SB Nation - Weslye Saunders

USC Underclassmen with NFL Prospects: Will Anyone Leave Early?

Gamecock Man — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:40 -0000

Last year, our team was decimated by early entrees to the NFL draft, losing three key players: Jared Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Emanuel Cook. This year, there's not much talk about the possibility of us taking a big hit due to early entrees. Should we be worried, or are we right to be confident? From where I'm standing, there are four players who could consider leaving early. In order of their status as prospects, those are Weslye Saunders, Chris Culliver, Cliff Matthews, and Clifton Geathers. Let's take a closer look.

Weslye Saunders

Saunders would almost certainly be drafted were he to declare. He is a prototypical NFL tight end: he's huge, is a good blocker, has nearly infallible hands, and is fast for his size. Most league still rely on sets that feature TEs, so Saunders wouldn't have to worry about finding a home for his skills.

The question is where he would go. He would have to compete with a number of highly touted ends, such as Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham and Arizona's Rob Gronkowski. At the very least, I think he would fall behind these two prospects and perhaps slightly further. That would probably mean third round or lower.

If Saunders stays, on the other hand, he could be a first round pick. Most projections I've seen call him the top TE prospect of the 2010 senior class. The difference, of course, between first and third round money is enough to give prospects some incentive to stay another year; a player can easily make up whatever he loses with another year in college by signing a first-round contract that will pay him a few times more than he would receive with a third-round contract.

The coaching staff believes that Saunders is the player most likely to declare. However, Saunders vows to return. Although one couldn't blame him too much for leaving, Saunders would be wise to follow his instincts and come back. Like Sidney Rice and Jared Cook before him, he'd probably be a first-day pick if he declares. However, as would have probably been the case for Sidney and Jared had they returned, if Saunders comes back and has a big year, he could go early first round.

Let's take a look at the other players after the jump.

Chris Culliver

Although he had something of an up and down year, Culliver is still one of the better safeties in the league and made All-SEC second team. Culliver also has the speed and versatility that NFL teams look for in a safety. How would he fare in the draft, though? While Culliver might be taken, my feeling is that he would be making a huge, Emanuel Cook-sized mistake by leaving. At best, Culliver would be a very late-round pick, which would mean the likelihood of trying to gut out a spot on the third team somewhere with no guarantees that he wouldn't eventually just end up on a scout team. That doesn't sound like as much fun as trying to help the Gamecocks win a title, now does it? On the other hand, if Culliver stays, he has a puncher's chance at being a first-day pick and, with a big year, could make it to the first two rounds.

Despite the talk in the air about Culliver declaring, I just don't see it. After seeing what happened to his backfield buddies last year, Culliver has to know that he'd be taking an unwise risk by leaving. I say Culliver stays, works on his tackling mechanics, and comes back poised for big things in 2010.

Cliff Matthews

Big Cliff had another great year in 2009 being a game changer off the end. However, Matthews is smallish for an NFL end, so like Eric Norwood, Matthews faces the challenge of making NFL scouts believe that he has a place in a league that can be quite dogmatic in its understanding of what players at certain positions should look like. With a big year, Matthews could make that case in 2010, but I doubt he would be drafted this year. That combined with Matthews clear dedication to the team makes me think there's little chance of Matthews even considering leaving.

Clifton Geathers

Geathers is something of a wildcard here. He has yet to make a huge name for himself around the country, so many might be surprised to hear his name mentioned in regards to the draft. However, I suspect more NFL scouts know about Geathers than you might think. At 6-7 / 281 and with the speed to blow by blockers, Geathers has the potential to an unblockable sack, pass deflection, and punt blocking machine when he fulfills his potential. Gamecocks fans have seen hints of this ability, particularly late this year, but Geathers has yet to put it all together for an extended period of time. That won't stop agents from getting in his ear, though.

That said, I seriously doubt Geathers would be drafted if he were to declare, and I would imagine he's intelligent enough to know that. Geathers will stay, and if he works hard, you could see him skyrocket to the top of the charts for the 2010 draft.

