SB Nation - Darian Stewart

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

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

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

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!

Previewing Florida Atlantic at South Carolina: Three Keys, Fun Fact, and Prediction

Gamecock Man — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:54:18 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

3 months ago: South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia (5) scrambles as Georgia's DeAngelo Tyson (94) gives chase during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 41-37. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Browse more photos »

Time to take on the Florida Atlantic Owls in a game that hopefully will serve as a useful tuneup for our showdown against a top-10 Ole Miss team next week. Below is my preview; also take a look at what Leftover Hot Dog has to say.

Three Keys

1. Stephen Garcia. Once again, Garcia is key to a good showing by the Gamecocks. However, I would say that this week the issues are a bit different than last week. Garcia must do two things this week. First of all, he's gotta protect the ball. That's what's most important for the time being, as Florida Atlantic likely won't be able to stay in this game for long unless they can get a couple of opportune turnovers. If that happens, all bets are off for the outcome of this game, as the Owls have the offense to make us pay if we cough the ball up a couple of times. I think Garcia can protect the ball, though; he's shown that he can so far this year. Given that he does so, it would also be nice to see Garcia do a better job of stretching the field. If this offense is to truly become a good one and this team is to win big games, Garcia is going to be able to have to do more than scramble and hit Weslye Saunders on dump offs. Opposing defensive coordinators saw what we did last week to Georgia's zone, and I expect them to take those plays away from us if we can't prove we can make them pay by going deep. If we can, though, this offense could start to look like the Spurrier offenses of old, and we may win lots of games this year, starting with next week's game against the Rebels.

2. Wide Receiver Play. This is a related point. Our receivers made a few mistakes last week that may have cost us the game. We have no shortage of talent at receiver, but it's mostly inexperienced talent. That's especially true of Tori Gurley, an imposing receiver physically but one that's a redshirt freshman who only recently moved to receiver. Gurley and others will have to learn how to do thing like get better positioning on opposing defensive backs for this offense to really take off.

3. Good Play from Inexperienced Defensive Players. We're going to be without Nathan Pepper, Ladi Ajiboye, and possibly Darian Stewart this week, which means that Travian Robertson, Melvin Ingram, and perhaps DeVonte Holloman are going to have to step up. And the Owls will challenge these guys; FAU's offense is formidable and will make us pay if we can't pressure the quarterback and / or play poorly in coverage. Luckily, we should be much closer to 100% next week against Ole Miss.

Continue reading after the jump.

Fun Fact

Last time we played the Owls, in the only prior meeting between these two schools, Syvelle Newton and Sidney Rice helped us put up record numbers. Rice's five TD grabs broke our all-time record and tied the SEC record. I was at this game, and it was a fun one to watch.

Prediction

Florida Atlantic is a good team that will challenge for the Sun Belt crown this year. However, they and Sun Belt schools in general simply don't have the athletes we have, and this game shouldn't be very close after the second quarter or so. That's not a knock against the Owls or their legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger. This is a school that has come out of nowhere over the past few years to become pretty successfull. That's a quality accomplishment, and losing badly to an SEC school hardly takes away from that.

That said, this is a team that has the horses to stay with us if we play poorly. Think back to games like 2007's matchups against Louisiana-Lafayette and South Carolina State. Although we won those games, we played like crap; those teams just weren't good enough to take advantage. Florida Atlantic is, and if we come out unfocused, uninspired, and cough the ball up three or four times, we stand a reasonable chance to lose this one. So far this year, though, we've shown a greater ability to protect the ball, and being under the lights at Williams-Brice for the first time this year should be enough of an inspiration for our guys to give this one their all. I'm calling this one a 45-10 Gamecocks victory.

Thursday News and Notes: Practice Notes and Possible Addition to Basketball Team

Gamecock Man — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:31:06 -0000

Not a whole lot out of the practice report today. The big news is that special teams coach Shane Beamer gave the primary punt return duties to Akeem Auguste, with Stephon Gilmore and Darian Stewart backing him up. Hopefully Auguste can be more effective than we were last year on punt returns. Beamer unsurprisingly said that Chris Culliver, who had a good year returning kicks a year ago, will be the primary kickoff returner, with Auguste and Bryce Sherman backing him up. I'll have to admit that I really, really want to see Sherman return a few kicks this year.

