SB Nation - Ryan Succop

Reviewing South Carolina at Georgia: More Thoughts on Why We Lost

Gamecock Man — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:24:54 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Another penalty? You've got to be kidding me!

Earlier today I wrote that while I was disappointed with this loss, I think we saw enough positives to believe that we have reason to hope that this may be a better than average year. That's still true. Still, I think it's worth thinking a little more about some of the issues that cost us this game. I'd say those issues are, in order of importance, kickoff coverage, red-zone offense, penalties, and interior defense.

Kickoff returns, quite simply, probably made the difference in this game. The issues are a bit difficult to figure out. For one thing, this hasn't been a huge problem for us in the past, so this game may have just been an aberration. Moreover, you have to give credit where credit is due sometimes; Brandon Boykin looks to be a quality return man, and he made his own luck last night. However, I'm thinking that this may be something to watch this year. First of all, we've been spoiled over the past few years with Ryan Succop, who consistently kicked into the end zone. Spencer Lanning appears to have a strong leg and has sent some into the end zone, as well, but he doesn't appear to be able to do it as consistently as Succop did. Second of all, while some tackles were inexcusably missed, the truth is that Georgia had huge running lanes on their big returns. The problem wasn't so much tackling as poor coverage. You want guys to swarm the return man; you don't want to rely on one guys to make an open-field tackle on a return, as the returner is probably a burner and will be hard to get in the open field. Hopefully Shane Beamer can figure out where the snafus occurred, because teams like Florida and Alabama have return men that are just as capable of lighting us up as Boykin was, and pooching it to around the 35 isn't a viable long-term option.

Red-zone offense was also a big problem last night; if we had scored a touchdown just one of the times we settled for a field goal, we've got a tie ball game. Garcia was able to read Georgia's zone all night and sustain drives by exploiting the short passing game, and I expect that will continue to be the case throughout the year. However, when we got into the short-field game on their goal line, we lost those options and struggled to find new ones. The same thing happened against N. C. State, suggesting that this may be a trend. Luckily, Lanning picked himself up from last week and went 5/5 on his field-goal tries, and if you had told me that he would do that before the game, I would have picked us to win, for sure. As it happened, though, we needed touchdowns in those situations. I think the big issue facing this offense in the red zone is getting more out of our receivers and figuring out some plays that take better advantage of Garcia's mobility. As far as receivers go, our only truly reliable one right now is end Weslye Saunders, and defenses are trying to take him out of the game as soon as we get down there. We appear to be trying to go to Tori Gurley in these situations. Gurley is a good choice, as his size gives him an advantage in post-up situations. However, he's both yet to learn how to take advantage of his size, and Garcia appears to need work placing fades and throws to the back of the endzone. I would also like to see us open the playbook up a little bit in the red zone and roll Garcia out, let him find a receiver while on the run, or maybe even incorporate some option. I would have even been down with seeing the wildcat in these situations. What we're doing so far isn't working, so we need to get creative.

Continue reading after the jump.

Related to these problems are all the penalties we are racking up. Gurley has now had three touchdowns called back due to penalties of various sorts.Penalties are par for the course for a team that has so few seniors, especially in a loud road environment. However, last night was just ridiculous. We had 11 penalties for almost 100 yards, many of them coming at the worst possible times. We've gotta get it together on that end.

Finally, Joe Person has an interesting read up on the interior of our defense. Last night, we were without Ladi Ajiboye, Nathan Pepper, and Rodney Paulk, and it showed, as UGA was very effective between the tackles and we didn't generate much pressure when using a limited rush. As Person notes, the line doesn't seem to be so much the issue, as Ajiboye will return for Ole Miss and Pepper will either be back for Ole Miss or the following week. Moreover, Travian Robertson seems to be emergin as a viable part of that rotation. Replacing Paulk, though, seems to be a problem. Shaq Wilson had some good plays against N. C. State, but he's undersized for his position, and it showed last night against a Georgia offensive line that was obviously superior to that of the Wolfpack. Wilson will be a liability again against elite SEC competition, so we need to hope that young players like Josh Dickerson and Tony Straughter are ready to step up.

So, anything else jump out to people about the game? What else needs work?

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

Gamecock Man — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:43:49 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

3 months ago: South Carolina's Brian Maddox, left, and Tori Gurley (81) celebrate Maddox's touchdown against North Carolina State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Browse more photos »

Time to open our SEC season in Athens. The game is shaping up to be another defensive nail-biter between USC and UGA, so hold on tight; we're probably going to add a few gray hairs before the end of the evening.

Three Keys for a Gamecocks Victory

1. Our Pass Rush

This game often comes down to a couple of key turnovers, and with both offenses struggling, that will likely be the case again tomorrow night. Georgia has usually been the team to benefit from wacky plays in this series, from Mike Davis's goal-line fumble last year back to David Pollack's, ahem, unique pick-six back in 2002. This year, though, South Carolina boasts what could very well be one of the country's best pass rushes, and that could equate to some huge plays for us if we can force a fumble or two or get Joe Cox throwing into traffic while on the run. On the other hand, if we give Cox too much time, he'll likely be able to move the ball down the field efficiently, even if he doesn't quite have the arm to go vertical like his predecessor Matthew Stafford used to.

