SB Nation - Moe Brown

Q&A With Garnet and Black Attack

FIGUREFOUR — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:31:08 -0000

We have worked together this week with Garnet and Black Attack to show the other side of the coin going into Saturday's game in Columbia. We tried to keep it civil and get Cockfan's perspective on the SC football team and strategies going into the final regular season game for both teams. Our responses to their questions can be seen here.

How do you guys see Garcia's progression at QB? How is it that Alshon Jeffery has made such an advance at WR ahead of others?

Garcia has progressed nicely this season. The biggest goals for Garcia after last season were to gain a better grasp of the offense, to learn to protect the ball better, and to learn that he can't rely on his feet to make plays in the college game. He's succeeded in each case. He understands the playbook, has thrown few interceptions (a welcome change after four years of Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley), and gets happy feet less than he used to. He's really come a long way, and I believe he's in position to break our single-season yardage record if he puts up big numbers against the Tigers and our bowl opponent.

As far as Alshon goes, I think his emergence is partially due to the fact that he's just a great talent. He wasn't very present early on in the year because he didn't know the offense very well, but once he had learned his position, he was ready to go out and contribute. Spurrier always said he was a talent, a guy who could make big catches whenever he's in position to do so. That turned out to be true. The only other guy that might rival him in talent and athletic ability is Tori Gurley, but Gurley is a converted defensive back and still needs some work on fundamentals, I think. Moe Brown is also a talented receiver but is more of a speed threat and clearly not the all-around monster Alshon is.

What is the problem with the offensive line? Why has there been so little progress in the running game considering the attention to it in the offseason?

As far as the running game goes, I think there's been more progress than you might see. We actually have a moderately competent running game now. Kenny Miles and Jarvis Giles both average over 5 ypc, and Brian Maddox played well against Florida after a slow start to his season. So, we have solid but not great numbers, which is certainly better than what we had a year ago. The problem is that we fail to commit to the run at times, especially in the second half of games. We at times seem to totally abandon it. I'm putting that on the coaching staff rather than player execution.

The offensive line, in general, is better than in years past. Again, it's not great, but it's improved. Frankly, I think the biggest improvement is in run blocking, and that's the one we're taking least advantage of. Pass protection might be a little better than last year, but it's still quite suspect, as the sacks numbers suggest. The line is also penalty prone, which has killed just as many drives this year as the sacks.

The continued problems, hopefully, will be addressed in the offseason. I think we all had great expectations that Eric Wolford could come in and completely change the character of our line, but we're seeing now that perhaps it takes time for a line to learn a new scheme. Wolford promised that we'd see more zone blocking, but we really haven't seen much of that at all until recently, so perhaps Wolford just needs time to institute these and other changes that he hopes to use to get us to the next level.

Teams have had success over the past few years running the ball against SC, particularly between the tackles. Is this just a depth problem, scheme issue, or a defensive technique issue? Would the Gamecocks consider utilizing Norwood more inside or dropping a safety into the box if Clemson begins running the ball effectively?

I think it's a combination of all the factors you mention. Depth at tackle has been an issue for us in years past and continues to be this year. We came into the year with a good two-deep at tackle, but a season-ending injury to Travian Robertson and a nagging injury to Nathan Pepper have cut into our depth. We're still OK at the position, as Pepper, Ladi Ajiboye, and Melvin Ingram are all solid players, but we clearly begin to tire out at the end of games against teams that pound us; see our game against Alabama.

Scheme is also an issue. We typically run a 4-2-5 that places extra speed on the field in the form of the Spur position, which is basically a roving safety. This scheme is designed to defend the pass and particularly the spread option, as the greater speed on the field makes us less vulnerable to fast runners in space. On the other hand, the lack of a third linebacker in most of our schemes means that we're a little softer inside, as teams like Alabama and Tennessee have been able to expose.

Finally, I think technique is an issue this year. This wasn't a problem last year, but this year's team doesn't tackle very well.

As far as how to solve this problem, we haven't seen the coaches move Norwood to the middle, which has been a fairly constant topic for discussion among fans. I'm not sure if I think this is a good idea or not; Norwood would be a better run stopper than the diminutive Shaq Wilson, but he's also a monster on the outside, often taking two blockers and still getting his share of sacks. It would change our defensive dynamic significantly to move him. At any rate, the coaches don't seem to be into the idea.

One idea that I'd like to see the coaches explore in the offseason is varying the schemes. The 4-2-5 is great against Florida's spread and, to a lesser degree, offenses like Petrino's air attack and Ole Miss's idiosyncratic offense, which relies on a mix of passing the ball and getting Dexter McCluster on the edge. On the other hand, it doesn't work so well against Alabama, Tennessee, or the downhill running attack Florida has adopted at times this year. I would like to see us explore moving to a 4-3 more often against those teams, at least if we can find the personnel to do so.

SC has had a few big name defensive coordinators over the past few years. What are your thoughts about Ellis Johnson compared to Charley Strong?

I think both are great coordinators, clearly. Both have had great defenses at Carolina despite not having the benefits of the kind of talent an LSU or a Florida can have. I will say that in some ways what Strong did is more impressive, in that Johnson has had the benefit of more talent to work with. One of the amazing things about those Lou Holtz Outback Bowl teams is that they really weren't as talented as our teams now are. That staff really got the most out of those guys. Johnson, though, is still doing a great job.

You can also count me as part of the group that would love to see us explore Strong as a possible head coach when Spurrier hits the road.

SC utilizes three RB's extensively. Can you describe each back's style and rank them based on your perception of play this season?

That's right; we run with three backs--actually four if you include Bryce Sherman--and each have different styles. Kenny Miles has gotten most of the playing time this year. He's a good all-around back that runs hard downfield and combines moderate speed with the ability to break tackles. Jarvis Giles is more of a speedster, a guy who I'd like to see us get the ball to in space more often. Sherman is a dimunitive burner in the mold of LSU's Trindon Holliday; you'll only see us use him in gadget plays and packages that are specially designed to get him the ball in space. Brian Maddox is more of a power back and is the likely starter this weekend. He's also a good blocker and receiver, which is one reason that Spurrier continues to play him despite the fact that he doesn't seem to run the ball as well as the other two.

I don't like to rank the backs because each is different. I do, though, think we could utilize them better. I think we should, for the most part, use Maddox and Miles, Maddox in short-yardage and obvious passing situations and Miles in all other situations. Giles I think we should use as a utility player at this point, as is already the case for Sherman. Basically, I think we should rotate the group more often rather than trying to settle on one or the other, which is what we've been doing.

SC had a good deal of success early but has struggled late. What positives from early on do the Gamecocks need to get back to? What mistakes does this team need to shore up? Can these issues be corrected?

I think, first of all, that we need to get back to not turning the ball over. We were a very low-turnover team early in the season, and while Garcia certainly isn't reincarnating Blake Mitchell now, he isn't protecting the ball quite as well as he did early in the year. That hurt us against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida. If we can get back to not turning the ball over against Clemson, our defense will be able to keep us in the game until the end. I do think we can succeed here, but it won't be easy against Clemson's pass rush.

I'd also like to see us do some of the things I've alluded to in the above answers. This offense has had trouble scoring touchdowns all year, and I think getting back to the running game and short passing game might help us do better there. Our basic MO at this point is to move the ball well on our side of the field by running our basic offense and then to go straight for the jugular as soon as we get to the opponents 35 or so. Predictably, this tends to result in incomplete passes, interceptions, and sacks that take us out of field goal range. Now, I'm not averse to throwing deep for the score. However, when you do it all the time, opponents know it's coming, and they have a safety play smart on the deep throw and blitz all their big fellas. The results are predictable. I'd like to see us get back to just trying to move the ball into the redzone and go for more high-percentage scores.

I have always been intrigued by the magic trick before the Gamecocks enter the field. Does anyone other than Cocky know how this is executed? Trap door? Magic dust?

Sorry, but there are some things about the Gamecocks that we just don't like to share with Clemson people. This is one of them.