Reviewing Clemson at South Carolina: How We Won and What It Means

Gamecock Man — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:57:04 -0000

More photos » by Brett Flashnick - AP

26 days ago: South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, right, is tripped up by Clemson cornerback Crezdon Butler, left, after a 39-yard reception from Stephon Gilmore, during the first half of their NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, at Williams-Brice Stadium, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

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Well, maybe this really is a New Carolina. The Gamecocks turned in a nearly flawless performance against our hated rivals, whipping Clemson by a score of 34-17. This was a truly dominant outing by Carolina; Clemson moved the ball very little until they managed a score late in the game against our prevent defense, and even then we hit them right back with a late Weslye Saunders touchdown that had more to do with pride than any actual influence on the outcome of the game. The box score says it all. We outgained the Tigers by over 100 yards, we had seven more first downs, we averaged much more yardage per play; the list could go on. It was a great afternoon to be a Gamecock.

This win gives this team some momentum going into the offseason and recruiting stretch. The Peach Bowl is now a possibility. I suspect Chick-fil-A will go with UGA in the end, but I still have my hopes. Even if we don't get Atlanta, though, Nashville, the Music City Bowl, and a likely matchup with UNC will serve as a fine consolation prize. This win will also undoubtedly pay off on the recruiting trail. We've always had to struggle against the fact that Clemson has owned us in this series while trying to make our case to the local high school talent. This year, though, Spurrier will have a case for us.

All in all, the win was a huge one for Spurrier in general. The fanbase is now reenergized and onboard with Spurrier. If Spurrier takes us to a strong finish, recruits well, and convinces our star juniors to stick around, there will be a lot to be excited about next year. The mood surrounding the program right now is just a lot different than last year. It's been a trying year at times, but overall, I think it was something of a success.

A few more thoughts on the game after the jump.

Spurrier clearly understood the gravity of this game, as he came in ready to throw the kitchen sink at the Tigers. We saw trick plays, the Wildcat, and a general tendency to go for the jugular. Well done, coach. The TD to Saunders at the end of the game was a huge statement.
There's really nothing that can't be said about Stephon Gilmore right now. What a performance.
Same goes for Spencer Lanning, one of this game's unsung heros.
Apparently, we can run the ball. The endgame actually played out much like what I feared the Tigers might do to us: we stuck to the run, punched Clemson in the nose as their defensive interior tired, and walked away with the victory. Gameballs go to our offensive line, which played its best game in years, and Kenny Miles and Brian Maddox, who both played well.
The defense was simply dominant. Clemson really didn't move the ball at all until the game was mostly out of their reach in the fourth quarter. It was very clear that they weren't ready for such a speedy defense.

I'm sure I'll have more to say about this game over the course of the week. For now, let's just enjoy it. This was a quality performance.

Reviewing South Carolina at Arkansas: Why We Lost, What It Means, and Where We Now Stand

Gamecock Man — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:34:02 -0000

More photos » by April L Brown - AP

about 1 month ago: Arkansas cornerback Jerell Norton (27) intercept as pass intended for South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

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I'll start this off by saying that we all knew that this was going to be a transitional year. We graduated a large crop of talent last year, our team is young and our depth limited, and we're breaking in several new coaches. No reasonable person expected us to contend for the SEC Title this year. That being the case, we shouldn't be surprised that we're struggling down the stretch. We're beat up and we had to go on the road to face two tough teams. I would be OK with losing these games if I thought we were improving. We'll be better equipped to win them next year.

However, the way we've lost is what really bothers me. We've seemed unmotivated and generally unprepared in both games, leading to multiple boneheaded errors that have cost us any chance at gaining a win. We certainly haven't seen a team that appears to be improving. I'm not OK with that. As my colleague says, it's not good enough. This is year five of the Spurrier era, and while I'm willing to give the coaches and team some allowance for youth, I'm not going to give them a free pass for horrible, uninspired play. We can reasonably expect better than that. This team has the talent in place to compete with teams like Arkansas and Tennessee, but it's not happening. That reflects poorly on the coaching staff.

Is it time to start thinking about a new coach? I'm honestly not sure. On the one hand, I'm unwilling to make any judgment calls right now, as I would forgive a lot if we could get a win against Florida or Clemson, and I do think we're capable of winning either or even both games if we play to our potential. I also think we should probably give Spurrier a chance to show what he can do next year, when this team will be deeper, more mature, and when the other teams in the East will be going through transitional seasons.