2. Stephen Garcia

Because Georgia has a strong rushing defense, it's going to be incumbent upon Stephen Garcia to lead this offense tomorrow. Moreover, Steve Spurrier has vowed that he won't be as conservative tomorrow as he was last week. That means that Garcia will really need to step up tomorrow night and show us what he's learned over the summer. First of all, he's gotta protect this ball, as I think the team that wins the turnover battle will win this game. Second of all, he's gotta figure out some way to spark this offense, at least to the level of getting 17-24 points on the board for us, which should be enough to win unless Georgia scores easy points off turnovers. That means making good reads, throws, and scrambles. And for goodness's sake, Stephen, slide if you see Rennie Curran barrelling down on you when you're scrambling!

3. Spencer Lanning

Spencer Lanning missed his first ever field goal attempt last week, prompting most of us to fear that we're going to really miss Ryan Succop this year. However, Lanning has reportedly played well in practice, suggesting that the miss last week may have just been jitters, especially considering that botched snap on his earlier attempt may have been in his head. However, kicking is a mental as much as a physical game, and Athens on a Saturday night isn't a great place for a kicker to get his head screwed on straight. Lanning will have to work through it, though, as his leg may be the difference maker in what will likely be a tight game.

Continue reading after the jump.

Fun Fact

Georgia put up 257 yards of total offense last week, while we put up 256. That means that Georgia is 103rd in the country in total offense to our 105th. If those numbers don't spell defensive slogfest, I don't know what does.

Prediction

The script for this game usually includes a low score, a few wacky plays, and a Georgia victory. There's little reason to believe this game won't follow script, as both teams have good defenses, poor offenses, Georgia has probably just a bit more talent, and the game is in Ath...aww, hell. Saying this is probably against my better judgment, but I think we're going to win this game. Our players sound confident, Georgia is in a tailspin, and weird rumblings have been coming out of Athens all week. If Garcia and our offense can play like they did last week sans the interceptoin and plus converting in the red zone and making field goals, we should be able to escape with a win. Is it too difficult to believe that we can do those things tonight? I don't think so. I'm calling 20-13 South Carolina. Let's fence the 'Dawgs!

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.

Post-Spring Previews: Tennessee Volunteers

Gamecock Man — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:43:57 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

4 months ago: Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin talks about the upcoming season during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala. on Friday, July 24, 2009. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

Browse more photos »

After hosting Vanderbilt the week before, the Gamecocks travel to Knoxville to take on Lane Kiffin's Tennessee Volunteers. (Remember last time we went there? Yeah, I didn't want to think about that, either. I'd rather remember blowing them out last year. It's still hard to believe that happened. And perhaps even harder to believe that it didn't seem to mean very much.) The Vols, in my estimation, are one of the hardest teams to call this year. For one thing, of course, they have a brand new coaching staff. Personally, I tend to believe that there are lots of indications that Kifin and company, for all their strange antics, will be at least mildly successful in Knoxville. Why not? Kiffin has put together an all-star cast of coaches and managed to bring in a very impressive recruiting class with limited time. Will it be enough to get back to late-90s / early-2000s levels? That's still to be seen. However, I don't see many more 5-7 seasons in store for the Vols. The turnaround may not come immediately, though.

The new coaching staff isn't the only reason this team confuses me. The 2008 version, quite frankly, looked better on paper than it played on the field. Hell, Jonathan Crompton, one of the centers of criticism, was once considered one of the best prep quarterbacks in the country and a sure-fire bluechip prospect. Were the problems the program encountered last year simply owing to misuse of talent by Phil Fulmer and his staff (notably maligned offensive coordinator David Clawson), or were there deeper talent-evaluation issues involved? Perhaps we'll find out this year.

All of this is to say that you can take these comparisons with a grain of salt. I have no idea how good the Vols will be this year, but the following is an indication of how good I think they will be based on somewhat confusing evidence. Let's take a look at the offense first.

Offense

The Vols aim to go back to a more traditional offense after the failed experiment with Dave Clawson's offensive "system" this past season. That should work well for the Vols, who have a backfield built for success running the ball. The passing game, though, still has some questions, as the Vols return embattled quarterbacks Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens and an unproven if talented receiving corps.

Quarterbacks

After having a good spring, Jonathan Crompton appears to be ready to take the starting role he lost midway through last year. Needless to say, 2008 was a disaster for Crompton. He threw for an abysmal 98.13 rating, more INTs than TDs, and he generally looked lost in a number of notable games, such as when he went 8-23 in an offensive clunk-fest loss against Auburn. Crompton did redeem himself somewhat in the season finale against Kentucky. Talent is not the issue for Crompton, who was once one of the nation's most highly sought recruits and who has shown flashes of brilliance at times in his career. Crompton has a cannon of an arm, and you can expect to see the Vols use that to their advantage by occasionally going deep. If Crompton fails, expect for the Vols to go back to Nick Stephens, who was somewhat effective at times in Crompton's relief midway through last year. Some previews I've seeen think Stephens is the guy the Vols should go with, but I'd have to disagree. I'd have to imagine that Vols fans are hoping the Mountain Messiah comes through; Crompton appears to be the better player, and the fact that Stephens didn't really play better than Crompton suggests that the problem may have been as much the system as the players, which would in turn suggest that Crompton might be able to show off his considerable skills if he gets in the right system.