Quick Thoughts: Through UVa, Early Week Thoughts for USC

FIGUREFOUR — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:20:35 -0000

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

24 days ago: Clemson's C.J. Spiller (28) acknowledges fans during the first half of their NCAA college football game against Virginia, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

Browse more photos »

I think we are all pleased that Dabo Swinney, in his first full season at the helm of the Clemson football program, finally meshed the talent that Clemson has recruited with more intensity, enthusiasm, and a winning attitude to completely transform the program from where Tom Bowden left it just over a year ago after getting crushed by Alabama, giving one away to a bad Maryland team, then looking completely inept against Wake Forest. There is nothing like promoting your receivers coach to clean up an underachieving mess. It was also refreshing to see Swinney remove the Mad Scientist from his role, add Pearman, Steele, etc... to the staff, and come out with lots of energy all season. Interestingly, Swinney's contract calls for the 40 year-old coach to receive a nice (approx $1 million) bonus due to Clemson earning a spot in next month's championship game. Not too shabby for the former Crimson Tide walk-on. This incentive-laden contract really was beneficial for both parties.

The Virginia game was, by itself, not entirely impressive other than the fact that Clemson came in and was able to to take care of business and lock up sole possession of 1st place in the Atlantic regardless of how BC plays next week. The defense was obviously confused by the Wildcat formation and the misdirection/trickery from the Wahoos. The defense, led by senior Ricky Sapp, did get it together in the second half to pitch a shutout over the final 30 minutes. I was happy to see this group get after the Virginia QB late in the game and record a half dozen sacks in the final period of the game. Clemson also forced two fumbles on the afternoon, giving this defense 29 turnovers this season. Winning the turnover battle has been extremely important for the Tiger this year because it limits the opponent's touches while keeping them on their heels all game long. I was happy to see Da'Quan Bowers in the game for a handful of plays Saturday. Hopefully he will be ready to go this weekend against Carolina then next again against Tech. Bowers gives us a lot of athleticism and creates depth along the defensive line. Clemson was aided in the second half by an injury to Mikell Simpsonon Virginia's final TD to end the half. Al Groh elaborated after the game on this loss and the how it limited the ability of the Cavaliers and their wildcat strategy.

C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford combined for two great senior efforts to conclude their Death Valley careers, with both tallying touchdowns and Ford breaking the 100 yard receiving threshold on the day. Kyle Parker again had a steady day, compleing 19 of 26 passes for 234 yards and 2 tds. His maturation over the course of this season combined with an exceptionally strong arm and decent mobility set Parker up to be a great collegiate QB should he chose to avoid professional baseball. I was a little disappointed not to see Willy Korn in a mop-up role. His future at Clemson appears to be all but sealed with Parker's success this season and Tajh Boyd becoming available next season. Both Andre Ellington and Jamie Harperboth ran well here, with Ellington punching the rock in for a 3rd quarter TD. Once again, Clemson got good consistent play from the TE's, with Michael Palmer having three grabs and Dwayne Allen bringing down an early TD catch. Rendrick Taylor got a couple looks Saturday. I really expected more out of Taylor over his CU career, but was pleased to see him get some work on senior day.

All in all, this team has played hard all season long. Clemson never gave up, even after the embarrasment at Maryland. In fact, I firmly believe that the meltdown at College Park may have spurned the offensive coaches to return to a more basic and focussed offensive strategy, featuring only the proven playmakers (Spiller, Ford, and the TE's). Since laying an egg against the Terps, Clemson has not been defeated. The defense has continued its solid play and the offense has scored 34 or more points in each of those six contests. The improved play calling and execution coupled with a more focussed attack has silenced both critics of Swinney and Steele. As we pointed out earlier in the season,inexperience from the offensive staff as well as the QB position was a huge question mark, and both areas should immprove as each member gets more real game repetitions week in and week out.

On to our feathered friends in Columbia. South Carolina's season began well and has really tapered off over the balance of the games. After opening the year with a 5-1 record, the Gamecocks (6-5 overall, 3-5 in the SEC) have lost 4 of the past 5 games, with the lone win coming in a low-scoring affair against Vanderbilt. At some points this season, USC has looked like a really good team. Other times, South Carolina has struggled against teams they probably should have beaten handily (Vandy, Arkansas, NCST, and Kentucky come to mind). SOS has openly stated that he has and will continue to have more influence on playcalling and game flow.

This year's team features a talented defense and improved offense. Eric Norwood, school leader in sacks, is the best player on the team. He is a great athlete who runs well and has a nose for the football. Clifton Geathers is a pretty good defensive end, and the secondary (lead by Chris Culliver) rotates in a lot of young but talented DB's. Offensively, this team is much improved from a year ago. Steven Garcia getting more reps and actually participating in spring practice this year has paid off, as Garcia looks night and day better than he did last year. South Carolina has also found a couple of good, tall freshman receivers in Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffery to compliment senior Moe Brown. Spurrier has repeatedly thrown jump balls the Jeffery, who has 29 receptions and 6 TD's on the season (including 3 TDs in a dominant performance against Kentucky). I really like TE Weslye Saunders. He is freaking huge (6'5", 280 lbs) is a good blocker and catches the ball well. This is one guy who can do some damage if he gets a full head of steam. Up front, bringing in Eric Wolford as offensive line coach has helped tremendously, as South Carolina's OL has improved dramatically since a year ago. Ellis Johnson (former Clemson, Alabama, and Mississippi State DC and Citadel HC) has been successful everywhere he has coached, and was also a quality hire for the Old Ball Coach.

Most of South Carolina's woes arise from depth and experience issues. While South Carolina has improved up front, their rushing attack is still sub-par. Kenny Miles, Jarvis Giles, and Brian Maddox share the carries for this team. I continually question why Maddox gets as many touches as he does because the two freshmen (Miles and Giles) are unquestionably better ball carriers than Maddux. South Carolina's size at receiver and tight end scares me a bit. Clemson likes to play man/man-press coverage, so this size advantage could be a big deal this weekend. Defensively, South Carolina is quick, but thin. The way to attack this defense is head on, as the Gamecocks lack quality depth at linebacker and up front. If you can get the starters tired, there is a nice opportunity to pound this team to death. USC's secondary is good and can hold its own against most any squad. The Alabama game was an excellent illustration of this point, as the Tide and Greg McElroy could do nothing through the air while Mark Ingram averaged 10 ypc and picked up almost 250 yards on the ground.

We will have much more insight on this contest as the week progresses. We are also looking to work with the Gamecock SBNation blog, Garnet And Black Attack, to provide some extra coverage and segments for this week's contest.

Below are highlights from last season's contest.

Previewing South Carolina at Tennessee: Three Keys, Something to Think About, and Prediction

Gamecock Man — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:35:00 -0000

Time to run the gauntlet. The Orange Crush has always been the bane of South Carolina football. Will this year be any different? Is this really a "New Carolina?" We're about to begin to find out.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Three Keys

1. Stop the Run while Keeping Jonathan Crompton in Check

The story for defending Tennessee for the past couple of years has been to sell out to stop the run and assume Jonathan Crompton will screw up. Now, though, Crompton has begun to play better. He made Georgia pay for not respecting his abilities, and while he hasn't been as good in other games, he hasn't been the inept player he last year, either. Still, I'm thinking we have to focus on the run in this game; if we don't, Tennessee will pound it all night and eventually wear us out. The key is figuring out how to do that while keeping an eye on Crompton. Perhaps the thing is to keep Crompton from rolling out and looking underneath, which seems to be when he's most comfortable.

2. The Kicking Game

In what will likely be a low-scoring, defensive battle between two teams that haven't always been great in the red zone, the difference could come down to field goals. Luckily for us, UT's field goal unit has struggled lately. Daniel Lincoln's low kicks and the Vols' protection problems more or less cost them the game against 'Bama. (Supposedly, Lincoln has a groin injury; I'm not sure how much that's affecting him right now.) We, meanwhile, have been pretty good in this department, although there are questions about whether or not Spencer Lanning is capable of making a long-range kick, especially with the game on the line. We'll see how things play out Saturday.

Hopefully not like this.

More like this.