Beamer also reports that he's still undecided on who will handle kickoffs if Adam Yates is still unavailable for N.C. State. The contest is between Spencer Lanning and walk-on Blake Carlson. I've said it before and I'll say it again; we're probably going to miss Ryan Succop's strong leg this year. Having a guy that can consistently boot it into the endzone is a luxury you don't often think about.

Last but not least, Darrin Horn is apparently trying to pick up Nevada small forward Malik Cooke as a transfer. Last year Cooke started every game at Nevada, which, as many of you probably know, is a strong mid-major program and former home to new UGA hoops coach Mark Fox. Cooke has now transferred to USC and is looked to walk on. Cooke averaged over nine points for the Wolfpack last year. Cooke was a two-star recruit out of Christ School in Arden, N.C., where he played alongside Lakeem Jackson, our star recruit this past season.

I'm still in the process of learning more about Cooke, but my initial impression is that he has the potential to be a useful role player for us. He's athletic and has a nice wingspan for his position, which is what Coach Horn wants at small forward. He also brings experience. Here's what his high-school coach had to say about him:

"Can he play at a very athletic SEC level? I think so. I don’t think he’s going to be a 32-minute-a-game guy," Gaines said. "But the guy won in high school. And (Horn) likes winners, obviously. I think whether they pick him up as a walk on or eventually get him as a scholarship player, I don’t that’s a bad pickup, for a guy who just showed up at your school."

I'd say that's close to what I'm thinking. Cooke probably won't be able to win a starting job like he had at Nevada, but he could still have a place here. He wasn't a top recruit out of high school, which probably tells you a lot about what big-conference schools thought at the time about his ability to compete at the highest level. At the same time, though, he was able to prove himself capable of doing well at Nevada, which shows you that he's probably better than people first thought he was. It will be interesting to see if Coach Horn awards him a scholarship, which would prove that Horn believes he can really be a contributor.

2009 Opponent Previews - South Carolina

Will — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:00:10 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

Stephen Garcia must protect this house.

Browse more photos »

The Series

When the SEC expanded to divisional play in 1992 and added the Gamecocks, South Carolina beat the Vols that fall, delivering the final nail in Johnny Majors' three week old coffin. After that, Tennessee won 12 games in a row in the series under Phillip Fulmer. But one of the biggest signs of UT's stumble from the SEC's upper elite is the 2-2 split South Carolina has forged with them in the last four years under Steve Spurrier. The Vols may have exponentially more tradition, but right now they're on South Carolina's level.

Last Year

The Gamecocks also delivered the final blow to Phillip Fulmer's career in a 27-6 win over the Vols in Columbia 48 hours before Fulmer officially faced the music. At the time, the Gamecocks looked like a team on the cusp of greatness: when they beat Arkansas the following week, they were 7-3 with losses to Vanderbilt, Georgia and LSU that all came down to the final drive. But just as Carolina appeared ready for their breakthrough, reality again stepped forward in their November schedule: they fell 56-6 to Florida, 31-14 to Clemson, and 31-10 to Iowa in the Outback Bowl, losers of their last three after being losers in their last six in the 2007 season.

South Carolina Offense

You'll recognize Stephen Garcia, but not much else. With Chris Smelley playing baseball and Tommy Beecher transferring out as well, Garcia has become option 1 instead of 1A/B/C depending on The Ballcoach's mood. Really, it's still Spurrier, so who knows who else we might see at quarterback this season if Garcia struggles, as he apparently has in camp this month. Carolina does return three starters on the offensive line, but for a team that ranked 113th in rushing offense last year and 97th in total offense (hold your Clawfense jokes, please) there are still plenty of questions and no proven answers. Mike Davis has graduated, leaving Brian Maddox and his 135 career rushing yards as the heir apparent. And with most of their receptions from last year now playing in the NFL, could Alshon Jeffery become the instant go-to guy? Long story short: none of the guys that Carolina must count on have done anything meaningful in a Gamecock uniform.

And while I haven't read or heard this idea from anyone directly related to the South Carolina program or fanbase, I have heard lots of national and SEC pundits say that Spurrier looks less and less interested to them, and that this year could be it. Carolina has been to as many bowls (5) in this decade as they'd gone to in the 80s and 90s combined, so the program has made progress in the Holtz/Spurrier years...but with the offense struggling and the conference tougher than ever, this might be your last chance to see The Visor in Neyland Stadium.