I'm going to give Stephen Garcia the slightest of edges in this one. Garcia had a slightly better 2008 than Crompton. However, although the two have different skill sets, they both had similar 2008s: lots of promise followed by lots of disappointment. It will be interesting to see what kind of year these two are having when the game rolls around; my guess is that both will surprise and be in the top half of the quarterbacks in the SEC. It is worth noting that the Vols, who project to have a strong running game and problems at receiver, will probably try to pound the ball most of the time. Even still, I expect Crompton be much better statistically this year.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

The Vols finished 88th in the nation in rushing offense last season, good for ninth in the SEC. That's not going to happen again. Arian Foster is gone, but the Vols have a solid group of experienced backs, including Montario Hardesty and Taureen Poole. However, the big names in this group are the newcomers: Bryce Brown, 2009's top prep prospect by most measures, and David Oku, a top multi-purpose back. These two could form an impressive thunder and lightening duo for years to come. (Actually, it doesn't really make sense to call Brown "thunder" considering that he can really do just about anything--he's 219 and runs a 4.4.) All in all, the Vols have a lot of options in the backfield. If Brown and Oku can learn to produce quickly--and that is an "if" when it comes to freshmen--this could be one of the best backfields in the conference.

I give Tennessee a slight to strong advantage here. Neither of these teams had great running games last year, but both recruited some good players in their recruiting classes and should be much better this year. The Vols, though, brought in the biggest fish of them all in Brown, who, athletically at least, looks like the prototype of the classic SEC back. Tennessee could very well have a Bo Jackson- / Herschel Walker-type on their hands.

Verdict: Slight to Strong advantage Tennessee

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Wide receiver was another sore spot for the Tennessee offense last year. Tennessee graduates top receiver Lucas Taylor and hopes that Gerald Jones, who caught for over 300 yards a year ago, can step up and become the go-to guy. Jones is very talented and could be poised for a breakout year. The Vols hope that Denarius Moore can be the deep-ball threat. (Moore will be out early in the season but should be back for our game.) Austin Rogers, who was supposed to be part of the rotation, is out for the year with a knee injury. It's also possible that star recruit Nu'Keese Richardson might see time on the field, but Richardson's small stature may prohibit him from making an impact until he puts on some weight.

I give us a slight advantage here. Both teams are looking for identity at receiver, but Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, Dion LeCorn, and Weslye Saunders have shown a bit more than UT's group.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Offensive Line

Tennessee needs better play out of its line if it wants to take advantage of all the talent in the backfield. The interior looks solid with Jacques McClendon and Vlad Richard at guards and Josh McNeil at center. However, tackle is a bigger question mark, with uncertainty at both positions. The left tackle will be either Chris Scott or Dallas Thomas. I have no idea who the right tackle will be.

This is a push. Both teams are looking for better line play and will probably get it, but question marks linger. Both teams also have to be worrying about injuries that could reveal depth issues.

Verdict: Push

Let's look at the defense after the jump.

Defense

While I'd say we overall look a bit better on offense than the Vols, they may have the advantage over us on defense. Moreover, Kiffin brings in his pops Monte, one of the NFL's all-time great defensive coordinators. The Vols will run Kiffin senior's famed 4-3 Tampa 2 defense. (The meeting between Kiffin senior and Ellis Johnson will certainly be a battle between two of the SEC's best defensive minds.) Despite the atrocious record, Tennessee's defense was very good last year, and it will probably be good this year despite losing some star power at line and linebacker.

Defensive Line

Tennessee graduates star end Robert Ayers to the NFL. However, this should still be a very good unit for Tennessee. The Vols have two speedy ends in Chris Walker and Ben Martin, both of whom will rack up a number of sacks this year. They also have depth at the position, so expect to see frequent rotation to keep everyone fresh. There's some concern about the effectiveness of the inside linemen; Dan Williams appears to be a solid, but Wes Brown looks a little small for the position. Kiffin is high on freshman Montori Hughes, who may take Brown's spot sooner than later.

I'm going to call this a push. Defensive line should be our strength on defense this year, and I think our starters may be a little better and more seasoned than UT's. However, the Vols have depth on their side, whereas we could be in trouble by this point in the season if we have multiple guys go down.

Verdict: Push

Linebackers

The Vols have one of the conference's better outside linebackers in Rico McCoy. After McCoy, though, they have some more question marks. Nick Reveiz, LaMarcus Thompson, Savion Frazier, and a group of freshmen will likely fill the other positions. This group has the talent to be good but has a lot to prove.

