Five Things We Learned From The USC-SC State Game
posted by Scott Hood on Monday, September 17, 2007
1. Cory Boyd and Mike Davis Are The Real Deal:
If USC’s final true possession of the Georgia game didn’t convince you, then the Gamecocks’ initial possession of the second half should have.
With the outcome still in doubt against S.C. State, Steve Spurrier decided to ride USC’s talented duo of Boyd and Davis to victory. He drove the point home by calling nine running plays in a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive.
At this point, with the passing game struggling to gain any semblance of consistency, putting the ball in the bellies of Boyd and Davis remains USC’s best option at sustaining drives.
Boyd and Davis have combined for 507 yards in three games, and have accounted for 43.9 percent of USC’s total offense (1,155 yards). Nearly 40 percent of the calls by Spurrier have been a running play by one of the two running backs.
When you see numbers like that, it’s not difficult to figure out the importance Boyd and Davis play.
2. It’s Time To Give The Young Receivers A Chance
When the season began Spurrier was counting on veterans like Moe Brown and Freddie Brown to provide reliable second and third options to Kenny McKinley. McKinley has lived up to his billing but the Browns have not.
Moe Brown dropped a slant pass against Georgia that could have picked up a key first down. Against S.C. State Saturday night, he had a long pass ricochet off his facemask. Moe Brown has shown he possesses the speed to become a solid SEC receiver but his pass-catching ability is another question.
Freddie Brown doesn’t have Moe’s speed and has proven he will catch the ball when it’s thrown in his direction. But it’s a question of production.
Moe and Freddie Brown have combined for seven receptions through three games. That’s not good enough.
Spurrier promised Sunday we’d see more of freshmen Jason Barnes and Mark Barnes in the future. They’ve proved in their limited opportunities that have the potential to become quality SEC receivers. Jason Barnes made a leaping 34-yard catch inside the SCSU 15-yard line to set up a six-yard TD pass the Mark Barnes.
This comment by Spurrier says it all: “We’ve seen the other guys a lot now and they’re struggling. It’s to watch those two guys a little bit more.”
Dion Lecorn impressed the coaches with his blocking ability in his brief playing time. We may see more of him as well. Spurrier even regretted not throwing him a pass.
3. Emanuel Cook Is Back:
The comeback of Emanuel Cook from a gun possession charge and an appendectomy may be the most inspiring story of the 2007 season to date.
Saturday, in his first extensive action of the season, Cook led USC with seven tackles, all solo. In two games, which includes limited snaps against Georgia, he already has 10 tackles.
Why was USC so anxious to get Cook back? Compare the defense in the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette with the last two games. It’s like night and day. The difference? Cook sat out the first game while he recovered from surgery.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix appreciates what Cook means to the defense, calling him USC’s second best tackler behind Jasper Brinkley. Cook is excellent supporting the front seven in run defense.
Next season, Cook and Darian Stewart could form the best safety combination in the SEC. Do you think Miami regrets not recruiting Cook, who played his high school football in South Florida at Palm Beach Gardens High School? I think it’s fair to say the Hurricanes let one get away.
4. Blake Mitchell Needs To Crank It Up:
Something’s up with Blake Mitchell. His performance against S.C. State Saturday night was mediocre at best. His completion percentage was good (14-of-21, 66.7 percent) but something was slacking. Mitchell should have picked apart the Bulldogs secondary but it didn’t happen.
The first play of the game, a guard “whiffed” on his block and Mitchell was sacked for a seven-yard loss. After that, it appeared Mitchell lost confidence in the line’s ability to pass block. One play after being sacked, Mitchell threw an interception over the middle. Was there a correlation? I think so.
Spurrier acknowledged Sunday that the poor pass protection has made Mitchell “gun shy.” As a result, he tends to panic in the pocket after a few seconds and “doesn’t give the pattern a chance.” Moreover, he’s been hesitant sometimes to throw the ball.
Mitchell showed signs of becoming an excellent leader in the Georgia game. But there’s no question he regressed against S.C. State with four interceptions. He must play a lot better this week or USC will make the fatal mistake of becoming one-dimensional against a talented LSU defense that’s allowed only seven points in three games.
5. The S.C. State Band Is Pretty Good
The “Battle of the Bands” at halftime was a much-discussed topic entering the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between USC and S.C. State. While the USC band is improving, the S.C. band was impressive. I managed to catch some of their halftime show, and I have to admit it was entertaining.
I have one concern, though. How does a university with 4,000 students end up with a far bigger band than one with 25,000 students? It wasn’t even close. It appeared S.C. State had twice as many members in their band.
That’s my head-scratching question of the week.