South Carolina Defense

Sounds familiar: as bad as Carolina was on offense last year, they were that good on defense - second nationally against the pass, 13th nationally overall. Problem there is that Carolina must replace both its starting corners, though safeties Chris Culliver and Darian Stewart are back. Eric Norwood (nine sacks last year) returns at LB with All-SEC credibility, and 3/4 of the defensive line returns as well. Once more, the defense will be asked to carry this team...and once more, they may very well be up to the task.

Best Case Scenario for the Vols

By the time we get to this game, you're going to know what kind of team we've got and more or less how good we really are. If the Vols can get to this game at 5-2 (or even 4-3 with losses to Florida, Alabama and a competitive loss to Georgia) then a successful season will still be on the table, and that's an idea that almost certainly has to include beating this team. If Carolina's offense hasn't found its way, Tennessee's defense could again take advantage and give the offense all the help it needs. The Gamecocks have only won once in Neyland Stadium, and there's no reason for this year to make twice...Tennessee wins comfortably and reignites the flame after a loss in Tuscaloosa.

Worst Case Scenario for the Vols

Here again, if the Vols want to return to the SEC's upper elite, they absolutely cannot let teams like South Carolina get accustomed to beating them. But if the Gamecock defense can lock down an anemic Vol offense again, that may be exactly what happens. In what could turn into a battle of .500 teams looking for an edge, Carolina could get one from Garcia and Jeffery, much to Lane Kiffin's amusement I'm sure. Worst case, Carolina gets their second win in Knoxville in three tries, and the Vols are again painfully reminded of how far they've fallen and how much work they have left to do.

Game Importance Ranking: 8.6

For those reasons, this is one of the most important wins Lane Kiffin could get this season. It's not ranked as high because it won't do as much for momentum as beating UCLA or Auburn would...but ultimately, this is a team the Vols have to face every year, and one they cannot afford to fall behind. Letting South Carolina believe they can beat Tennessee on a regular basis would add an additional obstacle in recruiting, and create an additional hurdle the Vols would have to climb to get back to where they want to be. Kiffin needs to keep the Gamecocks behind him...only one chance to get off to a good start there.

Recommended Reading - Garnet & Black Attack

Keys to Success in 2009: #1 - Secondary Play

Keys to Success in 2009: Number One, Secondary Play

Gamecock Man — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:09:41 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

The next star at DB U?

Browse more photos »

That's right. The biggest key to a successful season in 2009 may be something that we haven't had to worry about in quite a while: secondary play. We've been blessed with a bevy of talented athletes in the secondary over the past several seasons. Many of them are now in the pros. However, after losing four competent corners and safeties to the NFL this past off-season, we're now as thin in the defensive backfield as we've been in quite some time.

This isn't to say that we don't have talent at corner and safety. Chris Culliver will likely be one of the conference's better safeties, and whether he's at safety, corner, or spur, Darian Stewart will also vie for all-conference honors. Highly recruited corner Stephon Gilmore and safety DeVonte Holloman will make big contributions. Guys like Akeem Auguste, Addison Williams, and C. C. Whitlock all have the potential for breakout years.

Continue reading after the jump.

However, other than Culliver, Stewart, and, to a much lesser degree, Auguste, none of these players are proven quantities. Gilmore and Holloman are freshmen. Williams is the most experienced of the group but has been inconsistent throughout his career. Whitlock played some receiver last year but has yet to see game time at corner.

And the lack of proven experience among the main guys in the rotation isn't the only problem. Perhaps even more worrying, this is group is razor thin; it's these guys, a few other even more unknown quantities, and after that there's not much of anything. If many guys go down with injuries--and Auguste and Williams are nursing minor injuries already--things could get really ugly. Unfortunately, in the high-speed, hard-hitting world of the secondary, injuries happen all the time.

This isn't to say that all is lost. We do have some talent, and if we can escape injury, that talent could carry us through the season. Moreover, we also have lots of talent on the sidelines in the form of Ellis Johnson and Lorenzo Ward. If these guys can't get a good year out of our secondary, no one can.

That said, I'm still thinking secondary is the biggest variable in whether or not this team has a big year. We'll need the secondary to perform against top passing teams like Ole Miss and Arkansas. If they fold, those possible wins could become blowout losses, and we could be looking at another six- or seven-win season, if not worse. If the secondary comes together, it will make our goals possible to achieve.

Poll

How much does the secondary worry you?