I give us a slight advantage here. We have an All-SEC linebacker in Eric Norwood, an experienced talent in Rodney Paulk, and a group of younger guys that at least have some experience. The Vols, while talented, will have to hope their guys can grow up really fast.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Secondary

Tennessee boasts the nation's best safety in Eric Berry. Hell, Berry might very well be the best defensive player in the country, period. He's getting some Heisman hype, a rarity for a defensive player. Berry can do it all; he can knock you silly with a bone-rattling hit, he can come down with a tough interception and then take it to the house, whatever you want. He's essentially a one-man wrecking crew. What's more, Berry has been vocal about believing that his skills will be maximized in Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 scheme. I don't doubt he's right; this guy knows when to be confident. Highly regarded freshman Darren Myles appears to be the other starter at safety. Tennessee will start Dennis Rogan at one of the corners but is uncertain about the other. However, they have plenty of talented options. This should be a good secondary once the coaching staff figures out how to work the rotation.

Strong advantage Tennessee here. I have serious doubts about our secondary this year (although signing Darrell Givens would ease those a bit). While Tennessee does have some questions of their own, they're mostly the "good" sort of questions: too much talent to know what to do with. And Eric Berry just scares me. You never know when he's going to take one of your guys out of the game or pull in a pick six.

Verdict: Strong advantage Tennessee

Special Teams

Junior Daniel Lincoln returns hoping to improve on his 2008 campaign. Lincoln was one of the conference's best kickers in 2007 (Gamecocks fans know this) but struggled last year. Star punter Britton Colquitt graduates, but Chad Cunningham played well while Colquitt was injured last year and should be a serviceable replacement. The coverage units look solid. The Vols have a number of potential contributors in the return game. Dennis Rogan was a good kickoff returner last year, and freshmen David Oku and Nu'Keese Richardson have the speed to play right away as well.

I'll give the Vols a slight advantage here. Lincoln, who along with Auburn's Wes Byrum stangely got much worse in 2008 after stellar freshmen campaigns, is a cause for concern. However, we also have questions in that department with Ryan Succop gone, and the Vols' talent in the return game is scary.

Verdict: Slight advantage Tennessee

Head Coaches

How good can Lane Kiffin be in the SEC? That's the question that's on many minds around the SEC coming into this year. While some are predicting Kiffin will either achieve great success right away or will bust, I think we'll see something in between for the Vols this year. While the true believers on Rocky Top might not be happy with an eight-win season, in actuality that would be a success for this team. The problem, of course, is that the Vols don't project to have the kind of passing game they'll need to compete with Florida and 'Bama this year. That's not Kiffin's fault, though; if he can get this team on the right track, the quality skill-position players will come. I think Kiffin is capable of getting those eight or nine wins, and if he does that, he'll have proven that he has the potential to bring Tennessee back to the conference's upper echelon. He's already proven that he can do two important things: recruit and compete in the brutal SEC assistant-coaches arms race.

That said, though, Kiffin has yet to prove that he can do those things. Steve Spurrier, on the other hand, has, even if his star has been fading a bit over the past couple of years.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Overall

These are fairly evenly matched teams, a notion confirmed by the fact that most previews I've looked at see both teams going anywhere between 5-7 to 9-3. This game, of course, is one of the toss ups the previews point to. A lot is going to come down to how far along both teams have gotten in terms of answering the questions on offense. Injuries could also be a problem for both teams; offensive injuries in general could devastate Tennessee, whereas injuries to (heaven forbid) Garcia or someone in the secondary could be rough for us. All of this points to a game that's almost impossible to call right now. One thing I do like is that our strengths would seem to play to theirs; we project to have a strong rushing defense this year, they plan to run the ball, we'll probably run more than in years past, whereas their defensive strengths are in the secondary. I'm going to go with a close Carolina victory here, but again, I'm not sure about this one. Tennessee is a wild card; they could be a team that's average, or they could end up being a nine-or-so win team. We'll have to wait and see.

Prediction: Three-point victory USC

Poll

The Tennessee game will be a...

Blowout USC victory

19 votes

Close USC victory

52 votes

Close UT victory

31 votes

Blowout UT victory

26 votes

128 votes | Poll has closed

Post-Spring Previews: Kentucky Wildcats

Gamecock Man — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:49:41 -0000

The Gamecocks dive into the meat of their SEC schedule when the Kentucky Wildcats come to Columbia. You have to think that the 'Cats really want this one, as we're currently enjoying a lengthy winning streak against them, with Coach Spurrier enjoying an even longer one. While we've undoubtedly been a bit better than Kentucky over the past decade, we haven't always been substantially better, so the losing streak miffs the 'Cats faithful to some degree.

Last year, Kentucky featured a great defense and a pitiful offense, perhaps the league's worst. This year, the defense should still be good, but it might be asking a bit much of it to play like it did last year, so the offense will need to improve. That's a big "if," though, as the 'Cats still have some significant question marks on offense. Let's take a look at how these guys stack up against us.