3. How Do the Two Teams Respond to the Tension Produced by the Kiffin Remarks about Alshon Jeffrey?

I'm not usually one to base my projections of games on the "narrative"; the most talented, best prepared team is usually going to win, regardless of what the media prefers to focus on pre-game. However, in this particular case, there seems to be a bit of noise coming from South Carolina in response to Kiffin's gas-pumping comments. Moe Brown says he's out for blood, and you have to think that he is voicing the sentiments of the rest of the team, as well. I'll say that I'm all for the guys letting this motivate them to play a great game. However, it's also key that they play smart, stick to the gameplan, and don't do anything stupid. This team has enough problems with penalties, as it is; we don't need to compound those with unsportsmanlike conduct and personal fouls. Heaven knows we've seen emotional games go south before.

Continue reading after the jump.

Something to Think About

Out of our series with the East's Big Three, Tennessee has arguably replaced Georgia as the closest, most exciting of the bunch. Steve Spurrier has beaten the Vols two out of four times, and the two losses--particularly the one in '07--have been brutally close. With Carolina seemingly on the brink of a breakthrough year and the Vols looking to put their season on track under their new coach, this game could be a pivotal one for the future of these two programs. Lane Kiffin undoubtedly wants into South Carolina's high school talent, and whether or not he gets a head up around here will depend to some degree on how well we acquit ourselves against his team. Win, and we can continue to sign guys like Jarvis Giles and Alshon Jeffrey. Lose, and Kiffin may get those types of players in the future. This is a key game, folks.

Prediction

As I told NorCalVol, I expect a close USC victory, somewhere in the neighborhood of 16-13. My reasoning? First of all, I think the Vols' kicking game is a major liability, especially considering that they need every point they can get. Moreover, while I think their offense has made major strides, I like Ellis Johnson's chances of coming up with a gameplan to slow the Vols down and I think there's still a good chance that Crompton will commit a game-changing turnover somewhere along the way. Finally, while I think Tennessee has one of the best defenses around, I think we can move the ball if we take what the Vols give us. Tennessee does not have an elite pass rush--it would probably be more accurate to say that the Vols don't favor the blitz in their scheme--and if the Vols don't pressure Stephen Garcia, I like his chances to work the short passing game. With Weslye Saunders back to 100% and with a good set of receiving running backs in the lineup, those plays should be there. Then, if we can move the ball consistently, the big plays to Alshon and Tori Gurley should start to appear. It's also worth noting that we should expect to win the turnover battle in this one, and that could make a huge difference in a close game.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks: game preview

Joel — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:36:01 -0000

A weekly look at our upcoming opponent's recent history, with animated drive charts and links to SB Nation game pages.

This is a long post full of moving pictures and stats, so I'm putting the conclusions and predictions both at the beginning and at the end.

Conclusions

South Carolina appears to be much better passing the ball than running it, yet they tend to allow their QB to get sacked quite a bit. If the Vols can shut down the running game and pressure the QB without borrowing from the secondary, this could be the game that Berry breaks the interception return yardage record.
Expect an emphasis on the running game for the Vols. The Gamecocks are as good as the Florida Gators at defending the pass, so Jonathan Crompton will need to be on his game, but they're not so good at stopping the run.
Steve Spurrier's team has a solid field goal kicker and a strong defensive line, which sounds a bit too familiar after last week. The Vols must get into the end zone when they have their opportunities.

Predictions

Tennessee 17, South Carolina 16

Schedule and Animated Drive Charts


@ N.C. State Wolfpack	9/3/09	win 7 - 3
@ Georgia Bulldogs	9/12/09	loss 37 - 41
Florida Atlantic Owls	9/19/09	win 38 - 16
Mississippi Rebels	9/24/09	win 16 - 10
S. Carolina St. Bulldogs	10/3/09	win 38 - 14
Kentucky Wildcats	10/10/09	win 28 - 26
@ Alabama Crimson Tide	10/17/09	loss 6 - 20
Vanderbilt Commodores	10/24/09	win 14 - 10

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Well that's encouraging. 7-3 against North Carolina State? No problem!

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Also good is the fact that South Carolina lost to the team we beat 45-19.

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Hmm. Nothing special to see here.

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Lots of offensive futility there in the second half. Hope our coaches are learning something from that.

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Close game against Kentucky? What does that mean? South Carolina not that bad? Kentucky better than we think?

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Wow. A 20-6 loss to Alabama, but two interceptions and two forced fumbles? Watch out for the defense!

[South Carolina-Vanderbilt not available]

National Unit Rankings

Now on to the national rankings.

OFFENSIVE RANKINGS
Category	National Rank	Actual	National Leader	Actual	Conf Rank	Southeastern Conference Leader	Actual
Rushing Offense	70	137.25	Nevada	320.14	9	Florida	258.29
Passing Offense	47	229.13	Texas Tech	418.88	2	Arkansas	295.57
Total Offense	67	366.38	Houston	536.57	8	Florida	457.00
Scoring Offense	93	23.00	Texas	41.86	11	Florida	35.29
Passing Efficiency	59	129.46	Boise St.	168.22	7	Florida	156.07
Sacks Allowed	99	2.75	Iowa St.	.50	11	Georgia	.86

Offensive observations. South Carolina's in the bottom half of the NCAA in all offensive categories except passing, and they're only slightly better than average there. They're gaining 366 yards per game, 137 of which are on the ground and 229 of which are through the air. They don't score a ton of points, and they don't do well at all protecting their quarterback from sacks. It could be a good day for Chris Walker and company on the d-line.

DEFENSIVE RANKINGS
Category	National Rank	Actual	National Leader	Actual	Conf Rank	Southeastern Conference Leader	Actual
Rushing Defense	70	147.63	Texas	41.29	8	Alabama	64.88
Pass Efficiency Defense	20	103.71	Florida	86.83	6	Florida	86.83
Total Defense	14	288.88	Florida	229.57	4	Florida	229.57
Scoring Defense	21	17.50	Penn St.	8.88	5	Florida	10.14
Pass Defense	3	141.25	Eastern Mich.	124.43	2	Florida	135.00
Sacks	47	2.25	Cincinnati	4.14	5	Mississippi	3.00
Tackles For Loss	54	6.13	Cincinnati	10.43	7	Arkansas	7.57

Defense. The Gamecocks, ranked third in the nation in pass defense, are as good at defending the pass as are the Florida Gators, so Jonathan Crompton better be on his game. They're not so good, however, at keeping opponents from running the ball, ranking only 70th and allowing nearly 148 yards per game on the ground. Putting those two components together, South Carolina ranks 14th in the nation in total defense, not too far behind Tennessee and Alabama.

SPECIAL TEAMS AND TURNOVERS RANKINGS
Category	National Rank	Actual	National Leader	Actual	Conf Rank	Southeastern Conference Leader	Actual
Net Punting	80	34.81	Georgia	44.06	7	Georgia	44.06
Punt Returns	62	9.17	East Carolina	20.00	8	Alabama	15.92
Kickoff Returns	54	22.59	Stanford	31.77	10	Arkansas	28.42
Turnover Margin	37	.50	Air Force	2.25	5	Arkansas	1.43

Special teams and Turnovers. Steve Spurrier's team is basically average on special teams. They're a little better than most in turnover margin, but not much.

Stastical Comparison

Here's how the two teams stack up against each other in each of the key statistical categories in Hooper's wizbang BlogPoll Computerer:

Rank	Team	WL	SOS	PED	RD	3DO	TD	PEO	OPPG	TO	3DD
22		19	36	20	70	55	14	59	21	67	50
32		77	21	14	33	73	10	66	25	56	22

Players to watch for

Category	Player	National Rank	Actual
Rushing	Kenny Miles		51.25
	Jarvis Giles		36.57
Passing Efficiency (Min. 15 Att./Game)	Stephen Garcia	62	128.40
Total Offense	Stephen Garcia	41	236.62
	Kenny Miles		51.25
Receptions Per Game	Moe Brown		3.14
	Alshon Jeffery		3.00
	Tori Gurley		2.62
	Weslye Saunders		2.43
Receiving Yards Per Game	Alshon Jeffery		55.38
	Moe Brown		46.29
	Tori Gurley		39.75
Interceptions	Eric Norwood		.25
Punting (Min. 3.6 Punts/Game)	Spencer Lanning	38	42.31
Punt Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)
Kickoff Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)	Chris Culliver	54	24.50
Field Goals	Spencer Lanning	T-20	1.50
Scoring	Spencer Lanning	T-77	6.88
	Alshon Jeffery		3.75
	Brian Maddox		3.75
All-Purpose Runners	Chris Culliver		67.38
Sacks	Eric Norwood	T-33	.75
	Cliff Matthews	T-54	.62
	Clifton Geathers		.29
Tackles	Shaq Wilson		7.00
Tackles For Loss	Eric Norwood	T-84	1.06
	Cliff Matthews	T-91	1.00

Observations

Running backs. Heh. Look, they're called Miles and Giles. Neither of them are ranked nationally, and together they're only getting about 88 yards per game.