A lot. What will we do if we suffer lots of injuries?

15 votes

Not at all. We have the best defensive coaching staff in the game. They'll figure it out.

13 votes

I don't know. I'm waiting to see how they do against Russell Wilson.

25 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

Friday News and Notes: RJ Slawson Commits and Coaches Preseason All-SEC

Gamecock Man — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:33:41 -0000

South Carolina received a commitment from another big-time recruit today. This time, though, it was Darrin Horn and his staff doing the selling. Charleston four-star forward RJ Slawson joins the Gamecocks 2010 class, choosing USC over Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, College of Charleston, and some other lower-profile programs. Scout.com rates Slawson as the 21st-ranked power forward and the 90th best player overall. Per Scout.com Joshua A. Capers:

Both Telep and Saunders [coaches of Slawson] believe Slawson will be a hybrid forward at South Carolina because of his versatile skill set, which would give the Gamecocks a bigger lineup and a matchup problem with Slawson’s length on the perimeter.

That's exactly the type of player that Darrin Horn wants--a big guy that can run the floor and create matchup problems by playing multiple positions. The only drawback on this kid is that he still needs to get bigger--he's currently around 180 lbs--to play the post effectively. Other than that, though, this looks like a quality pickup.

SEC Coaches All-SEC: Eric Norwood first team, Stephen Garcia, Chris Culliver, and Spencer Lanning third team. While I'll grant that his position on the third team has as much to do with the lack of proven signal-callers in the SEC this preseason, I'm still pretty pumped about Garcia being on the third team. If he's still there when all is said and done--meaning that he's played better than guys like Joe Cox, Jordan Jefferson, Ryan Mallett, and Greg McElroy--I'll be very happy with the way the things are going. Actually, if this happens, I think we will have won at least nine games. I'm not kidding. If Garcia plays that well, we will have had a good to very good offense this year, and that will be enough to get us over the hump if the defense plays even halfway well.

The other thing to notice about this list? No Darian Stewart. This guy gets no respect. Like LOHD and Joe Person, I think that's BS. He'll be there at the end of the year, though.

Tuesday News and Notes: South Carolina Prep Talent, More Previews, and other News

Gamecock Man — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:47:57 -0000

Interesting article here on the next two prep classes in the state of South Carolina. The fact that we could rake in a couple of top 10 classes, including bringing in some of the top prospects in the country at positions of need, suggests a couple of things to me. First of all, the time has never been better for us to have a couple of good years. Winning seasons could assuage some of the reservations these guys might be having about staying home to play for the Gamecocks. Second of all, some of those wins need to come against Clemson and, to a lesser degree, NC State and UNC. We'll be competing directly with those schools in what are bound to be some stiff recruiting wars.

Some preview action:

Leftover Hot Dog asks which losses will hurt the most. I'm thinking the guys in the secondary. We're razor thin at those positions.

Seth Emerson talks about reasons that the Gamecocks might be up or down.

The Post and Courier's Travis Haney ranks Eric Norwood, Cliff Matthews, and Darian Stewart among the top 20 SEC defenders. He has Norwood at four, above Rolando McClain and Brandon Spikes. I hope he's right; my heart tells me he is but my head tells me I'm not so sure. He doesn't have UK's Micah Johnson on his list; I strongly disagree with him there.

Finally, check out what's going on right now with Demetris Summers and Derek Watson.

SEC 2009 // Stephen Garcia -- and the Rest of the Depth Chart

cocknfire — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:37 -0000

Not to put too fine a point on it -- everyone who has even bothered to preview the 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks has touched on this -- but a simple graph will explain the most important position on Steve Spurrier's depth chart this summer.

A note about the graph: I've already inverted the passing ranks -- i.e., 26 really means the Gamecocks were 93rd out of 119 programs in 2008 -- so that downward trend is indeed a negative sign.

Turning those numbers around is Stephen Garcia's challenge.

But the other concern about South Carolina's tentative depth chart (PDF) is the relative lack of experience. Couting both sides of the ball, 11 starters (by Phil Steele's count) return from a team that went 7-6 with a loss to Vanderbilt and uninspiring wins against dreadful UAB and FCS team Wofford. And then lost seven draft picks. For the other USC, losing seven draft picks is no big deal. For this one ...