However, if we lose out, then I will call this year an unqualified failure, and the coaching staff needs to be held accountable for that. It'll at the very least be time to start thinking about what way to best pursue our future if that ends up being the case.

Continue reading after the jump

Some more particular thoughts on the game:

I'll say that I don't like Weslye Saunders calling out the coaching staff, but I agree with the general sentiment. I thought playcalling in this game was atrocious in the second half. In the first half, we moved the ball with relative ease using a balanced approach. In the second half, we completely abandoned the run and to some degree even abandoned the short passing game. That was understandable late in the game when we were trying to make a comeback, but the score was still close until late in the third quarter. Why weren't we running the ball when we have four high-quality backs to choose from? Why weren't we looking for Saunders or the running backs underneath? Why does it seem like we always go for the homerun as soon as we get to the opponent's 35 yardline or so? Why haven't we figured out how to get Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffrey on the field at the same time? Why don't we do more to take advantage of Stephen Garcia's mobility, especially considering that we seem to have a lot of success when we do? I just don't get it. This predictable, impotent offense is not what we hired Spurrier for.
The offensive line played like crap yesterday, period. I'll grant that Eric Wolford has improved our running game, but the number of offensive line penalties, bad snaps, and general miscues is just inexcusable. It's really a miracle that Garcia ever completes a pass. He'd be an All-American if he had a good line.
I didn't think the defense played terribly until late in the game, although some of the missed tackles were frustrating. I thought, though, that we should have blitzed more often. Blitzing seems to be the best way to can Ryan Mallett, who is going to kill you if you give him time. Why we didn't rush him more aggressively was beyond me.
I think we're good enough to beat Florida and Clemson. However, the Gators are the number one team in the country and Clemson is playing extremely well right now. If we play like we have over the past two weeks, we're going to get slaughter in both of these games.

That's all I've got for right now. Hopefully we'll figure something out this week. I don't know if I can take another shellacking at the hands of the Gators.

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!

Big Blue Daily Mail -- Getting Ready for the Gamecocks Edition

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:23:39 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We need to see a lot of this guy tomorrow. The more, the merrier 'Cat fans will be.

Browse more photos »

Tomorrow is the UK at South Carolina football game, and it is a big one for both teams.

While it is common in the SEC to see the Gamecocks as the superior football program, the reality is, these two teams are far more alike than not, and this article explains that reality in detail. I think that's one of the biggest reasons that the current winning streak South Carolina has vs. Kentucky surprises almost everyone. But let's give credit where credit is due -- the Gamecocks just seem to play better against Kentucky, and the Wildcats seem to play worse. Who knows why?

There are some personnel issues for the game tomorrow, the most noted being the absence of Trevard Lindley and Paul Warford, Kentucky's two starting cornerbacks. Randall Burden will ably replace Lindley, but in Warford's spot we have the true freshman Martavious Neloms. Now, Neloms is a confident and talented young man, and Brooks has a lot of confidence in his ability, but I am not as sanguine.

But the Gamecocks may not be able to exploit UK's personnel problems as ably as otherwise, because their starting tight end, Weslye Saunders, will be out of tomorrow's contest. Sauders has not been a big factor in USC's offense lately, but he did have eight (!) catches vs. Georgia for 96 yards (12 ypc). Considering that UK will likely be in a zone in the secondary tomorrow more often than not, the tight end is a big factor. Alabama's Peek killed the 'Cats last Saturday when UK had to go to a zone, catching six balls for 65 yards.

Now, for the rest of the news:

UK Basketball News

Kentucky Sports Radio " Blog Archive " Patrick Patterson is Quite a Gentlemen
This is just great stuff. I got a huge kick out of it, and if you haven't read it, you will also.
Who's the best program of all-time? Jeff Sagarin has your answer - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
Forde argues that Kentucky should not be No. 1 because UCLA has more titles and because no computer ranking can take into the effect the blights of NCAA penalties and the way Adolph Rupp's racist self thrived in an all-white league for years. When racism started being less acceptable, Kentucky stopped being so perennially dominant. No formula factors that sort of thing in.

