5 Questions With 8 Days To Go Before USC-Clemson
posted by Scott Hood, Friday, November 20, 2009
1. Is Showing Up Ready To Play Really Half The Battle?: Yes. Unless the Gamecocks display a quantum shift in attitude, energy and enthusiasm over last season, they have little hope of beating the Tigers. The good news is the coaches and players realize the stench from their poor performance last season in the Upstate has lingered for a year, and is one of the major reasons some fans continue to take a gloom and doom outlooks towards the program. History shows that when USC’s effort level is high, they usually have a good chance to beat the Tigers. However, they must play smart, too, something that hasn’t happened in crunch time against Clemson. It comes down to this: play hard, play tough, play smart.
2. Will USC Be Able to Handle Clemson’s Speed?: Hopefully. Having defensive end Cliff Matthews back at full speed will certainly help the Gamecocks on the perimeter as he possesses the quickness to get to the edge and track down ball carriers. Without question, with players like C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, the Tigers will be one of the fastest teams USC has encountered this year. Florida had good team speed, as well, and USC was able to bottle up the Gators at times. For purposes of this upcoming game, that was an encouraging sign. Ford doesn’t receive a lot of publicity because he’s the second option in the Clemson offense behind Spiller most of the time but he burned USC for a 50-yard TD reception last year. The Gamecocks must bring their track shoes to this game.
3. Will The Gamecocks End Their Turnover-Less Streak? They must. USC hasn’t forced a turnover by the opponent since the Oct. 17 game at Alabama. Not surprisingly, they’ve lost three games in a row. Another turnover-less game by the Gamecock defense will likely produce another ‘L’ against the Tigers. Clemson has committed 19 turnovers in 10 games, an average of nearly two per game. The Tigers have fumbled the ball 23 times and lost nine. USC has fumbled 20 times, losing nine. Stephen Garcia has tossed eight interceptions. So, the turnover statistics are fairly comparable between the two teams. Many football games are determined by which team wins the turnover battle, and this one shouldn’t be any different.
4. Does USC Have A No. 1 Running Back Right Now?: If they do, it’s not Jarvis Giles. Steve Spurrier made that clear on Wednesday. The true freshman from Tampa, Fla. has struggled in recent weeks and is currently nursing a groin injury. Because of his superior size, junior Brian Maddox appears to be the favorite of the coaching staff at the moment. He had a career high 82 yards in last Saturday’s game against Florida. By his own admission, Maddox didn’t run aggressively enough early in the season when he was starting. As a result, he fell to third on the depth chart behind freshman Kenny Miles and Giles. But he ran hard against the Gators and will likely draw the start against the Tigers on Nov. 28. By the way, how many other teams in the nation didn’t have their top two running backs in terms of rushing yards receive a single carry last weekend? Not many, I’m sure.
5. Does USC Need To Beat Clemson To Go To A Bowl Game?: No. But a victory over the Tigers would go a long ways toward soothing the psyche of Gamecock Nation following last year’s embarrassing performance in the Upstate. But even if USC finishes 6-6, the chances of the Gamecocks landing in a bowl game are fairly high. Barring an upset, Florida and Alabama appear headed to the BCS. The winner of the Dec. 5 SEC Championship game should play for the national championship while the consolation prize is a spot in the Sugar Bowl. But that benefits the rest of the conference – in addition to the extra millions the conference will receive from having two teams in the BCS - because with nine bowl tie-ins, a maximum of 10 bowl-eligible teams from the conference could be accommodated. Vanderbilt has already been eliminated from bowl contention and Mississippi State must beat Arkansas and Ole Miss in their final two games. If they don’t, USC is guaranteed a bowl spot IF Florida and Alabama reach the BCS. Of course, if USC loses to Clemson, how many Gamecock fans would buy bowl tickets? Not many.
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The annual Palmetto State battle between South Carolina and Clemson doesn’t kickoff for another nine days, but the intrigue is already building for one of the biggest sporting events in the state every year. Here are five questions on the table right now:
1. Is Showing Up Ready To Play Really Half The Battle?: Yes. Unless the Gamecocks display a quantum shift in attitude, energy and enthusiasm over last season, they have little hope of beating the Tigers. The good news is the coaches and players realize the stench from their poor performance last season in the Upstate has lingered for a year, and is one of the major reasons some fans continue to take a gloom and doom outlooks towards the program. History shows that when USC’s effort level is high, they usually have a good chance to beat the Tigers. However, they must play smart, too, something that hasn’t happened in crunch time against Clemson. It comes down to this: play hard, play tough, play smart.
2. Will USC Be Able to Handle Clemson’s Speed?: Hopefully. Having defensive end Cliff Matthews back at full speed will certainly help the Gamecocks on the perimeter as he possesses the quickness to get to the edge and track down ball carriers. Without question, with players like C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, the Tigers will be one of the fastest teams USC has encountered this year. Florida had good team speed, as well, and USC was able to bottle up the Gators at times. For purposes of this upcoming game, that was an encouraging sign. Ford doesn’t receive a lot of publicity because he’s the second option in the Clemson offense behind Spiller most of the time but he burned USC for a 50-yard TD reception last year. The Gamecocks must bring their track shoes to this game.
3. Will The Gamecocks End Their Turnover-Less Streak? They must. USC hasn’t forced a turnover by the opponent since the Oct. 17 game at Alabama. Not surprisingly, they’ve lost three games in a row. Another turnover-less game by the Gamecock defense will likely produce another ‘L’ against the Tigers. Clemson has committed 19 turnovers in 10 games, an average of nearly two per game. The Tigers have fumbled the ball 23 times and lost nine. USC has fumbled 20 times, losing nine. Stephen Garcia has tossed eight interceptions. So, the turnover statistics are fairly comparable between the two teams. Many football games are determined by which team wins the turnover battle, and this one shouldn’t be any different.
4. Does USC Have A No. 1 Running Back Right Now?: If they do, it’s not Jarvis Giles. Steve Spurrier made that clear on Wednesday. The true freshman from Tampa, Fla. has struggled in recent weeks and is currently nursing a groin injury. Because of his superior size, junior Brian Maddox appears to be the favorite of the coaching staff at the moment. He had a career high 82 yards in last Saturday’s game against Florida. By his own admission, Maddox didn’t run aggressively enough early in the season when he was starting. As a result, he fell to third on the depth chart behind freshman Kenny Miles and Giles. But he ran hard against the Gators and will likely draw the start against the Tigers on Nov. 28. By the way, how many other teams in the nation didn’t have their top two running backs in terms of rushing yards receive a single carry last weekend? Not many, I’m sure.
5. Does USC Need To Beat Clemson To Go To A Bowl Game?: No. But a victory over the Tigers would go a long ways toward soothing the psyche of Gamecock Nation following last year’s embarrassing performance in the Upstate. But even if USC finishes 6-6, the chances of the Gamecocks landing in a bowl game are fairly high. Barring an upset, Florida and Alabama appear headed to the BCS. The winner of the Dec. 5 SEC Championship game should play for the national championship while the consolation prize is a spot in the Sugar Bowl. But that benefits the rest of the conference – in addition to the extra millions the conference will receive from having two teams in the BCS - because with nine bowl tie-ins, a maximum of 10 bowl-eligible teams from the conference could be accommodated. Vanderbilt has already been eliminated from bowl contention and Mississippi State must beat Arkansas and Ole Miss in their final two games. If they don’t, USC is guaranteed a bowl spot IF Florida and Alabama reach the BCS. Of course, if USC loses to Clemson, how many Gamecock fans would buy bowl tickets? Not many.
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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 @.