackers with significant experience in Nate Irving and Rey Michel, but they often got crossed up and gave up significant yardage through the air, and reports are that that continued during spring practice. This should be a team that we can carve up in the short passing game if we can muster any semblance of an offense.

Carolina, of course, loses a star linebacker in Jasper Brinkley and a solid backup in Marvin Sapp. However, we return one of the nation's best linebackers in Eric Norwood. Flanking Norwood will probably be a rotating duo of Shaq Wilson and Rodney Paulk. Both have some experience in mop-up duty but will have to learn to be more serviceable quickly. If we end up playing more 4-3 fronts than we did last year, which the coachs have hinted is a possibility, you may see Josh Dickerson or Tony Straugher get some playing time as well. While we have some questions in the linebacking corp, the presence of Norwood as a leader and State's relatively mediocre unit give us a decided advantage here.

Verdict: Strong Advantage South Carolina

Secondary

State returns safety Justin Byers and corner back DeAndre Morgan. The secondary was another problem area for State last year, so losing a couple of guys probably won't hurt much. The returners along with the new guys will have to play better in coverage than they did last year for State to avoid giving up a lot of yards through the air.

Carolina also loses some key players in this area, among them Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, Carlos Thomas, and Stoney Woodsen. We do return Darian Stewart and Chris Culliver as starting safeties. Although Carolina has some talented players that have shown potential at times, such as Addison Williams and Akeem Auguste, and some talented incoming freshman, particulalry uber-recruit Stephon Gilmore, looking to solidify starting roles this fall, the losses in the secondary make this area, usually one of our strengths, a question mark for the defense. I think we're better than State at this position in terms of sheer talent. However, I do worry that if we suffer any injuries that we're going to be in a tough spot in terms of depth.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Special Teams

State returns their placekicker, which gives them something to say on top of us. Josh Czajkowski was a very solid kicker for State last year, going 16/19. Although most of his kicks were from short range, 16/19 is not shabby. Given that reports out of spring practice are that we will miss Ryan Succop this year, State gets the advantage here.

In the return game, State returns a solid player in T. J. Graham, who was effective handling both punts and kickoffs, including one kickoff taken back for 100 yards. Carolina loses Captain Munnerlyn but brings back solid kickoff return man Chris Culliver, who I'm assuming will take over on punts this year as well. I'd say State has a slight advantage here as well, which overall gives them a fairly sizeable advantage in special teams. It's also worth noting that we lost a very good special teams coach in Ray Rychleski.

Verdict: Strong Advantage NC State

Head Coaches

NC State's Tom O'Brien has gone 11-13 in his two years at State. Before coming to Raleigh, he coached several moderately successful years at Boston College; while O'Brien never won more than nine in Boston, he won less than eight only three times in a decade. State fans hope that O'Brien can bring the consistency he produced at BC to Raleigh. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier is 28-22 after four years at South Carolina after a stint with the Washington Redskins and a long, successful tenure at Florida, his alma mater. Similarly to O'Brien's relationship to NC State, USC fans are still waiting for Spurrier to bring sustained success to Columbia. With their achievements at their current schools roughly equal, a slight advantage here goes to Spurrier due to his past achievements.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Final Verdict

NC State won't be easy this year, especially as we have to play them in Raleigh. However, our defense looks to be significantly better than theirs, so I think that we should be able to win this one unless the offense comes out completely flat and gives up lots of turnovers. I really don't want to think about what happens if we lose this game. The early stretch my be just as difficult as the late-season Orange Crush this year, and if we're going to have any chance at getting to the magical eight-win mark, we need to get out of the first four with at most one loss.

Prediction: Close game most of the way but Carolina pulls away at the ends and wins by 1-2 TDs

2009 Roster Projections: Cornerbacks

Fooch — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:00:14 -0000

Yesterday's news that Walt Harris sprained his knee in practice had me thinking now was as good a time as any to take care of our roster projections for the cornerback position. Up till now we've handled the defensive line, offensive line and running backs.

Walt Harris is 34 and seen his performance decrease each year since his Pro Bowl season in 2006. The 49ers have attempted to develop younger talent and have been touch and go thus far.

