Football season is almost upon us, and I couldn’t be more excited. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved watching my Atlanta Braves flounder through the dog days of summer, but it’s time for some football.
Things are looking good in the preseason for the South Carolina Gamecocks. A large portion of the offense is coming back, and the young defense is maturing quickly, with a lot of new faces and some old staples. The Old Ball Coach always has some tricks up his sleeve, and this season should be no different. If the season does not end in a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship, there may be hell to pay in Columbia. The youth and inexperience of this team will be a factor, but the returning players will lead the way for a big year from the Gamecocks. Expectations are high for one of the winningest college football teams of the last three seasons.
The Offense:
Connor Shaw was a major part of the South Carolina offense. He is also the winningest quarterback in the school’s history, and leaves the program with an undefeated home record. He also leaves the program in the very capable hands of redshirt senior Dylan Thompson. Thompson has won some huge games in his time with the Gamecocks. He beat Clemson in 2012 with a 310-yard, three touchdown display. He stepped up in 2013 when Shaw was injured against Central Florida and threw for 261 yards to help the Gamecocks hold on. In his career, mostly coming off the bench with a few starts sprinkled in, he has thrown for 1827 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He does not have the mobility that Shaw had, but he can move. One of the more memorable runs of his career came against Clemson in 2012. He has grown and improved in his time in Columbia, and big things are expected from the 6’3″, 218 pound gunslinger.
ESPN All-American Mike Davis is arguably the best running back in the SEC. He had a breakout season last year, many times carrying the offense on his back. Many people knew he was a big, strong runner, but no one expected the speed to be where it was going into the first game of the season last year against UNC, then he broke off for a 75-yard touchdown. From there, he was on fire, and no one questioned his wheels again. Through the first nine games of 2013, he had compiled 1,058 yards (117.5 yards a game) and 10 touchdowns. After that, the workload and injuries slowed him down, gaining just 125 more yards and one more touchdown. He comes into the season healthy, and is a darkhorse Heisman contender. He has some tough competition for best back in the SEC with Todd Gurley at Georgia and TJ Yeldon at Alabama. It definitely helps that the Gamecocks are projected to have the best offensive line in the SEC. He will have a lot of meat blocking for him up front, including first team All-American AJ Cann.
The Gamecock receivers are a question mark.. They have several talented guys, but getting those guys to step up is the real task. Damiere Byrd is one of the fastest players in the SEC. He is a definite deep threat because he is so quick and able to get behind the secondary. The main knock against them is their size. No receiver on the roster is taller than 6’3”, but they are talented. Shaq Roland enters his junior year needing to have the All-SEC season he is capable of as the Gamecocks’ likely top target. Pharroh Cooper was a huge surprise to the Gamecocks last season as a true freshman, worked a lot out of the wildcat formation and provided another dynamic option for the offense. The offense also boasts two very talented tight ends in Jerell Adams and Rory “Busta” Anderson, both big play threats.
The Defense:
The defense took a big hit in the offseason. Most of the starting defensive line, anchored by NFL first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, has left. Chaz Sutton and Kelcy Quarles are out, but there are some very capable guys in their place. JT Surratt is an underrated tackle who is looking to compete now that the spotlight is his. The Dixon brothers (Gerald and Gerald Jr.) are also set up for big time years. Darius English and JUCO transfer Abu Lamin look to be the guys to provide depth and explosion to a new line.
The line backing corps might be the strongest part of the South Carolina defense. They will be anchored by standout sophomore Skai Moore. He had a tremendous freshman campaign, with 56 tackles, 3.5 for loss. He also led the team with four interceptions. Kaiwan Lewis and TJ Holloman will be back as the middle backers, and Sharrod Golightly will be a big weapon at the spur position. The best news for Spurrier is the amount of competition at the position. These are some of the most athletic guys on the team, and big things are expected.
The secondary is the biggest area of concern for the Gamecocks on the back side of the ball. Brison Williams returns to roam the safety position. The two top corners, Victor Hampton and Jimmy Legree are both gone. This means there will be a lot of new faces in the defensive backfield. There are a lot of questions to be answered ahout the play of Kadetrix Marcus and Chaz Elder. The bright spot so far has been the performances of Chris Lammons and Wesley Green. Both are true freshmen with a chance to start right away. It will be a young, relatively inexperienced group, but a fun one to watch.