Offense

Quarterback

Last year's transition to life without Andre Woodson was largely a nightmare for the 'Cats. Offensive coordinator (and future head coach) Joker Phillips's pro-style offense thrives on a strong passing game, but last year the 'Cats sputtered to a 96-ranked passing offense. That's a big dip from the heady days when Woodson was under center. The coaching staff juggled Mike Hartline and multi-talented Randall Cobb throughout the season, with the two signal callers posting abysmal 104.7 and 95.1 QB ratings, respectively. Both, though, showed potential at times, and with more experience and a more experienced offensive line protecting them, the 'Cats could be poised to return to their old ways this year. At this point, Hartline appears to be the starter, with Cobb returning to his receiving and special teams duties. If Hartline doesn't play well, look for prize recruits Ryan Mossokowski or Morgan Newton to see the field. Cobb may also see time under center in special Wildcat packages, in much the same way that we plan to use Stephon Gilmore.

I'd say we have a slight to a strong advantage here; while Garcia hardly lit the world on fire last year, he was better than Hartline, and his ceiling is probably higher.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

Senior Alfonso Smith, who has been a reliable part of the rotation throughout his career but has never had a chance to be the featured back, appears to be about to get his chance to lead the 'Cats rushing attack. The 'Cats need him to perform well, as the 'Cats need to improve on their 81-ranked rushing offense from a year ago. Smith is a speedster that can also catch passes out of the backfield, the latter a valuable skill in the Phillips offense. Derrick Locke is another option at tailback, although there are questions about Locke's health after he tore two ligaments in his knee last year against Arkansas. The coaches say Locke will be ready in the fall, but it's not easy to come back from the kind of injury that he suffered.

I would give us a slight advantage here; I like Smith quite a bit, but I think we have a bit more talent and a lot more depth. If Smith goes down, the 'Cats could really be in trouble here.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

After struggling at receiver last year, the 'Cats now appear to have a lot of talent here. The aforementioned Cobb will likely be the go-to guy; Cobb played only sporadically at the position last season, but he showed lots of potential. The 'Cats also bring in JUCO transfer Chris Matthews. Matthews was one of the very best JUCO receivers last year, when he caught 80 passes for over 1200 yards in nine games. (It's also worth noting that at 6'5, Matthews looks like a prototypical NFL prospect.) Buffering Cobb and Matthews will be a crew of talented players that have shown the ability to contribute.

I would call this a push. Both teams have lots of talent here but lack a proven guy that has shown he can carry the load all season. Both will need to figure who that guy will be in their early-season games.

Verdict: Push

Offensive Line

Although they graduate former star tackle Garry Williams, Kentucky returns seven players that have starting experience on the offensive line. Rich Brooks and Joker Phillips are hoping that all that experience amounts to a better performance than they got last season. Kentucky's line is a little smallish for the SEC, but they are athletic and appear capable.

I would call this a push. I'm tempted to give us a slight advantage here as I believe we have more overall talent and depth, Kentucky returns more experienced depth, which is hugely important on the line. At any rate, both teams appear ready to get better protection this year than last.

Let's take a look at the defenses after the jump.

Defense

Defensive Line

Kentucky had one of the conference's best defensive line a year ago. Unfortunately for them, Kentucky loses a lot here this year. The 'Cats expected to lose Myron Pryor and Ventrell Jenkins to graduation, but they also lost star end Jeremy Jarmon after Jarmon was declared ineligible after testing positive for a banned substance. Jarmon was one of the conference's best ends and losing him leaves Kentucky without the fierce pass rush they thrived off of last year. Kentucky does return talents Corey Peters and Ricky Lumpkin, but to say that they now have serious questions to answer on their defensive line would be an understatement.

Barring injury, defensive line will be a strong point for us this year. Big advantage here.

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

The 'Cats return a talented all-conference candidate in senior ILB Micah Johnson. Johnson recorded 93 tackles last season despite missing a couple of games due to injury. The 'Cats hope Sam Maxwell and Danny Travathan can competently complement Johnson by shoring up the OLB positions.

I would call this a push. Like Kentucky, we return an all-conference candidate in Eric Norwood. However, we will have to hope that Rodney Paulk can effectively replace Jasper Brinkley.

Verdict: Push

Secondary

Perhaps the best thing that happened to Kentucky over the offseason was CB Trevard Lindley's choice to stay in school for his senior season. Lindley is one of the best defensive players in school history and is a legit All-American candidate. Lindley is probably the best cover corner in the SEC and will effectively shut down one side of the field. We'll have to attack the other side, where things are a bit more unclear for Kentucky; they'll likely rotate Randall Burden and Paul Warford. Talented safety Winston Guy shores up a very solid Kentucky secondary.

Kentucky has a strong advantage here. I would say our safeties are comparable to slightly better than the ones the 'Cats have, but we unfortunately don't have anyone that has proven he can compare to Lindley.

Verdict: Strong advantage Kentucky

Special Teams

Kentucky had good return units last year, especially when Derrick Locke was returning the ball, so getting a healthy Locke back on the field could be important here, as well. Past that, the 'Cats were pretty rough around the edges on special teams last year. They gave up lots of return yards, had lots of punts and field goal tries blocked, and missed lots of field goals when they weren't blocked. Improving protection and coverage has to be on the agenda; Kentucky probably would have beaten us last year if not for an atrocious special teams performance that included giving up long kickoff and blocked-field-goal returns to Captain Munnerlyn. While Kentucky returns their most experience placekicker in Lones Seiber, they're considering handing over kicking duties to punter Ryan Tydlacka after Sieber's dissappointing 2008. Tydlacka will also take over full-time punting duties from graduated stalwart Tim Masthay.