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It was a tale of two halves for South Carolina in their 38-3 victory over Div. I-AA South Carolina State. The first half was filled with penalties and sloppy play. But once USC decided to focus on running the ball in the second half, the tone of the game changed. The defense played well for the most part after surrendering an early field goal. Here are the five things we learned from the South Carolina State game:
1. Cory Boyd and Mike Davis Are The Real Deal:
If USC’s final true possession of the Georgia game didn’t convince you, then the Gamecocks’ initial possession of the second half should have.
With the outcome still in doubt against S.C. State, Steve Spurrier decided to ride USC’s talented duo of Boyd and Davis to victory. He drove the point home by calling nine running plays in a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive.
At this point, with the passing game struggling to gain any semblance of consistency, putting the ball in the bellies of Boyd and Davis remains USC’s best option at sustaining drives.
Boyd and Davis have combined for 507 yards in three games, and have accounted for 43.9 percent of USC’s total offense (1,155 yards). Nearly 40 percent of the calls by Spurrier have been a running play by one of the two running backs.
When you see numbers like that, it’s not difficult to figure out the importance Boyd and Davis play.
2. It’s Time To Give The Young Receivers A Chance
When the season began Spurrier was counting on veterans like Moe Brown and Freddie Brown to provide reliable second and third options to Kenny McKinley. McKinley has lived up to his billing but the Browns have not.
Moe Brown dropped a slant pass against Georgia that could have picked up a key first down. Against S.C. State Saturday night, he had a long pass ricochet off his facemask. Moe Brown has shown he possesses the speed to become a solid SEC receiver but his pass-catching ability is another question.
Freddie Brown doesn’t have Moe’s speed and has proven he will catch the ball when it’s thrown in his direction. But it’s a question of production.
Moe and Freddie Brown have combined for seven receptions through three games. That’s not good enough.
Spurrier promised Sunday we’d see more of freshmen Jason Barnes and Mark Barnes in the future. They’ve proved in their limited opportunities that have the potential to become quality SEC receivers. Jason Barnes made a leaping 34-yard catch inside the SCSU 15-yard line to set up a six-yard TD pass the Mark Barnes.
This comment by Spurrier says it all: “We’ve seen the other guys a lot now and they’re struggling. It’s to watch those two guys a little bit more.”
Dion Lecorn impressed the coaches with his blocking ability in his brief playing time. We may see more of him as well. Spurrier even regretted not throwing him a pass.
3. Emanuel Cook Is Back:
The comeback of Emanuel Cook from a gun possession charge and an appendectomy may be the most inspiring story of the 2007 season to date.
Saturday, in his first extensive action of the season, Cook led USC with seven tackles, all solo. In two games, which includes limited snaps against Georgia, he already has 10 tackles.
Why was USC so anxious to get Cook back? Compare the defense in the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette with the last two games. It’s like night and day. The difference? Cook sat out the first game while he recovered from surgery.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix appreciates what Cook means to the defense, calling him USC’s second best tackler behind Jasper Brinkley. Cook is excellent supporting the front seven in run defense.
Next season, Cook and Darian Stewart could form the best safety combination in the SEC. Do you think Miami regrets not recruiting Cook, who played his high school football in South Florida at Palm Beach Gardens High School? I think it’s fair to say the Hurricanes let one get away.
4. Blake Mitchell Needs To Crank It Up:
Something’s up with Blake Mitchell. His performance against S.C. State Saturday night was mediocre at best. His completion percentage was good (14-of-21, 66.7 percent) but something was slacking. Mitchell should have picked apart the Bulldogs secondary but it didn’t happen.
The first play of the game, a guard “whiffed” on his block and Mitchell was sacked for a seven-yard loss. After that, it appeared Mitchell lost confidence in the line’s ability to pass block. One play after being sacked, Mitchell threw an interception over the middle. Was there a correlation? I think so.
Spurrier acknowledged Sunday that the poor pass protection has made Mitchell “gun shy.” As a result, he tends to panic in the pocket after a few seconds and “doesn’t give the pattern a chance.” Moreover, he’s been hesitant sometimes to throw the ball.
Mitchell showed signs of becoming an excellent leader in the Georgia game. But there’s no question he regressed against S.C. State with four interceptions. He must play a lot better this week or USC will make the fatal mistake of becoming one-dimensional against a talented LSU defense that’s allowed only seven points in three games.
5. The S.C. State Band Is Pretty Good
The “Battle of the Bands” at halftime was a much-discussed topic entering the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between USC and S.C. State. While the USC band is improving, the S.C. band was impressive. I managed to catch some of their halftime show, and I have to admit it was entertaining.
I have one concern, though. How does a university with 4,000 students end up with a far bigger band than one with 25,000 students? It wasn’t even close. It appeared S.C. State had twice as many members in their band.
That’s my head-scratching question of the week.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.