Locks
Nate Clements, Walt Harris, Tarell Brown, Reggie Smith

Highly Doubtful
Carlos Thomas, Jahi Word-Daniels, Terrail Lambert

Bubble
Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson

I included Reggie Smith in this group even though he's likely to see most of his playing time at safety. Given the talent and potential injuries out there (I'm talking to you Spencer), I could see Smith moving back and forth, even if that's not the best idea in the world.

As you can see, I've listed both Spencer and Hudson in the bubble column. I've been a big Spencer apologist the past few years. I see a ton of potential in a nickel back role and he just keeps on getting injured. Rotoworld had an interesting comment a couple months ago when they said:

49ers CB Shawntae Spencer is a candidate to be released this offseason.
Spencer's cap number is close to $3.5 million, and he's due a $500,000 roster bonus. Coming off an injury-plagued season and no longer viewed as a starter, Spencer's days in San Fran are numbered.

It was based on a San Francisco Chronicle article that stated Spencer might be seen as a salary liability. While he hasn't been cut yet, I am curious to see how what happens with him this season. Spencer is signed through 2012, but if he were to get hurt again, could you see the 49ers cutting him after this season? I definitely think that's a distinct possibility. He's injury-prone and likely has been passed on the depth chart by Tarell Brown.

Speaking of Tarell Brown, I like to think his time is coming soon. Walt Harris is a free agent after this season. Even if Brown isn't the replacement, I don't see the 49ers bringing Harris back. However, given that the team did not pick up a cornerback in the draft, do you think that they think Tarell Brown is their long term answer?

We had a rather brief discussion about the corners back in January and I thought I'd carry that poll over here and see what people think at this point. It's the same exact, poll but I'd like to see what people think at this point after a draft that included only undrafted free agent cornerbacks.

Poll

At what point will Tarell Brown be the 49ers starting cornerback opposite Nate Clements?

During training camp

136 votes

During one of the 4 preseason games

93 votes

Week 1

124 votes

Midseason

150 votes

2010

123 votes

Never

50 votes

676 votes | Poll has closed

49ers Rookie Camp: Team officially signs rookie free agents

Fooch — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:42:11 -0000

Although the team's rookie minicamp starts tomorrow, all the new 49ers arrived today to get introduced around. Due to this administrative day, that means we have the official list of undrafted free agents signed by the 49ers. Also, the 49ers officially inked Marques Harris. After the jump we've got quick bios.

Alex Boone OT Ohio State

Diyral Biggs LB Bowling Green

Dobson Collins WR Gardner-Webb

Pannel Egboh DE Stanford

Kirby Freeman QB Baylor

Kyle Howard G Wyoming

Matt Huners G/C South Florida

Terrail Lambert CB Notre Dame

Khalif Mitchell DE East Carolina

Kory Sheets RB Purdue

Carlos Thomas CB South Carolina

Jahi Word-Daniels CB Georgia Tech

ALEX BOONE

Tackle

Height: 6-7 Weight: 328

College: Ohio State

A two-time All-Big 10 selection during his four-year career at Ohio State, played in 46 games (35 starts) since his freshman campaign in 2005. Started 22 games at LT for the Buckeyes, earning All-America honors as a senior. A two-time All-Ohio selection, was a three-year starter at St. Edward (OH) HS. Also competed in shot and discus and played basketball for a year. His uncle, Ed, played football at Penn State. Enjoys hunting and playing golf. Born 05/04/87 in Lakewood, OH.

DIYRAL BRIGGS

Linebacker

Height: 6-4 Weight: 230

College: Bowling Green

A two-time All-MAC selection (2007-08) and MAC Player of the Year (2006), played in 47 games (27 starts) and finished his career with 221 tackles, 36 TFLs, 26 sacks, 5 FR, 4 PD and 1 FF. In 2008, led the MAC in sacks (9.5) and recorded 60 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 1 PD, 1 FF and 1 FR. In 2007, registered 54 tackles (15 solo), 7.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks and 2 PD. A two-time all-league choice, played at Mt. Healthy (OH) HS, where he tallied 16 career sacks on defense and 12 TDs on offense as the team’s captain. Also lettered in basketball, averaging 15 pts. per game his senior season. Majored in sports management. Born 10/31/85 in Mt. Healthy, OH.