I would give us a slight advantage here; we have questions of our own to answer at special teams after losing Ryan Succop to the draft, but Kentucky was truly atrocious here last year and really needs to improve.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Head Coaches

While his overall record in Lexington isn't phenomenal, the job Rich Brooks has done at Kentucky has been remarkable. He inherited a program that had only seen intermittent success since the late 70s and that was at the time mired in probation. After some poor seasons early in his tenure, Brooks turned things around in 2006, leading the 'Cats to eight wins, including a bowl victory over heavily favored Clemson. He would follow with another eight wins in 2007 and seven this past year. Both included more bowl wins; the three straight is a Kentucky record. Indeed, these have been heady days for the Kentucky football faithful.

I would call this a push; both Brooks and Spurrier have proven themselves capable of doing pretty big things at schools that haven't always been very successful, but both have a little work to do to get to the next level in the competitive SEC East.

Overall

With a schedule that includes Miami (OH), Louisville, Lousiana-Monroe, Eastern Kentucky, and Mississippi State, Kentucky could very well make it back to the postseason if they can win those five and pick up an upset somewhere else, most likely against us, Auburn, Vanderbilt, or Tennessee. They could conceivably win seven or eight games if they can win multiple games against that quartet. However, on paper this looks like the weakest team in the SEC East. While the offense looks much better at receiver, quarterback is still a huge issue, and the defense will probably be significantly worse than last year's excellent unit. That could all change if Hartline or one of the freshmen step up at quarterback and they fix some of the holes on defense, but those are big "ifs" at this point. I'm predicting that our more complete lineup and home-field advantage will net us a 10-14 point victory here.

Prediction: 10-14 point Carolina victory

Poll

The Kentucky game will result in a...

Blowout Carolina victory

17 votes

Close Carolina victory

27 votes

Close Kentucky victory

40 votes

Blowout Kentucky victory

23 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

Post-Spring Previews: Ole Miss

Gamecock Man — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:52:43 -0000

The fourth week of the season brings the heavily hyped Ole Miss Rebels to Columbia for a Thursday night game. The Rebels open the season against Memphis and Southeast Louisiana, so they should be undefeated and ranked fairly highly for this game. If we beat NC State and UGA (keep your fingers crossed), we will likely also come in as a top 15 team, setting up an early season matchup of ranked SEC squads. In any event , this will be a huge game for both teams; for Ole Miss, it's a necessary hurdle to prove they're ready to meet expectations, and for South Carolina, it's an opportunity to establish ourselves as a surprise team.

Let's see how we stack up against Ole Miss.

Offense

Quarterback

The Rebels return junior quarterback Jevan Snead. Snead is widely regarded as having one of the best arms in college football and could very well be the top overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft if he has a good year. While I have high hopes for Stephen Garcia this year, it would be hard to say that any signal caller not from Gainesville, Austin, or Norman doesn't have a strong disadvantage against Snead, who comes into this season as a dark horse Heisman contender.

Verdict: Strong advantage Ole Miss

Running Backs

Ole Miss returns a plethora of talent for what should be a tailback by committee approach. Cordera Eason, Brandon Bolden, and Enrique Davis are all backs that can run for both speed and power, and all will see time on the field. And none is was the Rebels leading rusher last year. That honor would go to Dexter McCluster, who is a receiver but lines up under center in the "Wild Rebel" formation, from which he often runs the ball. McCluster is the fastest of this group. All of these options are good news for Houston Nutt, a master at coordinating effective running attacks. I expect a much improved running game for the Gamecocks this year, but it won't be as good as what Ole Miss brings.

Verdict: Slight advantage Ole Miss

Wide Receivers and Tights Ends

Although they lose Mike Wallace, the Rebels return a set of big play receivers in McCluster, Shay Hodge, and Markeith Summers. This group has tons of speed and Ole Miss as a team averaged over 15 yards per completion last year. That's scary against our young secondary. I like the Rebels here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Ole Miss

Offensive Line

This is the big question mark for what is an otherwise star-studded Ole Miss offense. Star left tackle Michael Oher and both guards are gone, leaving big shoes for the new crop of players to fill. The Rebels have talent coming to play, including tackle Bradley Sowell, who will take over for Oher. However, they won't have much time to gel before playing us (again, we're their first big-time opponent), and an injury to Sowell or right tackle John Jerry could spell disaster. I would say we have a slight advantage here if our guys continue to improve.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Defense

Defensive Line

Although they lost Peria Jerry to the NFL from a unit that led the SEC in tackles for a loss, Ole Miss has what is probably the league's best defensive line. Greg Hardy and Jerrell Powe are the two everyone is talking about, but Marcus Tillman and Kendrell Lockett are also pretty good. I like our defensive line a lot this year (although I worry about depth), but I think Ole Miss has a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Ole Miss

Linebacker

Ole Miss graduates its best players at the linebacker positions, Tony Fein and Ashlee Palmer. The Rebels do return some solid players with significant experience, such as Patrick Trahan. However, this is a question mark area for them; they certainly don't have anyone like Eric Norwood. If we can hold their linemen at bay, I like our chances to run the ball against these guys as well as to set up mismatches in the short to mid-range passing game.