Quarterbacks. Stephen Garcia is middle-of-the-pack in passing efficiency (not too far above Crompton) and ranks 41st in total offense with 237 yards per game (quite a bit above Crompton's 207).

Receivers/Tight Ends. Garcia appears to spread the ball around well with four different guys getting 2.5 to 3 catches per game and three different guys getting nearly 40 yards per game or better.

Defense. This is where the Gamecocks are very dangerous. Defensive linemen Eric Norwood and Cliff Matthews are both sack and tackle machines who rank nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss. Clifton Geathers adds another .3 sacks and one tackle for loss per contest. The team appears to spend a lot of time in the opponent's backfield wreaking havoc.

Special teams. There doesn't appear to be too much to worry about here except that placekicker Spencer Lanning is tied for 20th in field goals. Hmm. A solid field goal kicker and a defensive line that can move the scrimmage line backwards. That sounds eerily familiar.

Head to Head Comparisons

			Best Comparable	Result Against Best Comparable	Prediction
UT rush v. SC rush defense	168.29	147.63	Ohio (148)	177	180
UT pass v. SC pass defense	217	141.25	Florida (135)	93	130
SC rush v. UT rush defense	113.86	137.25	WKU (152.57)	34	70
SC pass v. UT pass defense	155.86	229.13	Georgia (226.71)	152	150
UT score	28.86	17.5	Alabama (11.38)	10	17
SC score	18.43	23	UCLA (20)	19	20

This is the second week I've done this, I'll explain again. This is not math. It's simply looking at each team's current respective performance in a particular aspect of the game (e.g., Tennessee's rushing game verses its opponent's rushing defense), then looking for the team that we've already played that compares best to this week's opponent's current performance and seeing how we did against that team, and then making a non-mathy but informed prediction about how we might do in that aspect of the game. Example: Tennessee is passing for 217 yards per game against its opponents in 2009. South Carolina is holding its opponents to 141.25 yards per game through the air. The opponent we've already played that is closest in the rankings in pass defense to South Caroline is Florida, against whom we managed only 93 yards through the air. So should we expect no more than 93 yards or so against South Carolina? Not really. We're a much better passing team now than we were then. Still, we're probably not getting our game average of 217. I'm guessing 130.

The prediction then is 310 yards total offense for the Vols and 220 for the Gamecocks. The score here is the weird thing, though, suggesting that we shouldn't expect many more than 17 points for ourselves but that South Carolina could get 20 or so. I'm not really buying that based on our upward trend. Alabama holds its opponents to about 12 points per game, and they held us to 10, so the Vols scoring South Carolina's average of 17 points sounds about right. The Gamecocks are averaging 23 points per game, but the opponents we've played that are closest to them in scoring offense are Ohio and UCLA who basically got their average of about 20 against us. I just don't think those early games are indicative of where this team is now, so I'm going with a score of 17-16, Vols.

Conclusions

South Carolina appears to be much better passing the ball than running it, yet they tend to allow their QB to get sacked quite a bit. If the Vols can shut down the running game and pressure the QB without borrowing from the secondary, this could be the game that Berry breaks the interception return yardage record.
Expect an emphasis on the running game for the Vols. The Gamecocks are as good as the Florida Gators at defending the pass, so Jonathan Crompton will need to be on his game, but they're not so good at stopping the run.
Steve Spurrier's team has a solid field goal kicker and a strong defensive line, which sounds a bit too familiar after last week. The Vols must get into the end zone when they have their opportunities.

Predictions

Tennessee 17, South Carolina 16

Bulletin Board Material for Gas Pumpers

Gamecock Man — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:23:13 -0000

Apparently, Moe Brown isn't too happy that Lane Kiffin told Alshon Jeffrey that he would end up pumping gas if he came to South Carolina. In fact, the guys are using the statement as motivation. Says Brown:

"I’m taking it very personally. I’m taking it personally to the point where I’m going to show him how we do pump gas at South Carolina."

The intensity has just been turned up a notch, folks.

Reviewing South Carolina at Alabama: What Do We Make Of This Game?

Gamecock Man — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:29:30 -0000

Well, that wasn't pretty. In a game in which the norm for both offenses was off-kilter offensive play, defense ruled the day, and Alabama's big interception return on the first drive and their ability to run the ball fairly consistently helped the Tide to a 20-6 win. The game was a close one, and you really have to give our defense credit for keeping us in this thing. I was impressed with how Ellis Johnson's group didn't crack after numerous aborted offensive series. They kept 'Bama out of the end zone until the very end of the game, and they came up with several turnovers. That's the recipe for success in a game like this.

Unfortunately, our offense failed to capitalize on the numerous opportunities to score that the defense produced, and you have to recognize that both our coaches and players simply didn't do a great job in this game. The play calling was questionable for most of the night. Why continue to run draw plays that 'Bama has held in check all night? Why run a play three straight times on first and goal at the five? For his part, Stephen Garcia, although he made a noble effort, played very poorly. A lot of his throws were a little off and he didn't do a good job of avoiding sacks. The interception looked like the receivers fault for running the wrong route, but it goes on the books nonetheless. It was possibly the difference in the game. Finally, some of our receivers suffered from the dropsies. Just an all-around poor offensive showing.

The question now becomes what to make of this one. You can, of course, call it yet another missed opportunity and worry that the wheels are about to come off. And that's a valid response; we've been there before, and while I expect to beat Vandy this week, nothing will come easy after that. Some of our problems, such as the offensive line play, will probably continue to haunt us. Depth will only become more of an issue on both sides of the ball as the season progresses.

However, this loss doesn't have to mean that the season is falling apart. This wasn't a game that many people expected us to win or even to keep close. We were playing what's possibly the best team in the nation in their house. Despite having an off night offensively, though, we kept it closer than most folks expected us to. If I'm Steve Spurrier and his staff, I'm telling this team that they're right there, so close to being able to win the big one. I'm also telling them that this team is still in position to achieve its goals for the season, and while the schedule is daunting, all of our remaining games are winnable. That includes Florida, who looks vulnerable right now and won't have the luxury of playing us at home. (Although they might enjoy other luxuries, such as biased officiating and broadcasting commentary. Yeesh to that game yesterday.)

In the end, I still think we're where we were this time last week. We're searching for that game when it all comes together. This week, it was the offense that was off. We've seen Garcia bounce back from off nights before, and I think we'll see him do it again, hopefully next week against Vandy. If he can do that and the rest of the team can come to play, as well, then maybe we can get a little retribution against the 'Dores and gain some steam as we head on the road to take on Tennessee and Arkansas.

A few more thoughts on the game.

As I expected, Ellis Johnson played the run aggresively all night, and it worked for most of the game. Kudos to our staff for their gameplan and to the players for executing it.
Even with Akeem Auguste coming back, I think C.C. Whitlock has earned a place in the starting lineup. He played another good game and is finally showing us why he was considered such a good prospect.
If I'm Vandy's coaching staff, I'm thinking the only way my generally incompetent offense is going to move the ball is to get in the wildcat and run it up the gut. Our defensive coaches need to be prepared for that next week, as it's given us fits now for two straight weeks.
After running the ball well against Kentucky last week, we looked like 2008 Carolina this week. At some point, I think Spurrier is going to have to diversify his offense a little bit to incorporate more power formations. Everyone can see that draw play coming from a mile away, and unless the rest of our offense is clicking on all cylinders, good defenses can shut the play down pretty easily.
On that note, not having Jarvis Giles hurt us more than I thought it would. Having a good outside runner like Giles would have given us another option in the running game.
Jason Barnes finally had a good game. Hope he can keep it up. (After today, please don't remind that Barnes could have been the hero if not for a bad Garcia throw.)
Kentucky beat Auburn at Auburn last night. Perhaps the 'Cats are a pretty good football team and a nice scalp for our team.
On the other hand, N.C. State certainly isn't making our victory over them look like it means anything.
Finally, all my best to Moe Brown. Get well soon, buddy.