DOBSON COLLINS

Wide Receiver

Height: 6-2 Weight: 178

College: Gardner-Webb

A two-time All-Big South selection, played in 42 games (22 starts) and totaled 143 receptions for 1,745 yds. and 14 TDs. In 2008, tallied 76 receptions for 937 yds. and 10 TDs, while contributing in the return game with 14 punt returns for 136 yds. Amassed 51 receptions for 649 yds. and 3 TDs, as junior. Also competed in track and field, holding the school record in the 55, 60 and 110 meter hurdles. Ran the 100-meter dash in 10.7 seconds. Attended Stone Mountain (GA) HS, where he totaled 21 receptions for 332 yds. and 2 TDs during his senior season. Born 7/12/87 in Stone Mountain, GA.

PANNEL EGBOH

Defensive End

Height: 6-6 Weight: 276

College: Stanford

A three-year starter, played 40 games (35 starts) and totaled 140 tackles, 25.0 TFLs, 10 sacks, 3 PD, 3 FF and 3 FR. Recorded 31 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and a FR, as a senior. Had his best season in 2007, registering 49 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 FF and 2 FR. Played his first season of football as a senior at North Mesquite (TX) HS, finishing with 54 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 3 FR and 3 blocked field goals on his way to All-Southwest team honors. Played basketball for two years and earned all-state academic honors. Earned a degree in management science and engineering. Born 03/23/86 in Mesquite, TX.

KIRBY FREEMAN

Quarterback

Height: 6-3   Weight: 210

College: Baylor

Transferred to Baylor after playing three years for the Miami Hurricanes. In his 27-game career (8 starts), passed for 1,360 yds. and 13 TDs, completing 46.7 percent of attempts. In his senior season with the Bears, played in 3 games (1 start) and threw for 49 yds. and 1 TD on 6 of 13 passing. In 2007, played 7 games (3 starts), completing 18 of 58 passes for 256 yards with 3 TDs. As a senior, at Brownwood (TX) HS, passed for 1,454 yds. and 10 TDs, gaining 956 rushing yds. for 10 TDs. Earned his degree in sports administration at Miami (FL), graduating in his redshirt junior year before leaving for Baylor. Majored in sports pedagogy. Born 03/28/85 in Abilene, TX.

KYLE HOWARD

Guard

Height: 6-7   Weight: 312

College: Wyoming

A three-year starter, played in 43 games (40 starts). In 2008, started all 13 games, 12 at RG and 1 at RT. In 2007, shifted over to RT from LG, starting all 12 games. Earned all-conference, all-region and all-city honors at Coronado (CO) HS, as a senior. Named most valuable lineman in his junior and senior seasons, while also earning all-conference and all-city honors in basketball. Father, competed in track and field at Oregon. Majored in physical and health education teaching. Born 5/13/86 in Colorado Springs, CO.

MATTHEW HUNERS

Guard/Center

Height: 6-3   Weight: 290

College: South Florida

A three-year starter, played 34 games with 27 starts. In 2008, started in 12 of 13 games, garnering an All-Big East. Suffered a torn ACL in 2007, but remarkably recovered to play in 3 games and was given the USF Coaches Award for his amazing recovery. An all-county selection at Palm Harbor University (FL) HS, was a three-time offensive line MVP, not allowing a sack during his junior and senior seasons. Born 10/15/85 in Dunedin, FL. Full name: Matthew Allen Huners.

TERRAIL LAMBERT

Defensive Back

Height: 5-11 Weight: 195

College: Notre Dame

A three-year starter, played in 48 games (30 starts) posting 115 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 6 PD, 4 INTs, 1 FF and 1 FR. During his senior season, played in 11 games (8 starts), recording 33 tackles and 4 PD. In 2007, started all 12 games and posted 34 tackles and 1 INT. An all-state selection as a defensive back, played five positions (RB, DE, LB, S, CB) at St. Bonaventure (CA) HS. In his senior year, tallied 87 tackles and 3 INTs, while rushing 13 times for 133 yds and 2 TDs. Also ran track.. Earned a degree in film, television and theatre and is currently enrolled in graduate studies program. Born 12/01/85 in Los Angeles, CA. Full name: Terrail Lamar Lambert.

KHALIF MITCHELL

Defensive End

Height: 6-5 Weight: 318

College: East Carolina

Spent his first two seasons at North Carolina, totaling 28 tackles as a part-time starter before transferring to East Carolina. After sitting out the 2006 season, played in 11 games (6 starts) and earned honorable mention All-Conference USA after recording 19 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and 2 sacks. As a senior, posted 16 tackles, 3 TFLs and 1 sack in 7 games (4 starts). Attended Hargrave Military Academy and helped lead the team to an 8-1 record. Started at DE and TE at First Colonial (VA) HS, playing football for just two seasons after moving to Virginia from New Jersey. Also lettered in track, competing in the shot put and discus. Majored in communications. Born 04/07/85 in Virginia Beach, VA. Full name is Khalif Quadree Mitchell.