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Secondary

Although they return some experience at these positions, there are concerns here for the Rebels, as Ole Miss's secondary was the weak link in an otherwise stout Ole Miss defense last year. This isn't to say they're a horrible unit. They played well at times, such as in the Cotton Bowl against a high-flying Texas Tech offense. However, Ole Miss was usually a team you could pass against if you could protect your QB long enough; don't forget, this is a team that Chris Smelley more or less torched. While we have some questions here due to departures, we have some talented players returning and some good incoming talent that should give us a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Special Teams

The Rebels return one of the conference's better placekickers in Joshua Shene. Their main return guys last year were Marshey Green and the departed Mike Wallace; both of the punt and kickoff return units were better than average last year, but losing the speedy Wallace leaves a hole to fill. Their coverage units were also pretty good. With a lot of question marks to answer after losing Ryan Succop, Captain Munnerlyn, and coach Ray Rychleski, I'd say we're at a disadvantage here until we prove otherwise, although I do like our return units when Chris Culliver has the ball.

Verdict: Slight advantage Ole Miss

Head Coach

In the wake of Ole Miss's surprising 2008, pundits everywhere have proclaimed the greatness of Houston Nutt and have derided Arkansas for ever letting him get away. I can't say I agree with this sentiment. Nutt is certainly a good coach and has no peer in terms of motivating his teams to win big games. However, he has some shortcomings that have kept him from the top despite the fact that he had the talent in place with his last two Arkansas teams to win the SEC. First of all, the guy seemed afriad of the forward pass at Arkansas, even when he had Mitch Mustain under center. To his credit, he seems to be embracing post-1960s football these days at Ole Miss. Second of all, his bickering with coaches and off-field shenanigans cost him Mustain, a few other players, and talent offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn for the 2007 season, which could have been a big one for Arkansas. Finally, although he brought some good players to Arkansas, for the most part he's been a very average recruiter, unless you call signing 35+ players this past year at Ole Miss the sign of recruiting prowess. Lest we forget, Nutt's success in Oxford has come courtesy of Ed Orgeron's recruiting talents. This isn't to say that Nutt isn't a better coach than Orgeron; he is. I just don't think he's the genius everyone is saying he is right now. A couple of years ago, before he upset number one LSU in Baton Rouge, nobody was saying this stuff. I'd call comparing him to Spurrier, who has a great legacy but hasn't produced as of late, a push.

Verdict: Push

Overall

My general impression when comparing these teams is that we should have a slightly better defense than Ole Miss, while they should have a much better offense than us. This isn't necessarily to say that we won't have a good offense this year; the fact is, Ole Miss projects to have a truly great one if they live up to expectations. The thing I like about how we match up against them, though, is the Ole Miss offensive line / USC defensive line matchup. We should be able to get some pressure on these guys, which could be key to keeping them from scoring 30+ against us. Of coure, the battle between our o line against their d line will be important, as well; if we can't contain Hardy and Powe, we could be looking at one of those five sacks, four turnovers games we've grown accustomed to. The other thing I like about this game is that it's in Columbia on a Thursday night. All in all, I think the Rebels are probably a slightly better team than us, but I think we'll manage to pull out an upset here.

Prediction: Gamecocks by a field goal

P. S. This prediction has homer written all over it; expect this game to be brutally tough to win.

Friday News and Notes: Recruits Having Trouble Getting Academically Qualified

Gamecock Man — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:06:53 -0000

The big news today is that Duane Chisholm, Chris Payne, and Charles Holmes are qualifying, and Alshon Jeffery's status is questionable. All of these guys are important, but losing the highly touted Jeffery is the biggest worry, as Jeffery may be ready to see limited playing time in the receiver rotation in the fall. Let's hope he gets his act together and that the other guys do what they need to do in prep school or wherever they go to get on board for the future.

A couple more bits of news:

Ryan Succop signs with Kansas City. Mr. Irrelevant is apparently not doing too bad. He signed a nice contract and gets to party for a few days as well.
Gamecocks sign DL commitment J. T. Surratt. Surratt isn't highly rated and looks like a sleeper, but the coaches seem to think he has something to offer, so I'll take their word for it. Welcome aboard!

Keys to Success in 2009: Number Five, Special Teams Play

Gamecock Man — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:12:07 -0000

This post begins a series on what I see as the five keys to success for the 2009 Gamecocks. Today we look at special teams. While special teams don't always get much attention from the press, they're absolutely critical to a team's success. Good special teams play results not just in points in the form of field goals but also in the "hidden yardage" that more intelligent commentators like Phil Steele like to refer to. Return units that put their offense in good field position can take the pressure off an inept offense, while good coverage units can handicap a prolific offense.