Week Seven Previewing: #2 Alabama vs #22 South Carolina

outsidethesidelines — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:42 -0000

Beating up on Colonel Reb was certainly nice, but as the proverbial saying goes there is no rest for the weary, and that saying rings particularly true for teams competing in the SEC. After beating Ole Miss 22-3 in Oxford, Alabama returns to the friendly confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium this week for its fourth conference game in as many weeks as South Carolina and the Ol' Ball Coach head to Tuscaloosa. The Gamecocks come into this game with a solid 5-1 record and a top-25 ranking, so as is usually the case, the Tide will need to play well in order to insure that it emerges victorious. Let's take a closer look at the match-ups:

Alabama Offense v. South Carolina Defense

The strength of this South Carolina team, as has been the case with nearly all of Steve Spurrier's teams in Columbia, is on the defensive side of the ball, with a defense led by a couple of coaches with strong Alabama ties: Lorenzo Ward ('Bama alum) and Ellis Johnson (two stints, and a national title ring, as an assistant at 'Bama). The Gamecocks are a bit of a different animal defensively in terms of schemes, and as much as possible they try to operate out of a base 4-2-5 set. Whether you've noticed or not, South Carolina has really been an NFL factory the past several years for talent in the defensive backfield, and in many ways the 4-2-5 is just a way of playing to their strengths and getting their best players on the field.

Individually, the standout of the South Carolina defense is clearly linebacker Eric Norwood. At 6'1 and 250+ pounds, Norwood will likely be a star on Sunday one day, and with injuries continuing to plague Greg Hardy, Norwood is probably the best pass rusher in the conference these days. Nevertheless, don't paint him as a Rahim Alem-esque one-trick pony who can only rush the passer, just look at his overall stat line on the year... 38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks for a loss of 42 yards, 5 QB hurries, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 2 blocked kicks. Bottom line, the kid can do it all. He can rush the passer, he can play the run, he can play the pass, and he can make an impact on special teams. He is nothing short of a defensive coordinator's dream, plain and simple.

Aside from Norwood, the starting eleven on this team was very good. And I say was because injuries have really hit this unit hard. As I mentioned earlier, they had a great starting eleven, but quality depth was never on their side, and the injury bug has only made things worse. Defensive tackle Travian Robertson tore his ACL earlier in the year, and middle linebacker Rodney Paulk also went down for the year with a knee injury. For a unit with very little proven, quality depth, both injuries hit hard, and making matters worse starting cornerback Akeem Auguste was recently suspended for violating team / university rules, and will not play in this game.

So, we really don't know exactly what to make of the South Carolina defense right now. There are definitely a lot of good players on the defensive side of the ball, that we do know. Aside from Norwood, defensive end Cliff Matthews is a fine player, and Shaq Wilson and Chris Culliver are both very good players in their own right. Moreover, they do have some young guys contributing early, particularly cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a player Saban himself recruited very hard to come to Alabama. The rest of the starters are generally pretty solid at worst, so it's a decent group in that respect.

On the other hand, though, again, injuries have hit this group hard and the depth really just is not there, so in many ways this does have the look of a vulnerable group. The loss of Robertson and Paulk have really hurt the run defense, and it has looked pretty ugly in the past couple of weeks. South Carolina State ran for 170 yards against them, and Kentucky went over 200 yards, both of which is pretty bad news when you set off to head to Tuscaloosa.

In many ways, the defensive backfield, again, has led the Gamecock attack. It's a young group, but they have generally been able to get the job done to date. But, of course, looking at the schedule, you really do have to question the strength of their six opponents to date. North Carolina State, Florida Atlantic, and South Carolina State all have anemic passing attacks, and the Georgia offense with Joe Cox hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard in Athens. Likewise, Kentucky many have the worst quarterback play of any team in the SEC, and the Gamecocks got to play for more than a quarter against the back-up. Taking Jevan Snead to the woodshed was certainly a good performance, but then again pretty much every good defense that has faced the Rebels have done that (Alabama included), so who really knows how much that says? And, of course, the suspension of Auguste will do nothing to help the Gamecocks on this front.

For Alabama, the Tide really just has to work its way out of the miniature funk it fell into last weekend in Oxford. We know this unit can be extremely good, but Greg McElroy has to be a lot more disciplined in his progressions this week, and frankly the offensive play-calling needs to improve, not to mention red zone execution in general. Fortunately, though, we have been running the ball very well as of late, and we've still got a ton of talent just about everywhere offensively. We don't necessarily need a breakout game here, but an improvement over Ole Miss would be good news.

All in all, I think you have to be cautiously optimistic here for the Tide, so long as you can do a decent job of blocking Norwood and Matthews in pass protection sets. South Carolina certainly has a solid defense -- and honestly a very good one if they could stay healthy -- but again injuries and suspensions have really made there lack of quality depth an issue, and while you still probably aren't going to be running up and down the field against these guys, if we execute better than we did last week against Ole Miss, I do believe it's reasonable to think that we will have some degree of success. If nothing else, we ought to be able to wear these guys down over the course of four quarters and take advantage of their lack of depth.

Alabama Defense v. South Carolina Offense

Perhaps the biggest piece of good news for the Gamecocks this year has been the emergence of quarterback Stephen Garcia. The highly-touted Florida product struggled immensely his first couple of years in Columbia -- about all he did of positive note was to win the Six Beer Challenge -- but he has really turned the corner in 2009. He hasn't gotten all of the publicity that has gone to 'Bama signal caller Greg McElroy, but if you look at Garcia's stat line -- 61% completion rate, over 7.0 yards per attempt, and a 3-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio -- he has played at a level very comparable to McElroy. Furthermore, Garcia is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback, and at 6'2 and approximately 225 pounds, he can be a load to bring down in the open field. After a very ugly start against North Carolina State, the South Carolina offense has actually performed pretty well (arguably as well as it has since Spurrier arrived), and clearly Garcia's progression as a player are the foundation of that improvement.

Admittedly, though, Garcia does have plenty of help at the skill positions, where the Gamecocks have more than their fair share of big, physical playmakers. True freshman Alshon Jeffery is making nice progress on his degree in gas pumping, and while he may not be having quite the kind of year Julio Jones and A.J. Green had last year, he's very close. He has "NFL" written all over him even at 19 years old. Furthermore, Tori Gurley is an incredibly difficult match-up for any cornerback, coming in at around 6'5 and 225 pounds, and Jason Barnes is another big target. And while Moe Brown is the smallest of the group, he's a fine player in his own right, and he's probably the best of the bunch right now. Making matters even better for the Gamecocks, tight end Weslye Saunders comes in at 6'5 and 280 pounds, and he can be a difference-maker in his own right. Bottom line, Garcia has clearly made a lot of progress this season in his own right, but by the same token he's got a lot of great players to throw the football to as well. For a defensive coordinator, this is a group good enough to keep you up late at night.

The weakness of this offense, as has always been the case under Spurrier, is up front on the offensive line. It's not so much that this unit has played poorly, per se, as much as it is that this group just doesn't have a lot of good players anyway, and injuries have hurt considerably. Left tackle Jarriel King is probably the best player they have, and he's not really a standout in his own right. The rest of the line has pretty much been a patchwork job. Hutch Eckerson is starting at right tackle now after the flu and some other injuries caught up with Quintin Richardson, and he has really struggled with edge rushers. Starting left guard Terrence Campbell is going to miss a lot of time with an injury, and that has caused a lot of re-shuffling in its own right. Alabama native Heath Batchelor saw some time there, but he left the program a couple of days ago, and redshirt freshman T.J. Johnson has been forced to play. There has even been talk that true freshman Nick Allison -- who has redshirted to date -- may have to play against the Tide. And making matters even worse, center Garrett Anderson missed the Kentucky game with a back injury, and while he may be back in some capacity against the Tide, he likely won't be 100% and will rotate time with Lemuel Jeanpierre. Bottom line, South Carolina just isn't a very good unit up front. They play hard, seemingly, but they don't have very much talent and injuries have just killed them to date.