Not quite sure what to make of this. Is he editorializing on Rupp's alleged racism by repeating it as a fact, or reading between Forde's lines? I don't know, and I don't feel like trying to divine an answer.
Why Billy Gillispie is a dying breed - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
It's not that college basketball players in the modern era just inherently smarter. The system does this to them. By the time college hoopsters -- the really good ones, the ones who would consider playing at Kentucky -- get to college, they've had plenty of coaches in orbit. They've played high school ball and AAU and gone to hundreds of summer camps. They get to see nearly every kind of coach, and they get to figure out what sort of man they want to play for. They're experienced. Things weren't always like this.

I think Eamonn is right. Back in Bob Knight's heyday, the tough-love approach was often exactly what was required. In fact, it still works in cases where they kids are not cream-of-the-crop type recruits. But at Kentucky, in 2007, I think it could be persuasively argued that Gillispie's approach was doomed from the start.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " RTC 2009-10 Impact Players: Mid-South Region
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all hype. We’ve seen amazing things from Wall in all-star games, pick-up games, high school footage, etc. We all know he’s going to be ridiculous. It’s no tremendous leap of faith to say that. But he’s really put himself in a perfect situation here. He’s in the right place at the right time, playing for a perfectly-suited coach on the biggest stage. We know what’s predicted, we know he’s capable of feats on the level of Rose, Mayo, Love, or Beasley, or even higher. The rest is up to him. Man, is it going to be fun to watch.

Read the whole thing. There is more.
Some recruiting notes from Jody Demling

UK Football News

Spurrier not talking about winning streak against UK | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"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 has this exactly right. I won't call USC just lucky or anything, but they have been blessed with more good fortune than bad against us. Hopefully, we can end that this year.
Inside the SEC: Coaches want consistency on celebration call - al.com
While it doesn't change the outcome of Saturday's 20-13 loss to LSU, Georgia coach Mark Richt said Wednesday he accepts SEC director of officials Rogers Redding's statement that the celebration penalty against Bulldogs receiver A.J. Green late in the fourth quarter was called in error.

I'm glad we got that straight. Rotten, inexcusable call.
SEC's Slive Says No "Public Hanging" For Bad Calls | wltx.com
The league has acknowledged there was a bad call this past weekend when Georgia receiver A.J. Green was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Slive joked that nobody wanted his job Monday.

Heh.

Other UK Sports News

UK's Quigley beats nation’s top tennis player | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
University of Kentucky sophomore Eric Quigley upset the nation's top-ranked college tennis player Thursday, beating Oleksandr Nedovyesov of Oklahoma State 7-5, 6-1 at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

Wow. You go, boy.

NCAA Sports News

Football refs: No smiles allowed | The Collegian — University of Richmond
Some bonehead wearing black and white stripes decided that high-fiving your teammates and literally just staring at your fans was an excessive celebration. A 15-yard penalty to be assessed on the kickoff – in a one point game. With one minute left.

This is a call that will live in infamy for the rest of this season -- and maybe seasons to come. ESPN cannot be pleased.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Jordan to Return to the Court
Well, there you go.
Daily Reveille - Around the SEC: Matchups take center stage in key SEC weekend

Other News of Interest

" BBL: Calipari, Calhoun, Spurrier, Wall and Gillispie John Clay’s Sidelines
From John Clay.
Former UK Basketball player indicted
Sad state of affairs for one of Pitino's Bombinos.
Bluegrass State Basketball: Ex-Cat Jodie Meeks Reaches Double-Figures
Really happy to see this. Go, Jodie!
Florida Gators' O-line takes a big hit - Colleges - MiamiHerald.com
Florida offensive tackle Matt Patchan will miss the remainder of the season after tearing an ACL on Tuesday, Gators coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday. Patchan injured his knee early in practice during a noncontact drill, and his absence could limit the rotation on the offensive line.

Ouch. Bad news for the Gators, especially with Tebow iffy.
Thugs attack two men in dresses... who turn out to be cage fighters | Mail Online
There is a lesson here, I think ...

Today in Schadenfreude

The Top 10 Teams With the Most Annoying Fans | SPIKE
Oh, yes. Even though btcoop71 posted this earlier, you know this has to go in the Daily Schadenfreude.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Pitino Enjoying Life to Its Fullest
Louisville coach Rick Pitino insists that he’s having one of the best years of his life.

