Gamecocks Reach The Quarter Pole
posted by Scott Hood, Thursday, September 20, 2007
I’m sure few fans thought USC would enjoy such a rapid ascent up the polls. I know it’s caught Steve Spurrier by surprise. I’m sure he expected USC to eventually climb into the national polls, but not until later in the season.
Make no mistake. This Saturday’s clash in Baton Rouge with 2nd-ranked LSU, possibly the deepest and most talented team the Gamecocks will face this year, affords USC an incredible opportunity to make a lasting and profound national impact.
And silence a lot of skeptics.
At least for the remainder of this season.
Of course, USC’s current the perfect mark does not mean the Gamecocks have earned straight-A’s across the board at every position.
The offense has, for lack of a better term, been mediocre through the first three games. USC has basically won by engaging in old-school football, a style that relies primarily upon defense and a strong running game
I like to refer to it as football’s version of hand-to-hand combat.
It’s not fancy. It’s not high-tech weaponry. It’s not glitzy graphics.
Instead, it’s swords and battle-axes.
It’s the Fun-n-Run.
USC is in prime position for, as Spurrier likes to call it, a “big year” primarily because of the backfield tandem of Cory Boyd and Mike Davis, and a strong, aggressive defense that displayed its true colors in the remarkable win at Georgia.
Frankly, it’s been enjoyable watching Boyd and Davis punish opponents this season. Neither one backs down at any time. Most of the time they’re not pretty, but they’re highly effective.
6.4 yards per carry? Spurrier will take that everyday.
There are two things I really like about this year’s defense: 1) they’re keeping teams out of the end zone; and 2) more players are contributing, giving it a feel of a total team effort.
The last time we saw an opponent cross into USC’s end zone was the first half of the Louisiana-Lafayette game nearly three weeks ago.
As most fans will recall, that was the game in which the Gamecocks surrendered 252 rushing yards, prompting doom and gloom from all corners of Gamecock Nation.
Then a wonderful thing happened. The defense decided to get mean. They denied Georgia time and again and forced them to settle for four field goals.
The same thing happened last week against S.C. State. The Bulldogs could do little offensively after an early field goal gave the visitors a short-lived 3-0 lead.
The most encouraging part, though, is middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley doesn’t have to feel like a lone wolf anymore. He had over twice as many tackles as anyone else last season.
But this year has been different.
Heading into the showdown with LSU, it’s not a surprise Brinkley is the team leader in tackles with 18. But two others have 17 tackles (Eric Norwood, Casper Brinkley) and two have 15 (Rodney Paulk, Darian Stewart).
Eight defenders have at least 10 tackles.
More players are contributing. More players are, well, making plays. That’s the way it should be on defense.
However, while the bottom line is still wins and losses, some areas haven’t cooperated fully. The passing attack has leaked oil most of the season. There’s only one reliable wide receiver on the roster – Kenny McKinley. The other receivers simply aren’t producing (Moe Brown, Freddie Brown) or lack experience (see freshmen).
It speaks volumes that in-between McKinley (17 receptions) and the next highest receiver (Freddie Brown, four catches) sits a pair of running backs (Davis, Boyd) and a pair of tight ends (J. Cook, A. Boyd).
Until USC finds a second dependable wide receiver, the offense won’t reach its true potential. Spurrier has hinted that freshmen Jason Barnes and Mark Barnes will get a look this weekend down on the Bayou.
LSU favors a scheme of pressing, man-to-man coverage in the secondary. If USC is unable to throw the ball downfield, the Tigers will simply put eight or nine defenders into the box and sell out trying to stop the run.
If that happens, Boyd and Davis will have little running room and the USC offense will essentially be paralyzed.
Special teams? Don’t ask.
Okay, Ryan Succop has consistently boomed kickoffs into the end zone and has been fairly accurate kicking field goals.
Spurrier said earlier this week USC hopes to beat LSU in a low-scoring affair similar to the Georgia contest and most of USC's other recent road victories. The game in Athens two weeks ago ended up 16-12, as the teams combined for one touchdown.
Yeah, it’s fun to chuck the ball all around the field and try to score 50 points every week.
But it’s more fun to win.
USC has been doing a lot of that lately.