The running game for the Gamecocks will be a three-headed monster with carries being split between Kenny Miles, Jarvis Giles, and Brian Maddox. Miles and Giles are scat-back type players, and Maddox is a bruising runner who came into the year as a starter. Maddox really struggled early, though, and gave way to the youngsters Miles and Giles, both of which sport pretty impressive yards per carry average. With his 100-yard performance last weekend against Kentucky, look for Miles to get the bulk of the work against the Tide. On the other hand, though, you can make some legitimate questions about just how good these backs are. The line is obviously in shambles, and while the raw production from Miles and Giles looks impressive on paper, it should be noted that most of that yardage was racked up against the likes of Florida Atlantic and South Carolina State. Giles, for example, may be averaging 5.8 yards per carry, but if you take away those two cupcakes, he's suddenly averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry against the rest of the schedule, and largely the same critique (to a lesser extent) can be made against Miles.

Defensively, we all know that the Tide has the look of an elite unit, and really the only big question mark to date for the 'Bama defense is exactly what happens this week with the return of Jerrell Harris. Obviously we'll all have to tune in to find out for sure, but I imagine we'll see a lot of both Harris and Nico Johnson on Saturday, and we'll have some package specific roles for both players. Who "starts" is really a moot point, and both will likely be breaking a sweat come Saturday night.

Regardless of which of those two players ultimately gets the starting nod, the real key for Alabama on Saturday will be dominating this game at the line of scrimmage. Even with all of the other issues notwithstanding, South Carolina has a small offensive line -- the five starters average right at 300 pounds -- and we need to take full advantage of those weaknesses. Our defensive line needs to get after Garcia and dominate these guys in the running game. If we can do that, we're probably in good shape here. On the other hand, though, if Garcia gets comfortable in the pocket, look for South Carolina to have more than their fair share of success. I don't care how good the Alabama defense supposedly is, we're going to have a lot of issues defending their skill position players if Garcia gets time to throw the football. As is usually the case, look for this match-up to be decided in the trenches.

Putting It All Together

All in all, 'Bama comes into this game as approximately 18-point favorites, and it's not overly difficult to see why Vegas is so bullish on the Tide. We look very good right now, we have more top-end talent and better depth throughout the roster, and while South Carolina's 5-1 record may look nice on paper, who have they really played? Their five wins, to date, consists of a Division 1-AA team, a non-BCS team, a bottom of the barrel ACC team, Kentucky, and a victory at home over Ole Miss, plus a loss to a Georgia team that looks to finish up 6-6 at best. Look at their schedule to date... how many ranked teams do you see? Zero. So there are plenty of reasons for 'Bama fans to feel good going into this game.

But on the other hand, in reality, life in the SEC is just never easy, and the gap between the really good SEC teams and the middle of the road SEC teams is always relatively small. Regardless of how you break it down, truth be told, SEC teams are always a lot more similar than they are different, and that applies this week as well to the Gamecocks. South Carolina may have a lot going against them in this game, but they've still got a lot of fine players in their own right and they are far from a pushover. And, hell, right now they can probably stake as legitimate of a claim to the #3 spot in the SEC as anyone else.

And rest assured, these guys will come out ready to fight. Steve Spurrier has been poor-mouthing his team all week, all but completely writing off this game to the media as a guaranteed loss. Don't buy that garbage for one second. Spurrier loathes 'Bama with every fiber of his being, and hell will freeze over before he concedes us anything. We may take his Gamecocks behind the woodshed and he may need Tommy Johns surgery after throwing that visor all night, but we'll have to earn every bit of it. He's looking to show that he's making progress at South Carolina, and he and his team will fight 'til they drop on Saturday night.

For 'Bama, it's really the same story that it is every week. You never get a week off in the SEC... one challenge is simply replaced by yet another challenge, and regardless of who you play, you're going to have to come out and play good football if you want to win, and if you do that you're probably going to get beat. For all of the advantages that 'Bama has on paper over the Gamecocks, that's still the ultimate scenario we are facing this week.

Hope for the best.

UK @ South Carolina: Breaking Down the Gamecocks and Other Stuff

Ken Howlett — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:02:11 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

"I want to beat Spurrier just one time before I retire!"

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The Kentucky Wildcats enter today's 12:30 EST titanic tilt with the South Carolina Gamecocks on the precipice ,,, looking down at the rocks below. Mind you, it isn't an unexpected precipice. Two months ago we all had the road map in the form of the game schedule, so UK sitting at 2-2, staring at two tough road games (isn't that redundant?), should not come as a surprise. The mystery, the unknown, however, is how Kentucky will respond.

Certainly, the Wildcats' play last Saturday against Alabama was a marked improvement over the effort put forth in Lexington versus Florida -- Kentucky ran the ball very well, considering the defense they were facing, and UK's defense held the Tide to nearly 150 yards less than their per game average -- But now, on the road, in front of a famously hostile crowd, will the 'Cats continue on an upward arc?

The answer to that, my friends, lies in the "turnover" category. If Kentucky plays as well as they did against Alabama last Saturday -- with a big caveat -- minus the turnovers (as well as excessive penalties), then they will have a legitimate chance to win today's ballgame, BUT, if UK is in the negative in turnover margin, if they continue to give up possession, they'll go down faster than a sluggish stock market. You can bet your Visor on that.

It's really just that simple -- Kentucky has the talent to win today's game, but talent doesn't trump turnovers.

For more on the game, South Carolina's personnel, and UK in the SEC rankings, make the jump with me.

South Carolina Vitals

Points Per Game: USC - 27.2, Opp's - 16.8

Rush Yards Per Game: USC - 157.4, Opp's - 114.2

Average Per Rush: USC - 4.5, Opp's - 3.2

Pass Yards Per Game: USC - 214.8, Opp's - 150.2

Yards Per Completion: USC - 11.1, Opp's - 10.0

Total Offense: USC - 372.2, Opp's - 264.4

KO Return Avg.: USC - 21.2, Opp's - 26.2

Punt Return Avg.: USC - 7.9, Opp's - 15.8

Turnover Margin: USC - +4

3rd Down Conversion: USC - 38.0%, Opp's - 37.0%

Sacks By: USC - 14, Opp's - 12

Red Zone TD%: USC - 46% (12-26), Opp's - 55% (6-11)

Kentucky and South Carolina SEC Rankings (Keep in mind UK is coming off back-to-back games against two of the three best teams in the country)

Scoring: UK - 25.0 (11), USC - 27.2 (t8)

Scoring Defense: UK - 26.5 (10), USC - 16.8 (6)

Total Offense: UK - 328.5 (11), USC - 372.2 (8)

Total Defense: UK - 353.2 (10), USC - 264.4 (3)

Rush Offense: UK - 158.0 (8), USC - 157.4 (9)

Rush Defense: UK - 190.2 (12), USC - 114.2 (3)

Pass Offense: UK - 170.5 (11), USC - 214.8 (6)

Pass Defense: UK - 163.0 (6), USC - 150.2 (3)

Kickoff Return: UK - 28.3 (3), USC - 21.2 (10)

Punt Return: UK - 10.7 (4), USC - 7.9 (7)

Sacks By: UK - 8 (t8), USC - 14 (2)

Sacks Against: UK - 5 (t3), USC - 12 (10)

3rd Down Conversion: UK - 41.4 (5), USC - 38.0 (8)

Opp. Third Down Conversion: UK - 38.7 (11), USC - 36.8 (8)

Penalty Yards: UK - 65.5 (9), USC - 63.4 (8)

Turnover Margin: UK - -4 (10), USC - +4 (5)

Red Zone Scores: UK - 9-11 (8), USC - 20-26 (11)

Red Zone Defense: UK - 13-17 (5), USC - 9-11 (6)

Wildcats in the SEC Rankings

Junior running back Derrick Locke is No. 2 in the league in punt return average at 10.8 yards per return, and No. 2 in the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 33.9 yards per return. Locke is No. 1 in the SEC in all purpose yardage (rushing, receiving and returns) with a 173.2 yards per game average. UK's middle linebacker Micah Johnson is No. 5 in the conference in tackles with 35 (8.8 tpg).