Really. After a mostly embarrassing summer where Pitino spent several press conferences apologizing to his wife/kids/players/fans/employer by invoking 9/11, playing the hapless victim, fibbing about health insurance, berating the media and telling everyone to focus on the important things like basketball, he has decided that 2009 represents one of the best years of his 57-year old life. Well, let’s see about that, shall we?

I'm sorry, Card fans, but this one is just too snicker-worthy to pass on. I do love Rick, but really, sometimes he is just a self-parody.

No Weslye Saunders Against Kentucky?

Gamecock Man — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:29:12 -0000

Weslye Saunders could be out against Kentucky:

Saunders doubtful. Tight end Weslye Saunders is likely to miss Saturday's game with a sprained ankle, coach Steve Spurrier said after Monday's practice.

That means the Gamecocks will be thin at tight end, where true freshman Justice Cunningham, who has one catch this year, will start. The backups are Foxy Foxworth and Mike Triglia.

"We'll see who next in line is. Maybe we'll have tryouts for the backup tight ends this week," Spurrier said.

Not good. Get well soon, big fella.

Tonight could be showcase game for Jevan Snead, Eric Norwood

Mocking Dan — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:50:02 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Browse more photos »

Tonight against South Carolina begins the quest of Jevan Snead to show that his early season struggles have been an aberration.

Against Memphis to start the season, Snead was clearly trying to hard to make plays. He often over-threw his receivers, even in the face of minimal pressure. His second game was against Southeastern Louisiana, a useless game for talent evaluators.

Tonight, Snead will face a solid pass rush, led by South Carolina's Eric Norwood. A converted defensive end, Norwood has seemed to always be near the ball so far this season.

A good showing and Snead will re-affirm his lofty NFL stock and maybe quiet those Jake Locker fans who have come out of nowhere. If Snead has a poor game, it should say just as much positively about Norwood.

That might be the top matchup, but those aren't the only two players to observe tonight. Here are a few more:

South Carolina:

- Jarriel King, OT, 6'5, 312 pounds (No. 76)
He's an athletic lineman with good reach. He quickly steps out of his stance and redirects blitzers really well.

- Weslye Saunders, TE, 6'5, 280 pounds (No. 88)
A plus-sized receiving target, Saunders has good enough athleticism to get separation from linebackers. He had a great game against Georgia. Solid as a tight end.

Mississippi

- Dexter McCluster, WR, 5'8, 168 pounds (No. 22)
A shifty receiver who runs the Mississippi Wild Rebel formation, McCluster is best in the open field.

- John Jerry, OT/OG, 6'5, 348 pounds (No. 77)
The big man will move to guard as a pro and clearly needs to. He's a massive player who can engulf defenders.

- Greg Hardy, DE, 6'4, 265 pounds (No. 86)
Arguably the best defensive end in the nation, Hardy has a great burst off the line. He can really close fast, but he's had issues in the past about his effort.

- Jerrell Powe, DT, 6'2, 330 pounds (No. 57)
Powe was a disruptive force against Memphis and routinely split double teams. The junior has some stamina issues but is good in short bursts. Tonight he can truly prove he's becoming a top player.

- Patrick Trahan, 6'3, 228 pounds (No. 7)
Trahan has displayed great athleticism for the Rebels. He's great in space when he can move around and not get caught up in the trash.

Don't Forget About Kentucky's Weapons

Year2 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Randall Cobb has been impressive so far.

Browse more photos »

One of the most interesting positions in the SEC is receiver. There are plenty of stars and story lines. You've got the A.J. Green versus Julio Jones debate. You've got Terrance Toliver emerging along side Brandon LaFell at LSU. Ole Miss has some great ones in Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge. Weslye Saunders is breaking out as a pass catcher from the tight end spot at South Carolina.

One guy that does not yet immediately come to mind is Randall Cobb. But he should.

Cobb was Kentucky's backup quarterback a year ago, and a lot of people not just in Kentucky's fan base but around the conference thought he should have gotten more playing time earlier in the season at the expense of Mike Hartline. In the off season, Rich Brooks made the controversial move to stick with Hartline under center and move Cobb to receiver.