KORY SHEETS

Running Back

Height: 5-11 Weight: 208

College: Purdue

A four-year letterman at Purdue, ranks 2nd in school history behind Mike Alstott with 3,341 rushing yds. and 664 carries. Holds the school record for career rushing TDs (48), a total ranked 5th all-time in the Big Ten history. A 2008 All-Big Ten honorable mention, finished with 1,131 rushing yds. for a school record 16 TDs. Totaled 1,643 all-purpose yards that season, ranking 6th in school history. Ran for 859 yds. and 11 TDs on 168 carries with 30 receptions for 216 yds. and a pair of scores in his junior season. Was an All-Conference selection as a senior at Bloomfield (CT) HS, leading the team to a state championship that year, while also garnering all-state recognition in track and field. Majored in organizational leadership and supervision. Mother, Krystal, participated in track and field at Morgan State. Born on 03/31/85 in Manchester, CT. Full name is Kory Gerren Sheets

CARLOS THOMAS

Cornerback

Height: 5-11 Weight: 197

College: South Carolina

A four-year letterman, played in 48 games (25 starts), recording 59 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 12 PD and 6 INTs. In 2008, played in 13 games (5 starts), registering 14 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 5 PD and 3 INTs. In 2007, played in 13 games (10 starts), tallying 27 tackles and 2 INTs. An all-state selection in 2004 at Bannekar (GA) HS, recorded 30 tackles and 4 INTs. Also ran for over 1,000 yds. along with 9 TDs, as well as recording in 20 receptions for 411 yds. and 5 TDs. Majored in African American studies. Brother, Levon, played WR in the NFL. Born 05/01/87 in College Park, GA.

JAHI WORD-DANIELS

Cornerback

Height: 6-0   Weight: 194

College: Georgia Tech

Played in 42 games (25 starts), recording 124 tackles, 7 TFLs, 23 PD, and 5 INTs. In 2008, started every game he played, finishing with 24 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 PD and 1 INT. Enjoyed most productive season in 2007, starting all 13 games and registering 56 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 8 PD and 2 INTs. An all-state selection at Hoover (AL) HS, tallied 7 INTs and 2 blocked punts, as a senior. Majored in management. Born 11/19/86 in Hoover, AL.

Poll

Which UDFA has the best chance of making the 53-man roster?

Alex Boone

305 votes

Diyral Biggs

10 votes

Dobson Collins

8 votes

Pannel Egboh

15 votes

Kirby Freeman

20 votes

Kyle Howard

5 votes

Matt Huners

5 votes

Terrail Lambert

17 votes

Khalif Mitchell

14 votes

Kory Sheets

233 votes

Carlos Thomas

9 votes

Jahi Word-Daniels

9 votes

650 votes | Poll has closed

Tuesday News and Notes

Gamecock Man — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:43:00 -0000

NFL Draft

New York Jets Sign Emanuel Cook; San Fransisco 49ers Sign Carlos Thomas. They all went in the seventh round or as undrafted free agents, but that makes four USC defensive backs that are headed to the NFL. Not too shabby, huh? Good luck to all of them, even E Cook. By the way, I got together with the SB Nation 49ers site to give their guys the scoop on Thomas.

Kenny KcKinley to Lineup under Center for Denver? Apparently there's something to this, as McKinley claims that Denver expressed interest in his QB abilities. I say great; in fact, I wish Spurrier had tried this a little more often. I'm sure we all remember that TD bomb he delivered to Syvelle Newton late in a game against Kentucky a few years back on a wild end-around that turned out to be a passing play. I guess Spurrier felt like it would be a big sacrifice to take him away from his receiving duties.

Mr. Irrelevant Week. Apparently Ryan Succop has quite a time ahead of him.

Basketball

Lunardi 2010 Bracketology. Never too early, I guess. Lunardi has us as the fourth-to-last in. I'm assuming he believes Devan Downey will be back. Let's hope he's right.