South Carolina Offensive Personnel

Stephen Garcia -- 6'2", 219 lb sophomore quarterback: Garcia is 93-155 (60.0%) through the air, good for 1.035 yards and six touchdowns. He's tossed only two interceptions. He's also ran for 142 positive yards on 36 rushes, and two touchdowns. Last year versus UK, Garcia replaced starter Chris Smelley in the fourth quarter, and threw for 169 yards and one touchdown on 10-14 (71.4%) accuracy in the Gamecocks come-from-behind 24-17 victory.

Garcia is a highly mobile, strong-armed quarterback who is playing much better than most prognosticators predicted. The Gamecocks offensive line, though, hasn't been diligent in protecting Garcia -- He's been sacked 12 times in only four games, an area UK must take advantage of, because if Garcia is given time, he'll pick apart UK's secondary.

At the beginning of the season I thought UK would have the better of the two quarterbacks going in this game, but I've since changed my mind. If Garcia is efficient with his passes, and troubles the UK defense as much as other mobile quarterbacks, then SC will be half-way home to yet another victory over Kentucky.

Jarvis Giles -- 5'11", 183 lb freshman running back: Giles leads the Gamecocks with 39 rushes, resulting in 231 yards gained (5.9 yards per carry), and one touchdown. He also has four catches for 24 yards (6.0 yards per reception). Giles was the No. 22 player in Florida last season, as rated by Rivals. He was the No. 21 running back prospect in the country according to Scout.

Kenny Miles -- 5'9", 183 lb redshirt freshman running back: Miles has rushed 28 times for 168 yards (6.0 ypc), and one touchdown. He's snagged three passes for 15 yards (5.0 ypr). Coming out of high school, Miles was rated the No. 33 running back in the nation by Rivals.

Brian Maddox -- 5'11", 224 lb junior running back: The elder statesman among the Gamecocks' backs, Maddox leads the team in carries with 52, good for 162 yards (3.1 ypc) and three touchdowns. He's also caught seven passes for 50 yards (7.1 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Moe Brown -- 6'0", 183 lb senior wide receiver: Brown leads the team with 18 catches, 283 receiving yards (15.7 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Tori Gurley -- 6'5", 227 lb redshirt freshman wide receiver: Gurley has accounted for 17 receptions for 244 yards (14.4 ypr), and one touchdown.

Jason Barnes -- 6'4", 199 lb sophomore wide receiver: This season Barnes has eight catches for 102 yards (12.8 ypr). Last year versus UK, Barnes had four catches for 88 yards (22.0 ypr) -- all in the fourth quarter -- of the Gamecock comeback win.

Alshon Jeffery -- 6'3", 217 lb freshman wide receiver: Jeffery has five catches for 61 yards (12.2 ypr), and one touchdown. Two years ago, the highly sought after receiver was rated the No. 99 pass catcher in the Rivals top-100, and the No. 13 receiver prospect in the country. He was the No. 74 rated player in the nation by PrepStar.

Patrick DiMarco -- 6'0", 243 lb junior fullback: Although a fullback, DiMarco is third on the team with 11 receptions for 70 yards (6.4 ypr), and one touchdown.

* South Carolina starting tight end Weslye Saunders will not play in today's game. Saunders has caught 14 passes for 156 yards (11.1 ypr) this year. Last season versus UK, Saunders made the game-winning catch. His most likely replacement at the tight end spot this afternoon is 6'3", 231 lb redshirt freshman Mike Triglia.

South Carolina Defensive Personnel

Eric Norwood -- 6'1", 252 lb senior linebacker: Norwood, a two-time First Team All-SEC selection leads South Carolina with 30 tackles (19 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss (leads the SEC) and six sacks (leads the SEC). He's also recorded two interceptions and five quarterback hurries. For his outstanding career, Norwood has executed 204 tackles, 49.5 tackles for loss, and 28 sacks (he's the active SEC leader in tackles for loss and sacks).

Stay away from this guy, if at all possible. Norwood is extremely quick to the ball, and the passer. Although UK has done a good job of protecting Mike Hartline, Norwood could prove to be the difference in the game, especially considering UK is without senior right tackle Justin Jefferies.

Perhaps more important for UK than protecting the quarterback, is ensuring the running game is at full steam But once again, Norwood is capable of slowing down the run, which would spell doom for the 'Cats on this day.

Chris Culliver -- 6'0", 190 lb junior free safety: Culliver has 29 tackles (18 solo), .5 tackles for loss, and five pass breakups. Last year versus UK, Culliver recorded the first two interceptions of his career. His last interception sealing the game for Carolina.

Stay away from this guy, if at all possible. Just another reason to run, run, run.

Shaq Wilson -- 5'11", 210 lb sophomore linebacker: Wilson has accounted or 28 tackles (14 solo), and one pass breakup.

Wilson was projected as a back-up to Norwood at the beginning of the season, but his aggressive, hard-hitting style has elevated him to starter's reps.

Darian Stewart -- 5'11", 216 lb senior strong safety: Stewart, who plays a mixture of safety and linebacker, has made 25 tackles (16 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. He recorded seven tackles against UK in 2008.

Cliff Matthews -- 6'4", 249 lb junior defensive end: Matthews has recorded 20 tackles, (17 solo), six tackles for loss (second on the team), four sacks (also, second on the team), and one pass breakup.

Devin Taylor -- 6'7", 232 lb redshirt freshman defensive end: Taylor has made 16 tackles (8 solo), one sack and 4.5 tackles for loss.

Stephon Gilmore -- 6'1", 188 lb freshman corner back: The Parade All-America has recorded 19 tackles (10 solo), two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and two pass breakups.

South Carolina Special Teams Personnel

Placekicker and Punter, Spencer Lanning -- Lanning is 10-11 on his field goal attempts, but his longest make is only 41 yards. He averages a solid 41.9 yards per punt.

Kicker, Adam Yates -- Yates handles the kickoffs: On 28 kickoffs, he's had only one touchback.

Punt Returner, Akeem Auguste -- He's returned six punts for 17 yards (2.8 yards per return).

Punt Returner, Stephon Gilmore -- Gilmore has returned two punts for 42 yards (21.0 ypr).

Kickoff Returner, Chris Culliver -- He's returned 13 kicks for 279 yards (21.5 ypr).

Kickoff Returner, Bryce Sherman -- Four returned kicks for 106 yards (26.5 ypr).

UK Injuries

As most know by now, the Wildcats' two starting corner backs, senior Trevard Lindley and junior Paul Warford, are both injured and will not play today. Replacing the two will be sophomore Randall Burden (four games played; 13 tackles and two pass breakups) and true freshman Netavious Neloms (four games played; seven tackles).

Also missing from action for UK will be "protector designate" of Hartline's grill, senior right tackle, Justin Jefferies. He'll be replaced by junior Brad Durham.

Happy Birthdays

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my brother Jason, his son Jonah, and my nephew Josiah.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Gamecocks!

Q&A with Garnet and Black Attack

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:52:03 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Don't you know who I am? I'm Darth Visor, and I'm your daddy!

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John at Garnet and Black Attack thoughtfully asked me to do a Q&A exchange with him, which of course I was very glad to do. John took over GABA from cocknfire last year, when SB Nation tapped him to do the outstanding SEC blog, Team Speed Kills. It is always pure pleasure working with both these guys.

The South Carolina streak against UK is, of course, a popular subject, and John explores that a bit in his questions to me, which you can find on GABA here. Myself, while the streak means a lot to me, I think it has become a bit of a distraction for both the fans and the team. These things sometimes happen in college football for no good reason, and I think at some point you just have to note it, address it briefly and move on. Steve Spurrier, in comments to the media recently, put it this way:

"One of the Kentucky (media) asked me about that and I said, ‘Obviously, at Florida, normally we had the better team almost every time we played them.' Here, I don't know that we've been; it's pretty even. ... We've seemed to get the good turnovers and get the good breaks in the close games."

