Five Things We Learned From The Clemson Game
posted by Scott Hood, Monday, November 30, 2009
1. The Future Is Very Bright For USC: There were so many young players running around the field making plays for the Gamecocks on Saturday that I lost count. Stephon Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, DeVonte Holloman, Kenny Miles and Tori Gurley all had major contributions during the course of the game. And all of them are freshmen. With the regular season complete, USC’s leading rusher (Miles) and receiver (Jeffery) are both freshmen. Oh yeah, QB Stephen Garcia still has two years of eligibility remaining with a shot at becoming the school’s all-time leading passer by the time he’s finished in 2011. Defensively, seven of the top nine tacklers return in 2010. Now you know why Steve Spurrier wants to stick around for a few more years.
2. Yes, The Offensive Line Is Capable Of Playing Well: The offensive line might be the most maligned unit on the team but, to their credit, they’ve played well for the most part in the last two games. They went toe-to-toe with the Florida defensive line for three quarters before faltering in the fourth when the USC offense became one-dimensional. They dominated the Clemson defensive line on Saturday when USC relied mainly on a power running game. Hey, Clemson couldn’t stop it, so why not continue using it? Few people would have predicted before the game USC would collect 223 yards rushing against the Tigers. But they also did an exemplary job protecting Garcia when he dropped back to pass. Clemson had only one sack in 22 pass attempts. Steve Spurrier will accept that ratio every week. It was just the second time this year USC has allowed fewer than two sacks in a game. Eric Wolford has done a fabulous job in his first season as USC’s offensive line coach. For the first time in a while, USC has exhibited toughness and a nasty attitude up front.
3. The Running Back Battle Should Be Intense In 2010: Multiple sources with close connections in the recruiting world informed me Saturday that star running back Marcus Lattimore of Byrnes High School is expected to sign with the Gamecocks. In fact, one source described it as a “done deal.” If that happens, most people will assume Lattimore will be anointed the starter as soon as he steps on campus. Not so fast, though. I fully expect Kenny Miles, Brian Maddox (who will be a senior in 2010) and Jarvis Giles (where did he go?) to put up a spirited battle. Spurrier loves Miles and his low center-of-gravity running style. Maddox has carried the ball 35 times in the last two games. Giles has totally disappeared off the radar screen the last two games but I fully expect him to rebound during bowl practice and then in the spring. No matter what happens with Lattimore, the battle at running back will be fun to watch next fall.
4. Protecting Your Home Field Is Critical: Believe it or not, Saturday’s convincing win was just the third time USC has beaten Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium since 1987, a span of 11 games at the 75-year old facility. It was an embarrassing stretch for USC and one that had to be reversed immediately. USC finished 6-1 at home in 2009, the best home mark since 1988 when they had the same record. The Gamecocks won’t become legitimate contenders in the SEC until they start winning most of their home games and split on the road. Next year, USC hosts Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas at Williams-Brice. The Gamecocks must find a way to win at last three of those four and sweep the non-conference games (So. Miss, Furman, Troy). In short, go 6-1 again. If they do that – and take care of business on the road - a nine-win season is possible. USC was 0-4 on the road against SEC opponents in 2009. That’s unacceptable and can’t be repeated next year.
5. Running The Football Fosters Success: Steve Spurrier carried a newspaper column in his back pocket on Saturday contending his teams had to run the ball effectively in order to win. He certainly heeded the advice. In the SEC, teams win championships by running the football, playing solid defense and minimizing mistakes on special teams. USC was 6-0 during the regular season when they ran the ball more than they passed it and 1-1 when they were perfectly balanced. What does that mean besides the fact USC was 0-4 when they threw the ball more than they ran it? By running the football, Spurrier called plays that best utilized the strengths of the offensive line. Clearly, USC’s offensive front was better at run blocking than pass blocking this season. USC was 6-1 when they rushed for 100 per yards in a single game in 2009, improving to 27-8 overall under Spurrier in that category and to 15-3 when they rush for 150+ yards. The rule is simple - run the football and you have an excellent chance to win. Abandon the run, as USC did on a couple of occasions this season (Alabama, Tennessee), and you'll likely lose. Here's another sobering statistic: QB Stephen Garcia had four 300-yard passing games in the regular season. USC was 1-3 in those contests. Run the football. Please.