Other Gamecocks News

Mark Silvers Wins SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Silvers sports a 3.9 GPA and apparently is a great golfer to boot. Congrats to Silvers for representing the University so well.

49ers sign Carlos Thomas, CB, South Carolina

Fooch — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:43:36 -0000

I meant to get this up yesterday, so here it is. Maiocco has confirmed that the 49ers have signed cornerback Carlos Thomas out of South Carolina. ESPN ranks him 60th among cornerbacks, but it's pretty hard to find any sort of scouting report on him. I emailed our South Carolina bloggers so we'll see if they can provide any info.

In the meantime, the South Carolina athletic site had a few details:

Senior defensive back who has made 20 career starts, the fourth-highest total on the squad entering the 2008 campaign... penciled in as the probable starter at one of the cornerback slots again this fall... has good coverage skills and has become a better performer with added experience... has worked on his tackling skills and becoming more physical... originally used as a wide receiver and a kickoff returner during his freshman season at Carolina... regarded as one of the fastest Gamecocks, clocking a 4.37 40-yard dash... has three career interceptions.

Gamecock Man over at Garnet and Black Attack (our South Carolina blog), was kind enough to provide a scouting report on Thomas:

I (and many other Gamecocks fans) were a little surprised to hear that Thomas was signed. I hear he had a good showing at our Pro Day workouts, which probably led to San Francisco's choice to give him a shot. Indeed, athletically he's pretty special. I don't know what he ran at Pro Day, but he's been clocked in the 4.3-4.4 range before and was considered one of our fastest players. He has good hands and will pull in the INT when he gets into position.

All of this said, he's been a bit inconsistent at times and has had trouble keeping his hold on a starting spot. For one thing, his size (5'11 / 197) makes him a matchup liability against bigger receivers. Moreover, despite his speed, he at times gets lost in coverage.

I will say, though, that although he gets a little grief at times from Gamecocks fans for some forgettable moments in our late-season collapse in 2007, he has proven to be dedicated to getting better and has overall been a positive element on the team. He has, like I said, some athletic ability, so I could see his dedication paying off him in the NFL.

I certainly think he has the potential to be a good special teams and rotation corner, and with a little luck, maybe he could even compete for a starting spot if he learns to make better mental decisions in coverage. I hope he works out for you guys and am glad to hear he's getting his chance.

I moved the INT video to after the jump.

South Carolina @ Kentucky: Game Preview

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:45:13 -0000

The Palmetto State of South Carolina is one of my favorite places on earth. It has so many great things going on that it's hard to know where to begin -- great beaches, wonderful golf courses, beautiful country, warm weather, Southern grace. In fact, I like it so much that I see myself spending my later years there.

The University of South Carolina has always fancied itself a football school, but the reality of the situation is that most of the good football since the 1980's has been played southwest of Columbia at Clemson University. Of course, the two schools are bitter rivals, and it was partially this imbalance that Steve Spurrier was hired to correct. but in 3.5 years at USC, Spurrier has yet to contend for the SEC East championship or the SEC championship.

Be that as it may, the Gamecocks have owned Kentucky since 1999. Many of those years, South Carolina has simply been much better than the 'Cats owing to NCAA probation, but now the pendulum has swung and the two schools are very competitive talent-wise. In fact, no less than eight of Kentucky's players come from the Palmetto State, which produces many more good football players than the state of Kentucky. They include safety Matt Lentz and defensive end Ventrell Jenkins. South Carolina, on the other hand, boasts not one single player from the Bluegrass State.

Let's take a look at how this game unfolds:

Offensive line

The Kentucky offensive line has done a great job of protecting Mike Hartline, albeit against inferior competition. UK is leading the SEC in sacks allowed, with only two so far in five games. South Carolina, on the other hand, is last in the SEC in sacks allowed, averaging 3.6 per game for a total of 18.

Run blocking is harder to figure, but Kentucky and USC are 9th and 10th in the league, respectively, so we can safely say that neither team is doing a great job getting yards for its backs. Both teams have a fairly young offensive line, so these kinds of struggles should not be surprising.

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive line

Kentucky's defensive line is second in the league with 13 sacks, while South Carolina is 7th with 10. South Carolina has 20 hurries, though, compared with UK's 5. Both lines are in the lower half of the league in run defense, although both are allowing very respectable numbers at around 115 yards per game. South Carolina has played much tougher competition, though, so I think we would have to conclude that they are somewhat better against the run than the Wildcats.