I think The Visor gets this pretty well right. I don't think it's fair to say that USC has been lucky -- Rather, I would say that they have done a better job of taking advantage of the good fortune that has come their way. It isn't as though UK has been spat upon by the football gods in our games with USC. For the most part, though, we have assisted in authoring this nine-year streak by untimely fumbles and general carelessness. But the Gamecocks deserve all the credit for turning UK's miscues and bad days into nine years of futility for Kentucky. That's just how losing streaks go.

So without further ado, let's get to the Q&A:

South Carolina is second only to Georgia in passing proficiency in the second half of games, but only 8th in the first half. Why do you think that is, and how do you think it will affect the game against the Wildcats on Saturday?

Hard to say. Part of the issue is that we've been a "possession" team for the most part so far. We don't make a lot of big plays, but we do move the ball efficiently, which keeps the opposing defense on the field. In the second half, that begins to work in our favor as the opposing defense wears out. That's when our passing game and offense in general starts to really shine.

I think you'll see something like that happen in this game. The defenses will likely control the first half. Both offenses will move the ball a little better in the second half, but with Kentucky struggling with turnovers and injuries on defense, Carolina's defense will take advantage of a turnover or two and the offense will begin to move the ball effectively against a depleted UK defense. I hope.
According to my calculations, UK has played the 47th toughest schedule so far, and USC has played the 97th toughest. I think it's safe to say that UK is "battle tested," even if they've lost all the major battles so far, and won only the minor ones. How do you think the schedule each team has played so far will impact the game?

Well, first of all, while 47th seems right for the Cats, 97th seems a little low for the Gamecocks. We have played three teams that were in bowls last year. We haven't, of course, played Florida and Alabama, but at the same time we haven't played anyone as bad as Miami or Louisville, either. All in all, I'm not sure that I think the 'battle tested' category really comes into play here. Kentucky has played tougher teams, but Carolina has played some pretty tough teams, too, and Carolina, unlike Kentucky, knows what it's like to be in a close game and win in that situation. In other words, Carolina has more experience in games like the one this one will be. It works both ways.

I do think, though, that the teams Kentucky has played should in some ways prepare them for this game. Alabama runs a fairly similar offense to ours. We rely on the pass and the shotgun a little more than they do, but both teams generally run traditional sets that seek balance. The Kentucky defense played well against Alabama at times, so it should be prepared to play well against Carolina, too.

On the other hand, Kentucky has yet to play a tough road game, which may work against the 'Cats when they come to Columbia. This is a day game, so the crowd likely won't be quite as wild as they were last time you visited Columbia, but dealing with the noise for the first time will be a challenge.
Stephen Garcia totally passes the "look" test for an SEC quarterback, yet his QB rating so far is only 126.28. What has been holding Garcia back? Can he "find it" against UK, and if so, how?

Garcia has been a marvel in the short passing game this year. However, his ypa aren't high, and he hasn't thrown for a lot of touchdowns. That hurts his rating. It's also worth noting that he's good on his feet, which doesn't factor into his rating but certainly distinguishes him as a QB.

The key for Garcia to take the next step, I think, is for him to become more precise in his deep vertical game. He's usually been slightly off on longer throws, which hurts his ypa and his number of TDs. He threw a nice 40 yard strike to Moe Brown in our last game, so maybe we'll see him do better there from here on out.

The other thing that's holding him back is receiver play and penalties. As you may have noticed, our receivers have bungled a few catchable balls, and we've had several quality plays brought back due to penalties. That has to stop for Garcia's numbers and this offense in general to move forward.

UK presents an interesting opportunity for Garcia to show his stuff. UK will be without its top corners. My thinking is that UK will utilize the safeties to help out the young corners, which should keep the USC passing game from really getting wild early on. However, I think we'll try to run and throw underneath to get UK out of that zone. If we can do that--and it's a big if--then the safeties will scoot up, and Garcia will have a chance to strike deep. We'll see if he's up to the task.
Derrick Locke leads the SEC in all-purpose yards by a substantial margin. Considering the veteran, stout UK offensive line, how do the Gamecocks stop him from continuing his 173 yards/game clip when the higher rated defenses of Florida and Alabama couldn't?

Well, I don't mean to be persnickety, but the fact that Kentucky has received lots of kicks has definitely benefited Locke's all-purpose yards per game. I also wouldn't call Locke's performance against the Gators a very good one. He averaged less than 3 ypc on the ground and wouldn't have gotten so many return yards if Kentucky hadn't given up so many touchdowns.

Locke is, though, a quality back and return man, as he showed more clearly against Alabama. I also think Locke is a dangerous threat to USC. You've probably heard about our kickoff coverage troubles, and a guy like Locke could certainly gash us. I also think Locke and Kentucky can run the ball against us. The key, though, will be for Mike Hartline to prove that we have to respect him and the passing game. Early on, I would expect you'll see us focus on stopping the run by crowding the box, thus daring Kentucky to throw. If Kentucky does that, it'll open things up for Locke and company. If Hartline can't hit his throws, Locke can expect to see a swarm of Gamecocks linebackers and safeties swarming in on him every time he gets the ball.
Kentucky is currently 3rd in sacks allowed, and USC is currently second in sacks. Who wins that battle on Saturday and why?

I definitely think Kentucky's line is capable of slowing our pass rush down. Moreover, with Akeem Auguste out of the game, we probably won't get as many coverage sacks as we've gotten in the past. That said, Eric Norwood and Cliff Matthews are capable of producing pressure on just about any team, so you can expect us to make at least a little noise. I also think Ellis Johnson is about the best in the business for calling a well-timed secondary blitz, so you can expect him to dial up a play that works from time to time. In other words, I don't necessarily think either team will "win" this matchup; we'll do some good things, but your line will keep us from doing them quite as often as have against other teams.
Predict the outcome.

I see a close game through the first half, with the Gamecocks pulling away late after a Kentucky turnover or two and some solid offense against a worn out Kentucky defense. I'll say 24-13 USC.

Thanks so much, as always, to John for doing the Q&A with us, and be sure to visit Garnet and Black Attack early and often as we move towards the big game on Saturday.

Previewing Kentucky at South Carolina: Topics for Discussion on the 'Cats Defense

Gamecock Man — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:47:39 -0000

As you've probably heard, UK CBs Trevard Lindley and Paul Warford are doubtful for Saturday. What should we expect from the 'Cats, and can we take advantage? I'm assuming that (1) inexperienced Randall Burden and Martavius Neloms will play a lot and (2) Kentucky will back off it's man coverage without shut-down corner Lindley in the game. Our passing game should benefit from Lindley and Warford's absence, which could lead to the entire offense opening up. However, we'll have to take advantage. Look for us to try to work the zone with underneath plays and to try to send Moe Brown or Tori Gurley deep if Kentucky scoots the safeties up. Things could get ugly if Kentucky gives us too many chances to beat their young corners deep.

Can Kentucky generate a pass rush? Without their starting corners in the game to shut down our receivers, Kentucky will be even more likely to go for broke and try to get to Garcia and hope he makes a mistake before he can get anything going. Is our line, which has struggled a bit on pass blocking, up to the task? Is Garcia ready with the right audibles when the blitz comes? Is he ready to scramble after being a little banged up over the past two weeks? The answer to these questions could be the difference between a huge and a struggling day for the Gamecocks offense.

Kentucky gave up 200+ rushing yards to Alabama and 350+ yards to Florida. Can we run the ball against the 'Cats? We don't have quite the rushing attack that Alabama has and we certainly don't have anything resembling the Tebow / Demps / Rainey / Moody show. However, as long as we move the ball through the air efficiently enough to keep Kentucky honest, we should be able to move the ball fairly well against the 'Cats. I'll say that I hope we see a varied set of looks on Saturday; we've run the ball well out of the I and other formations against our lesser opponents this year, but in the big games we've gotten a little more predictable, mainly using draw plays. I see no reason why we can't open things up more against our SEC opponents.