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No question, beating your rival is a good thing, especially when you do it in convincing fashion. South Carolina dominated Clemson, 34-17, Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium to improve to 7-5 on the season.
1. The Future Is Very Bright For USC: There were so many young players running around the field making plays for the Gamecocks on Saturday that I lost count. Stephon Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, DeVonte Holloman, Kenny Miles and Tori Gurley all had major contributions during the course of the game. And all of them are freshmen. With the regular season complete, USC’s leading rusher (Miles) and receiver (Jeffery) are both freshmen. Oh yeah, QB Stephen Garcia still has two years of eligibility remaining with a shot at becoming the school’s all-time leading passer by the time he’s finished in 2011. Defensively, seven of the top nine tacklers return in 2010. Now you know why Steve Spurrier wants to stick around for a few more years.
2. Yes, The Offensive Line Is Capable Of Playing Well: The offensive line might be the most maligned unit on the team but, to their credit, they’ve played well for the most part in the last two games. They went toe-to-toe with the Florida defensive line for three quarters before faltering in the fourth when the USC offense became one-dimensional. They dominated the Clemson defensive line on Saturday when USC relied mainly on a power running game. Hey, Clemson couldn’t stop it, so why not continue using it? Few people would have predicted before the game USC would collect 223 yards rushing against the Tigers. But they also did an exemplary job protecting Garcia when he dropped back to pass. Clemson had only one sack in 22 pass attempts. Steve Spurrier will accept that ratio every week. It was just the second time this year USC has allowed fewer than two sacks in a game. Eric Wolford has done a fabulous job in his first season as USC’s offensive line coach. For the first time in a while, USC has exhibited toughness and a nasty attitude up front.
3. The Running Back Battle Should Be Intense In 2010: Multiple sources with close connections in the recruiting world informed me Saturday that star running back Marcus Lattimore of Byrnes High School is expected to sign with the Gamecocks. In fact, one source described it as a “done deal.” If that happens, most people will assume Lattimore will be anointed the starter as soon as he steps on campus. Not so fast, though. I fully expect Kenny Miles, Brian Maddox (who will be a senior in 2010) and Jarvis Giles (where did he go?) to put up a spirited battle. Spurrier loves Miles and his low center-of-gravity running style. Maddox has carried the ball 35 times in the last two games. Giles has totally disappeared off the radar screen the last two games but I fully expect him to rebound during bowl practice and then in the spring. No matter what happens with Lattimore, the battle at running back will be fun to watch next fall.
4. Protecting Your Home Field Is Critical: Believe it or not, Saturday’s convincing win was just the third time USC has beaten Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium since 1987, a span of 11 games at the 75-year old facility. It was an embarrassing stretch for USC and one that had to be reversed immediately. USC finished 6-1 at home in 2009, the best home mark since 1988 when they had the same record. The Gamecocks won’t become legitimate contenders in the SEC until they start winning most of their home games and split on the road. Next year, USC hosts Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas at Williams-Brice. The Gamecocks must find a way to win at last three of those four and sweep the non-conference games (So. Miss, Furman, Troy). In short, go 6-1 again. If they do that – and take care of business on the road - a nine-win season is possible. USC was 0-4 on the road against SEC opponents in 2009. That’s unacceptable and can’t be repeated next year.
5. Running The Football Fosters Success: Steve Spurrier carried a newspaper column in his back pocket on Saturday contending his teams had to run the ball effectively in order to win. He certainly heeded the advice. In the SEC, teams win championships by running the football, playing solid defense and minimizing mistakes on special teams. USC was 6-0 during the regular season when they ran the ball more than they passed it and 1-1 when they were perfectly balanced. What does that mean besides the fact USC was 0-4 when they threw the ball more than they ran it? By running the football, Spurrier called plays that best utilized the strengths of the offensive line. Clearly, USC’s offensive front was better at run blocking than pass blocking this season. USC was 6-1 when they rushed for 100 per yards in a single game in 2009, improving to 27-8 overall under Spurrier in that category and to 15-3 when they rush for 150+ yards. The rule is simple - run the football and you have an excellent chance to win. Abandon the run, as USC did on a couple of occasions this season (Alabama, Tennessee), and you'll likely lose. Here's another sobering statistic: QB Stephen Garcia had four 300-yard passing games in the regular season. USC was 1-3 in those contests. Run the football. Please.
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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 @.