Then again, the situation might not be quite as bleak as it looks. Rodney Paulk, who takes over at MLB for Jasper Brinkley, had 22 starts in 2006 and 2007, so he could be counted as a seventh returning starter on defense. He might be no Jasper Brinkley, but then J-Brink really wasn't what many expected in his return last season from injury (65 tackles, 5 for losses, including 2.5 sacks). There is only one true freshman listed as a first-team player (highly regarded CB Stephon Gilmore) and one redshirt freshman (RG T.J. Johnson). Yes, the Gamecocks lost a good deal of starters, but they aren't exactly green.

On the offensive side of the ball, the concerns are Garcia and the offensive line. Line coach Eric Wolford takes over to try to fix a problem that exacerbated the passing and rushing troubles for the Gamecocks last year -- in other words, the entire offense. There is only one stated battle on the depth chart -- at LG, between Terrence Campbell and Lemuel Jeanpierre. But South Carolina has shown no hesitation in the past about shuffling the line if necessary, and listed backups like Quintin Richardson could see a substantial amount of playing time.

Some have already questioned how long Garcia will have before he gets the hook. The answer is "quite a while," but not because Spurrier has suddenly developed patience. He simply has no choice. Reid McCollum, Zac Brindise and Aramis Hillary, for all the promise they have shown in practice or are expected to show in the future, are not viable options for full-time replacements this year if Garcia goes south. If Spurrier is forced to go to his bench, the season might already be in trouble. Gilmore could see action at QB in some Wildcat-type formations.

As for the other skill positions: WR and TE spots are distributed among players who need to live up to the occassional flashes of brilliance (Moe Brown, Jason Barnes and Dion LeCorn at WR; Weslye Saunders at TE); RB might actually improve with Brian Maddox taking over for the much-maligned Mike Davis. Not that improvement from a 3.5 ypc average has to be something to write home about.

On defense, the return of Eric Norwood after his brief flirtation with the draft will bolster the unit, as will Paulk. But some of the younger players will have to step up, notably in the secondary. Coaches would prefer Darian Stewart, currently listed as the starter at SS, to play the hybrid Spur position. However, they don't appear willing to weaken the secondary to do it as long as there remains another acceptable candidate. Alonzo Winfield is the starter if Stewart stays put.

All of that is moot, though, if Garcia disappoints. This team lives and dies with him.

MONDAY: South Carolina Leans on Hope, Again
TUESDAY: The Carolina Calendar
LATER TODAY: Hope and Homerism
THURSDAY: Predictions
FRIDAY: Feedback and Conclusions

Post-Spring Previews: Georgia

Gamecock Man — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:34:56 -0000

After traveling to Raleigh, the Gamecocks continue their path along one of the nation's toughest schedules when they go to Athens to take on the 'Dawgs. The Georgia game is always one of the defining moments of our season. Most Gamecocks fans consider Georgia our biggest SEC rival, and a win typically marks the beginning of a good season (2007 aside).

On the whole, Georgia is a team full of question marks. They disappointed last year after coming into the season with sky-high expectations. This year, they have to replace a number of significant players, most notably offensive stars Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi. On the other hand, they return significant talent on defense and on the offensive line. Their success will likely depend on whether Joe Cox can be efficient and can at least come to close to matching Stafford's productivity and if their defense can stay healthy and play better than it did in highly publicized meltdowns against LSU, Florida, and Georgia Tech last season. We'll probably know a lot more about Georgia after they open their season at Oklahoma State, a team with an absolutely explosive offense that will probably be preseason top ten.

Let's take a closer look at how we match up against these guys.

Quarterback

Mark Richt plans to start senior Joe Cox, who got significant playing time early in 2006 but since then has been Stafford's backup, only playing in mop-up duty. Cox is a fairly talented player and has spent a lot of time in the system, so the 'Dawgs can reasonably hope that he will be a competent signal caller. However, he lacks Stafford's physical abilities, so his ceiling is probably relatively low. I'd call it a push between Cox and Stephen Garcia; Cox has had longer to grow into his roll and is a more mature player, but he lacks Garcia's natural talent and has less in-game experience than Garcia. Usually, I'd say that means that Garcia has the advantage, but Garcia was hardly impressive in some of his appearances last year. Although he showed promise at times, he has plenty to prove this time around.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

