SB Nation - Stoney Woodson

Monday News and Notes: Ronald Patrick Commits and More

Gamecock Man — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:49:58 -0000

The biggest news for today is that we signed Cocoa, FL offensive lineman Ronald Patrick. Per Gamecock Anthem,

Patrick chose the Gamecocks over offers from ECU, Western Kentucky, New Mexico and Middle Tennessee State. He was also receiving interest from Michigan State, Purdue and Tennessee.

So, while Patrick had yet to receive offers from big-time programs, it appears he may have been on the road to having done so. Hopefully, we've managed to pick up a sleeper before anyone else got to him. There are some questions about Patrick's height (he's 6'1), but he's a powerful blocker. He also seems to have his heart in the right place, claiming that

"I wanted to help do something special. That's basically what it is."

Welcome aboard. The fact that some of these players aren't highly rated gives a little pause, but most of them seem to be high-potential guys, so I'll take the coaches at their words. It's also worth noting that it's still early in the process. Many of these guys will be reevaluated later and will receive more stars in the process.

A few other tidbits:

Stoney Woodson signs with Giants. Woodson's deal is worth 1.8 million over four years. Congrats, Stoney!
The ACC & SEC Blog tells us the 10 most pressing questions in this year's SEC. This column is definitely worth a look, although I honestly doubt that we'll see anyone other than Stephen Garcia start this year. If Garcia absolutely stinks (unlikely, I think), anything is possible, but if his play is at least average, I just don't think we have anyone that's ready to come in and do better.

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

Gamecocks in the NFL Draft: The Winners and the Losers

Gamecock Man — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:41:44 -0000

South Carolina had a quite a day in this year's draft with a total of seven players hearing their names called. Here are my thoughts about who today's big winners--and by that I mean guys that have reason to be happy about how things went down today--and losers--and by that I mean the guys that must be disappointed.

The Winners

Jasper Brinkley - Fifth Round to Minnesota

Before his knee injury in 2007, Brinkley was considered one of the country's top prospects at ILB, so it has to be kind of disappointing to Jasper to see his stock fall due to injury. However, he has to be feeling good about his successful rehabilitation. Plus, he's joining his old buddy Sidney Rice on the roster of a solid NFL franchise. Not too shabby.

Kenny McKinley - Fifth Round to Denver

While McKinley didn't go in the high rounds and walks into an uncertain situation in Denver, I can't help but think that this is a guy that has really overachieved to get drafted at all. He lacks the kind of size that NFL teams want in WRs these days, but his quickness, hands, and football smarts will help him. I'm not sure if he'll ever be a primary receiver, but he has a good future ahead of him as a slot receiver.

Stoney Woodson - Seventh Round to New York Giants

Most folks were unsure on whether Woodson would hear his name called, so he's gotta be happy that New York--one of the league's most successful franchises--chose him. He'll have to fight an uphill battle to make the roster, but NFL scouts apparently see more potential in him than his defensive-backfield buddy Emanuel Cook (see below). Good for him.

Ryan Succop - Seventh Round to Kansas City

Succop is this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the the very last selection of the draft, but for a guy that plays his position, that's good news. If I'm not mistaken, he was one of only two placekickers selected, which is quite an accomplishment. Although he needs to get his head screwed on a little straighter, I've always thought Succop--who has range that is well above average, even for an NFL kicker--could make it in the NFL. Kansas City's choice to use a pick on him suggests that NFL scouts see his potential.

The Losers

Jared Cook - Third Round to Tennessee

Cook was, unsurprisingly, the first Gamecock off the board, so I hesitate to call him a draft-day loser. He did, though, fall further than I thought he would. I thought Cook's unique combination of size, speed, hands, and route-running ability would make him a second-round selection. I probably underestimated, though, the extent to which NFL scouts would at his questionable blocking ability, lack of true TE size, and Spurrier's tendency to line him up wide. The NFL puts a (sometimes unreasonable, I would say) premium on guys that fit the mold of what they think a player at a certain position should look like, and, despite his obviously valuable abilities, Cook just isn't exactly what teams want in a TE. This all makes me wonder if he could have improved his stock by staying another year, putting on some weight, and working on his blocking abilities. You would have to think that if he did those things effectively, he might have a chance to cash in on a first-round paycheck next year. Still, I think Cook made an acceptable decision. He'll sign a nice contract and shouldn't have much trouble getting his hands on a roster spot. Cook didn't do as well as we had hoped today, but he did OK. He also gets the luxury of joining a pretty good team. Could be worse, right? He could have been drafted by the Lions.

Jamon Meredith - Fifth Round to Green Bay

I expected Meredith to go on the first day or early in the third round, but questions about his run blocking abilities apparently made scouts pretty uneasy. Jamon is a good kid and his athletic ability makes him a valuable prospect, but at the end of the day falling as far as he did can't sit well with him.

Captain Munnerlyn - Seventh Round to Carolina

After choosing for an early entry, Munnerlyn saw his stock--which was already questionable after a sub-par 2008 season--fall like a rock as teams expressed concern over his lack of elite size and his possible character issues. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think Munnerlyn made a grave mistake by leaving early. He didn't have the kind of year in 2008 that's made to impress NFL scouts, and if he had come back, worked hard, and had a good 2009, he could have gone much higher in next year's draft. His chioice not to is going to cost him a lot of money. Plus, as a seventh-round selection, his status with Carolina is hardly secure. He'll really have to fight just to make the roster. I wish him luck and thank him for the good things he at times did here, but I really wish he would have made a smarter decision on this. At least he'll get to be close to home if he makes the Panthers' roster.

Emanuel Cook - Undrafted

What do you call declaring early entry and not getting drafted at all? A boneheaded decision of epic proportions. Cook's stock plummeted during the week's leading up to the draft as questions about his athletic ability in the wake of poor workouts supplemented the existing concerns about his character and maturity. I still think Cook may have a place in the league--his success as a college player and physical style indicate that he has what it takes to do well in the NFL--but he's going to have to work for it harder than he decided to work on his classes late last fall. I wish Cook luck and hope he gets a spot as a free agent but can't say that I feel all that sorry for him.

Mike Davis - Undrafted

Not many folks expected Mike to hear his name called, so I hesitate to call him a loser, but in the end, he didn't hear his name called. Like Cook, I hope he gets his shot as a free agent. Mike doesn't have the kind of speed most teams would like, but he's a hard, tough runner, can catch the ball, and blocks well. Some teams could certainly use a guy like that.

South Carolina @ Kentucky: Game Preview

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

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

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

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

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

Offensive line

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

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

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive line

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

Advantage: Even

Offensive skill positions

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

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

Advantage: Even

Quarterbacks

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

Advantage: Slight South Carolina

Linebackers

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

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

Advantage: Marginal Kentucky

Defensive backfield

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

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

Advantage: Even

Special teams

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

Advantage: Kentucky

Intangibles

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

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

Advantage: Strong Kentucky

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

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

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

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