Advantage: Even

Offensive skill positions

South Carolina has always had very solid skill position players, and this year is no different. Mike Davis is a solid, bruising tailback who gets most of the carries for the Gamecocks, averaging 4.5 yards in 73 carries. Brian Maddox, Bobby Wallace and Taylor Rank are all 200+ lb. running backs and solid athletes. On the outside, tight end Jared Cook leads the Gamecocks in receiving and averages almost 15 yards/catch. Moe Brown is their leading wide receiver who has just one fewer reception and almost the same yards/catch average as Cook.

Kentucky, of course, has some strong running backs of its own in Derrick Locke, Moncell Allen, Tony Dixon and Alfonso Smith. Dickie Lyons Jr. leads the way in receiving, and Maurice Grinter has been making some noise lately catching the ball from the tight end spot. Randall Cobb is also likely to return from injury at receiver, and he may be a difference maker in this game.

Advantage: Even

Quarterbacks

Chris Smelley is the man for the Gamecocks right now, and despite some inconsistent performances, he had one of his best games against Ole Miss last week. Smelley is only a sophomore, but he started several games last season and has much more experience than Mike Hartline. The big question is, can the USC line keep the strong Kentucky defensive front out of Smelley's face today?

Advantage: Slight South Carolina

Linebackers

Both South Carolina and Kentucky have outstanding linebackers. South Carolina is second in the league in total defense, and their linebackers are a big reason why. Wilcat fans will not forget the performance Eric Norwood put on against UK last season, and he is back better than ever, and leads the team in tackles for loss. Jasper Brinkley is a solid junior linebacker, and the Gamecocks have good depth at the position.

Kentucky, though, has dynamic linebacker Micah Johnson returning for this game. Although it is doubtful he will be at 100%, even a 90% Micah Johnson is a weapon. Braxton Kelley has also been terrific, and both Johnson and Kelley are averaging over 5 tackles per game.

Advantage: Marginal Kentucky

Defensive backfield

South Carolina has been simply terrific against the pass, leading the SEC in that category. Strong safety Emanuel Cook has been a beast, averaging eight tackles/game and leading South Carolina in the category. Captain Munnerlyn is a very capable cover corner, albeit sometimes mercurial, and Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson lead the Gamecocks in picks with two apiece.

Kentucky is right behind South Carolina in pass defense. Trevard Lindley is truly a lock-down cornerback, and Marcus McClinton, David Jones and the rest of the DB crew have been having a great year. Kentucky also has a +5 turnover margin to South Carolina's -5, and that could be a real factor in today's game

Advantage: Even

Special teams

Kentucky is a terrific punting and kicking team, one of the very best in the SEC. Tim Masthay is a weapon, and has been greatly responsible for the 4-1 mark that UK now sports. With the exception of field goal kicking, Kentucky has an advantage over almost every team in the SEC in special teams. South Carolina is no different

Advantage: Kentucky

Intangibles

After the debacle of last year in Columbia where the Wildcats fumbled away any chance of a victory, and considering the gaudy records Spurrier and the Gamecocks have against Kentucky, UK will be very, very up for this game. Kentucky fans know that this is one of the winnable games we need to have a shot at a third straight bowl, and Commonwealth Stadium will be rocking today.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are coming off a big road win, and for whatever reason, seem to have a lot of confidence in their ability to win this game. That could work against them this time.

Advantage: Strong Kentucky

This is a very big game for the Wildcats. Win this one, and they are one victory away from bowl eligibility and largely control their own destiny in the SEC East. Amazingly enough, not one of the traditional powers can make that claim, so this is truly a historic opportunity for Rich Brooks & Co.

But historically, especially recently, the Wildcats' futility against the Ol' Ball Coach knows no bounds, and like the long Florida and Tennessee winning streaks, it is a source of great consternation in the Big Blue Nation. South Carolina will be ready for this game, and their defense is truly powerful -- maybe even more powerful than UK's, which is something UK has not had to face a lot of this year.

Perhaps being at home and getting some of our players back off injury and the joy of Big Blue Madness will be the antedote for all this dominance by USC and the Visor. If so, Kentucky will be well on its way to a surprisingly good season, and finally begin to earn respect in the SEC.

Trends point to a defensive struggle in this game, but I am picking the Wildcats to break out. 21-10, UK.