While Moreno leaves big shoes to fill, Georgia is uncommonly deep at the running back position, with several highly recruited players waiting to become the next Moreno, Garrison Heart, or Herschel Walker. The one most likely to become a household name is Caleb King, a speedy home run threat who rushed for over 200 yards last year as Moreno's primary backup. However, Richard Samuel will also get plenty of touches, and the two backs may form something of a Thunder and Lightening duo. I'd say UGA has a slight advantage over us here; while I like our stable of backs and expect us to field a much improved running game in the fall, both King and Samuel could start at any school in the nation. These guys are monsters and, while we might get the 'Dawgs during a transition period while UGA tries to figure out how best to divvy the caries, I doubt UGA will miss a beat without Moreno this year.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Offensive Line

UGA returns a seasoned, talented offensive line led by tackles Quintin Sturdivant and Clint Boling. Sturdivant's preseason injury last year caused this unit to underperform last year, but if Sturdivant is able to return close to full strength, this should be a very good unit. I would give them a slight advantage over our line. While I expect much-improved blocking from our guys this year and the play in the spring gives us every indication that that's what we'll get, we simply lack the talent possessed by Georgia at these positions.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Georgia returns phenomenal receiver A. J. Green (yep, the same Summerville star that screwed his home state's flagship university by committing to a bitter rival) but loses the aforementioned Massaquoi, and so far it's unclear who will be the second receiver. That could be problematic for Georgia, as Cox could use the benefit of a slew of targets. At TE--a position that hasn't been featured in recent UGA offenses but may be this year--UGA loses ball-dropping machine Tripp Chandler but brings in the highly recruited Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch. Charles is a big, fast player receiving end somewhat out of the Jared Cook mold, while Lynch is more of a traditional end. Either will be a significant improvement over Chandler. I'd call it a push at these positions; after losing Kenny McKinley we don't have anyone like Green on our team, but what we lose in that contrast we gain in better depth.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line

The 'Dawgs return a very strong couple of players at tackle in Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens. However, they appear to lack a dangerous pass rusher, especially as they'll be without end Justin Houston, who is suspended for the first two games, when they play us. If Ladi Ajiboye plays in this game, I think we have a slight advantage here. While I like Atkins and Owens a bit more than Ajiboye and Nathan Pepper, UGA lacks the sack threats at end that we have in Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

UGA and Carolina each return one of the nation's best linebackers in Rennie Curran and Eric Norwood. UGA, however, also returns Daryl Gamble, another quality player, whereas Carolina will still be in the process of breaking in Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson as Norwood's partners in crime. UGA gets a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Secondary

Georgia returns star safety Reshad Jones as well as corner Prince Miller but is a little more uncertain at the other two starting spots. This puts them in a similar spot to Carolina, who returns Chris Culliver, who came into his own as a future star late last season, and Darian Stewart but, after the departure of Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Stoney Woodson to the NFL, will have to fill the other spots with a host of freshmen and returning lettermen like Addison Williams who haven't always been the best around. I'm calling this one another push.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

UGA returns a pretty good placekicker in Blair Walsh. However, their return units were a liability last season, and they'll have to prove they can improve in those areas this year. Carolina has similar questions and lacks the returning kicker, so I'll give UGA a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Head Coaches

Although he's yet to win a national title, Mark Richt has been one of the most consistent coaches in the SEC while at Georgia and has one of the highest winning percentages in school history. In a way, that makes him a lot like Steve Spurrier at Florida before Spurrier won the national title in 1996, as Spurrier had up until that point been a coach that won lots of games and often got his team in position to compete for national titles but usually ended up dropping a game he should have won. My thinking is that Richt will put together that perfect season one day; a coach doesn't put his team in the top 10 as consistently as Richt does without finally having a season when the ball rolls his way. In terms of comparing the two, you can put me in the camp that believes that Spurrier still has his coaching chops, but the fact that Spurrier hasn't managed to really do much since he left Florida in 2001 means that advantage here has to go to Richt, who still appears to be at the height of his powers.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Overall

We and our coach tend to be at the top of our game when facing the 'Dawgs. However, Georgia does have more talent than us at most positions. They also have more depth than us, although I think the gap has closed somewhat and, at any rate, depth shouldn't matter too much in the second game of the season. All of that means that a victory in this game, especially considering it's in Athens, would be an unqualified upset. I think the game will be close and that we'll have a chance to win it late, but I can't bring myself to predict a victory at this point. After we've seen how these two teams play in their season openers, maybe we can revise that.

Prediction: Georgia wins by a touchdown

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