Last year, we had one of the best special teams units in the conference. On kickoffs, we led the conference in touchbacks with 25 and were second in terms of opponent's starting field position, with opponents starting from the 22.8 on average (that's only .1 yard behind the leader, Kentucky). Although he struggled at times during mid-season, we had the conference's fourth-best FG kicker in terms of percentage in Ryan Succop. Spencer Lanning and the punt coverage unit were serviceable. Chris Culliver was fourth best in kickoff return yards and projects to become USC's all-time leader in that category over the course of his career.

This year, though, we lose a cadre of important contributors to our success on special teams. The most important, probably, is Succop, and that's not just because he was one of the conference's best field goal booters. Succop was also responsible for all those touchbacks. The consequent quality defensive field position that we garnered from Succop's powerful leg undoubtedly helped us field what was one of the country's best scoring defenses until the three-game skid at the end of the year. As Westerdawg via Rex Robinson points out, due to offense-friendly rules changes it's become more difficult than ever to find a kicker that can consistently kickoff into the end zone, so we should expect a drop off in kickoff quality that will make the coverage unit all that more important. It's uncertain who will replace Succop; it appears that Adam Yates will handle kickoffs and punter Spencer Lanning will kick field goals, but it's possible that Yates will handle both duties. Neither was able to lock down the field goal kicking position during the spring.

We also lose Captain Munnerlyn, who returned punts last year. Our punt return units weren't as effective as our kickoff units, but losing Munnerlyn does leave us with another hole to fill. If Culliver takes over on punts, we may begin to stretch him thin considering that he'll then be doing kickoffs, punts, and starting at free safety. That could be problematic. Akeem Auguste and Dion LeCorn are also possible candidates.

Finally, we lose coach Ray Rychleski. Rychleski has long been considered one of the best special teams coaches in the game, and his arrival in Columbia last season made an instant difference. Rychleski was rewarded for his success with a swanky position with the Indianapolis Colts. Shane Beamer, who coached special teams in 2007 and cornerbacks in 2008, will take over on special teams again. Special teams play under Beamer in 2007 was mediocre and possibly cost us the game against Clemson, so my confidence in Beamer isn't quite what it was in Rychleski. That said, Beamer is a young coach and has hopefully grown into his role since 2007.

These losses are considerable, especially if we again field a spotty offense as Stephen Garcia continues to mature. If we can take care of them, it could help us win a couple of the close ones. If not, the opposite may be true.

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

Sprints // 05.11.09

cocknfire — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:11:02 -0000

Are those crickets I hear? Not a bunch going on right now, to be completely honest. Sure, there's the normal stuff -- preparations for summer workouts, conference meetings, Georgia players getting suspended -- but other than that, quiet. We're at the high point (or low point, depending on how you want to look at it) of the summer doldrums.

Dawgs on Drugs. At least that's the reason Schlabach gives for two players spending a few games of quality time on the sidelines. Another player who was already leaving for medical reasons faced undefined "discipline" for the dreaded VOTR (violation of team rules), also the official reason given for the suspensions of Bruce Figgins and Justin Houston.

"I'm very disappointed in the poor judgment of these players," Richt said in the news release. "They'll have to pay an appropriate price and I'm confident they will learn an important lesson from their mistake."

Hydrate, gentlemen, hydrate. Oh, sorry, I think he means another lesson ...

How big could these losses be? Well consider this DawgsOnline post from last week about injuries and potential depth issues along the Georgia lines.

The defensive end position is even more unsettled than the offensive line. Other than the emergence of Justin Houston during the spring, can anyone even pretend to know anything about the rest of the group at this point?

Oops.

'It's hotter for us, it's cooler for them.' With all due respect to Mark Richt, this has got to be the lamest reason for moving the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Cocktail Party Cocktail Party away from Jacksonville that C&F has ever heard. For one thing, it's factually untrue -- the temperature in Jacksonville is precisely the same for both teams. Funny how that works. Second, the game is played in late October or early November. It's not usually snowing in Jacksonville that time of the year, but it's usually not blazing hot, either. Is it relatively cooler for Florida players than Georgia players? Perhaps. But -- let's be serious.

Going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going, gone. Boy Wonder's regime has seen 11 players leave since he took over. No need to fear.

In fact, it would have more cause for concern if the Vols hadn't lost players.

UT has lost 11 players since Lane Kiffin replaced Phillip Fulmer as coach. Some were booted, some quit over the raised expectations and demands, and others left because the depth chart they had in mind didn't coincide with the one assembled by the coaches.

Will the attrition hurt UT? In the short-term, maybe. In the long-term, no.

In fact, this will help with RECRUITING. And if there's one thing Lane Kiffin knows how to do, it's RECRUITING. Winning football games? Who cares? He's good at RECRUITING. As Tennessee fans will tell you, that's all that matters.

Mr Irrelevant could make the Chiefs. Whether this is good or bad for Ryan Succop, I suppose, depends on the value of being on a very bad NFL team.

Albert Einstein anticipated this. This being the Big XII coaches sticking with their tiebreaker. (Who wants to bet the vote was 11-1?) Anticipated here.