W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
What to expect from JB?
Jason Brown is expected to make his first start since transferring to South Carolina and really the staff has appeared to be getting him ready for this moment for the last two weeks as he's had the opportunity to take a bunch of first-team reps both during the bye week and during Florida week.
What should you expect from Brown? His stint at Texas A&M was on brand for what we've been told about his playing style. Brown is a big-armed kid with a gunslingers mindset, not scared to push the ball down the field or fit it in tight windows.
That of course can create more big-play opportunities down the field while also presenting ample opportunities for opponents to create turnovers. Walking that line - when to force the ball and when to be more conservative - is a process for any quarterback and from what we were told, when the initial QB battle was taking place, that was perhaps Brown's biggest issue.
That said, he has worked hard to improve in that area and in his understanding of this offense, which is totally different than the scheme he was running at St. Francis.
As you briefly saw at Texas A&M, Brown has some elusiveness to him and will certainly be more mobile than Zeb Noland and probably more so than a hobbled Luke Doty. It will be key tonight for him to use that mobility to his advantage, but to also know when to just tuck the ball or throw it away and live for another down.
When you have a more conservative QB, there's less risk but also less opportunity for big plays. With Brown at the helm, there will likely be a greater variance of outcomes with more chances for turnovers but also more chances for big plays.
This Florida team has had its share of struggles in the secondary, and that's one of their worst-graded areas on PFF, so with Brown's down-the-field mindset, there may be some opportunities for the Carolina receivers to go make some plays on 50/50 type balls - winning some of those will be a massive key.
EXPECTED VISITORS: South Carolina vs. Florida (Updated Friday afternoon)
A strange Florida team
This team is just weird in how it's structured. The Gators have outgained their opponents in every single game this season, yet are 4-4 overall and 2-4 in SEC play.
At least part of the reason that the yardage totals haven't resulted in more wins is turnover margin. The Gators are second to last in the conference in that category, primarily because they've thrown 14 interceptions (most in the league) and have only forced nine total turnovers.
Despite having a backfield with multiple former four- or five-star prospects, Florida's top two rushers are quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson with running back Dameon Pierce third on the team with 331 yards rushing.
Despite the strange structure, this is a team that absolutely can run the football well and could give the Gamecocks fits in that area. The Gators are second in the conference in rushing offense and first in yards per carry.
Dan Mullen is as good as any in the conference right now at scheming up ways to key on an opponent's weaknesses and South Carolina will certainly see a heavy dose of both the QB run game and traditional run game in what is a pretty diverse run scheme that forces opponents to defense a lot of different looks, many of which involve a QB run threat.
Veteran defensive coordinator Todd Grantham may be out the door after this season and his tendencies are a little off from what you would normally expect as well.
Always known as more of a blitz-heavy playcaller, Grantham has dialed that back this season, playing more two-high looks and adjusting to more of a bend but don't break philosophy. The Gators don't quite have the talent up front on the defensive line that you're used to seeing them have in the past either in terms of getting to the passer. Of course, Carolina has struggled up front on offense all year, so that may not matter, but this doesn't appear to be the type of front that will just overwhelm Carolina like, say, Texas A&M or Georgia did.
Now, when Grantham gets into third and longs, that's when you will see him dial up the pressure and send extra guys and try to get to the QB using his exotic blitz looks. Those will be tough for Carolina to handle, making it all the more important to avoid third and longs.
Can the Gamecocks make it interesting?
The biggest concern from a South Carolina perspective has to be the Florida rushing attack and the fact the Gamecocks haven't been able to stop the run against SEC opponents. The Gators can get themselves in trouble and turn it over when they have to throw the football (again leading the league in INTs), but if Carolina can't force them to put the ball in the air, they'll simply stick to the running game while mixing in easier/safer throws that won't put the ball in danger. When you combine that with a Carolina offense that's struggled to stay on the field and give the defense a breather, it's a scary recipe for the Gamecocks.
If I'm South Carolina, I would implement some new run-game wrinkles (using the bye week to install them), call more spread plays similar to what Brown ran at St. Francis, and implement the QB run a little bit more. Slow the game down, limit the number of possessions, and try to keep my defense fresh if at all possible and give them the best opportunity possible to slow the Gators down.
FINAL PREDICTION:
There is certainly a recipe for South Carolina to win this game, but until we see the offense more consistently execute, it's hard to pick the Gamecocks to put up enough points to outscore the Gators. Florida QB Emory Jones has been prone to turning the football over, but I'm not sure Carolina can force him to have to throw enough for it to matter. The real question, though, is whether or not the Gators will truly want to be there tonight or if the issues within their program have been greatly exaggerated by the fans outside of it. Still, it's a tough matchup for the Gamecocks. Florida 31, South Carolina 17
------------
Today’s Carolina Confidential is brought to you by Herring Insurance Services. Call, email, or PM Gamecock Central member Brent Herring today to discuss your home and auto insurance needs.
Located in Lexington but serving all of the Carolinas
803-356-0763
Brent@BrentHerring.com
@BHerring06