In two games so far, he has blossomed into one of the SEC's best up and coming players. On the admittedly very young season, he leads the conference in catches per game and grabbed the game winning touchdown pass from Hartline in Kentucky's dramatic win over Louisville. Though he's new to the role, having been a quarterback solely back through high school and only getting spot duty there last year, he certainly has looked the part. As a bonus, he's fifth in the conference in punt returns.

As crowded as the SEC is with good receivers, the running back field is perhaps even moreso. Alabama alone has four good ones, headlined by Mark Ingram. Auburn's duo of Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb have rejuvenated the Tigers' offense. Richard Samuel and Caleb King look formidable at Georgia, and Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown look equally so at Tennessee. Florida has its lightning quick backs in Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

But for all that talent, you may not guess which running back is leading the conference in all purpose yards per game.

It's Kentucky's Derrick Locke. He does it all for the Cats: rushing for nearly six yards a carry, receiving for almost 12 yards a catch, and returning kickoffs, one of which he took 100 yards to the house against Louisville.

The Wildcats definitely missed him after his injury last year. He got knocked out for the season with a knee injury against Arkansas, a blow to an offense already missing Dicky Lyons, Jr. They were 5-2 with him, but just 2-4 without him against an admittedly tougher stretch of schedule.

Thanks in part to Cobb's and Locke's play around him, Mike Hartline has moved up from ninth to sixth in the SEC in passing efficiency on the young season. Hartline also is tied for second in the league in completions per game. We'll see how long the improvement holds up as UK plays some better teams than Miami University and Louisville, but early improvement is certainly better than the alternative.

Whatever the case, expect Cobb and Locke to be the key play makers on offense in Kentucky's quest to make it four bowls in a row. I fully expect Kentucky to cover whatever the ridiculous spread against Florida is (24, last I saw), and these two will be important parts of making that happen.

Previewing Ole Miss at South Carolina: Checking in on the Rebels' Defense

Gamecock Man — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:59:32 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

3 months ago: Memphis tailback Curtis Steele (26) runs between Mississippi defenders, including strong safety Johnny Brown (20), for a 5-yard touchdown during an NCAA college football game in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009. Mississippi beat Memphis 45-14. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Browse more photos »

We're going to stick to discussion topics and an open thread again today, as I really don't have time for much else. Expect some Q & A action with Ole Miss bloggers and a general preview tomorrow and Thursday.

It sounds like star DE Greg Hardy will play, but he may not be full speed. As the Ole Miss faithful pointed out to me in another thread, though, the Rebels will have a powerful pass rush even without Hardy at full go. The strength of this team's defense is its front line, and it will take the game of our offensive line's life to hold these guys in check. The question, I think, will be how well Garcia mans the pocket. If Garcia is smart and chooses the right times to run and the right times to stand his ground, he could have a great game both with his arm and his legs, as he did against Georgia.
I'm also interested to see how Garcia handles the blitz against Ole Miss. After watching Jarvis Giles explode last week, I'm ready to see Garcia audible against a blitz and flips it over to Giles in space to see what our young tailback can do.
All of the Rebels starting defensive backs measure under six feet. Tori Gurley and Weslye Saunders are both around 6'6, and Jason Barnes and Alshon Jeffery aren't far behind. Is this the week when we finally see Spurrier and Garcia exploit the size in our receiving corps and throw a few successful jump balls towards the endzone?
As we all know, Ty Nix is the Rebels' defensive coordinator. Spurrier showed that he knows how to carve up a Nix defense last year, and with an offense that generally looks more versatile this year, will Spurrier again exploit his familiarity of Nix's scheme?

SB Nation - Weslye Saunders

USC Underclassmen with NFL Prospects: Will Anyone Leave Early?

Reviewing Clemson at South Carolina: How We Won and What It Means

Reviewing South Carolina at Arkansas: Why We Lost, What It Means, and Where We Now Stand

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

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

Big Blue Daily Mail -- Getting Ready for the Gamecocks Edition

Top Stories

UK Basketball News

UK Football News

Other UK Sports News

NCAA Sports News

Other News of Interest

Today in Schadenfreude

No Weslye Saunders Against Kentucky?

Tonight could be showcase game for Jevan Snead, Eric Norwood

Don't Forget About Kentucky's Weapons

Previewing Ole Miss at South Carolina: Checking in on the Rebels' Defense