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South Carolina has reached the quarter-pole of the 2007 college football regular season. If you’re a Gamecock fan, you’re ecstatic with USC’s 3-0 start and the current No. 12 national ranking.
I’m sure few fans thought USC would enjoy such a rapid ascent up the polls. I know it’s caught Steve Spurrier by surprise. I’m sure he expected USC to eventually climb into the national polls, but not until later in the season.
Make no mistake. This Saturday’s clash in Baton Rouge with 2nd-ranked LSU, possibly the deepest and most talented team the Gamecocks will face this year, affords USC an incredible opportunity to make a lasting and profound national impact.
And silence a lot of skeptics.
At least for the remainder of this season.
Of course, USC’s current the perfect mark does not mean the Gamecocks have earned straight-A’s across the board at every position.
The offense has, for lack of a better term, been mediocre through the first three games. USC has basically won by engaging in old-school football, a style that relies primarily upon defense and a strong running game
I like to refer to it as football’s version of hand-to-hand combat.
It’s not fancy. It’s not high-tech weaponry. It’s not glitzy graphics.
Instead, it’s swords and battle-axes.
It’s the Fun-n-Run.
USC is in prime position for, as Spurrier likes to call it, a “big year” primarily because of the backfield tandem of Cory Boyd and Mike Davis, and a strong, aggressive defense that displayed its true colors in the remarkable win at Georgia.
Frankly, it’s been enjoyable watching Boyd and Davis punish opponents this season. Neither one backs down at any time. Most of the time they’re not pretty, but they’re highly effective.
6.4 yards per carry? Spurrier will take that everyday.
There are two things I really like about this year’s defense: 1) they’re keeping teams out of the end zone; and 2) more players are contributing, giving it a feel of a total team effort.
The last time we saw an opponent cross into USC’s end zone was the first half of the Louisiana-Lafayette game nearly three weeks ago.
As most fans will recall, that was the game in which the Gamecocks surrendered 252 rushing yards, prompting doom and gloom from all corners of Gamecock Nation.
Then a wonderful thing happened. The defense decided to get mean. They denied Georgia time and again and forced them to settle for four field goals.
The same thing happened last week against S.C. State. The Bulldogs could do little offensively after an early field goal gave the visitors a short-lived 3-0 lead.
The most encouraging part, though, is middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley doesn’t have to feel like a lone wolf anymore. He had over twice as many tackles as anyone else last season.
But this year has been different.
Heading into the showdown with LSU, it’s not a surprise Brinkley is the team leader in tackles with 18. But two others have 17 tackles (Eric Norwood, Casper Brinkley) and two have 15 (Rodney Paulk, Darian Stewart).
Eight defenders have at least 10 tackles.
More players are contributing. More players are, well, making plays. That’s the way it should be on defense.
However, while the bottom line is still wins and losses, some areas haven’t cooperated fully. The passing attack has leaked oil most of the season. There’s only one reliable wide receiver on the roster – Kenny McKinley. The other receivers simply aren’t producing (Moe Brown, Freddie Brown) or lack experience (see freshmen).
It speaks volumes that in-between McKinley (17 receptions) and the next highest receiver (Freddie Brown, four catches) sits a pair of running backs (Davis, Boyd) and a pair of tight ends (J. Cook, A. Boyd).
Until USC finds a second dependable wide receiver, the offense won’t reach its true potential. Spurrier has hinted that freshmen Jason Barnes and Mark Barnes will get a look this weekend down on the Bayou.
LSU favors a scheme of pressing, man-to-man coverage in the secondary. If USC is unable to throw the ball downfield, the Tigers will simply put eight or nine defenders into the box and sell out trying to stop the run.
If that happens, Boyd and Davis will have little running room and the USC offense will essentially be paralyzed.
Special teams? Don’t ask.
Okay, Ryan Succop has consistently boomed kickoffs into the end zone and has been fairly accurate kicking field goals.
Spurrier said earlier this week USC hopes to beat LSU in a low-scoring affair similar to the Georgia contest and most of USC's other recent road victories. The game in Athens two weeks ago ended up 16-12, as the teams combined for one touchdown.
Yeah, it’s fun to chuck the ball all around the field and try to score 50 points every week.
But it’s more fun to win.
USC has been doing a lot of that lately.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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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 @.