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*** Here's what I wrote as my game prediction heading into Saturday's game:
"Vanderbilt is one of the few teams on the Gamecocks’ schedule this year in which Carolina will hold a distinct talent advantage. The Dores have two wins over - over a bad Colorado State team, and a squeaker against the nation’s worst squad in UConn. Although Vanderbilt has given up yards and points by the plenty on defense, the Gamecocks offense has not done much to inspire confidence for a banner day even against an outmatched opponent. Carolina will get it done, but it may not be pretty.
USC 23, Vandy 10."
As it turns out, the Gamecocks did get it done, but I certainly understated/underestimated just how ugly it would be to get there.
Let's start here: South Carolina's team deserves credit for - as badly as it went for large stretches against a poor team - hanging in and getting it done at the end. Another notch in the win column is infinitely better than a loss to Vanderbilt. Beyond that, it was another largely rough outing for the offense in terms of sputtering out and repeatedly shooting itself in the foot.
There are times in which perception of a Gamecock opponent can change after watching live and diving into the game on rewatch after the fact. This isn't one of those times. Vandy is just as poor a team as I thought heading into the game. Yet, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, this Gamecocks team is not one that has room for much error on a weekly basis. We have seen that in multiple contests this season, including some close past escapes against East Carolina and Troy. It manifested itself again this week. We saw it again on Saturday. The Gamecocks started off well, scoring on 75-yard drives back to back to open the game and potentially setting the table for a comfortable victory.
Instead, what followed was turning the ball over five times (two fumbles, two interceptions, and a turnover on downs), untimely penalties, and a couple explosive plays surrendered in the passing game on defense that led to Vanderbilt putting some points on the board. It's hard to do that - particularly the turnovers on offense - and expect to have success against anyone. The one "silver lining", if you're searching, is that it's not like the Gamecocks just couldn't move the ball or do anything against the Commodores, which would have been even more alarming than what we observed. A huge reason for Carolina leaving points on the table was the turnovers. It's been something - or multiple things - in every game, though. Slow starts, frustrating penalties, near-hits on big plays, calls you'd like to have back, missed execution, turnovers, and a lack of taking advantage of situations. Minus the slow starts, we saw some of all that in this one, too.
Kevin Harris and MarShawn Lloyd were both banged up at points in the game, and Juju McDowell was out totally. Let's give the benefit of the doubt that the Gamecocks could have run the ball more effectively with a full stable.Not a given, sure, but more likely than it was given those circumstances. Take those turnovers away and the Gamecocks moved the football. The problem is - the turnovers were there. So were some of the penalties that have been on display much of the year. So was not taking advantage of opportunities to put more points on the board (getting a Vanderbilt turnover and then coming away with no points). And until those things improve, this offense may continue to struggle.
As an aside, I didn't understand the play call on the fourth and less than 5 that ultimately went to Xavier Legette in space. Legette played the most snaps of any receiver in the game (60) in Jalen Brooks' absence, and I thought it was fantastic that he ended up catching the touchdown that tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Still, drawing up a play in space for him at the time left me scratching my head a bit.
Looking back at the play multiple times, it looks like Carolina had a man-beating type route on, whereas Vanderbilt was in zone. There were other routes on, but the ball came out very quickly. That ultimately meant the play's success may have hinged on Vanderbilt's coverage.
Zeb Noland came in and was a cool customer in delivering the football against a Vanderbilt zone. The Dores, if that staff had another chance, would probably play that drive much differently. Give Noland credit for executing in that instance, and the Gamecock receivers for coming down with the football during the drive.
With Luke Doty feeling the effects of his foot injury, Noland is slated to get the start against Texas A&M - and we'll see where it goes from there. Can he give Carolina a spark in the pass game, or with the offense in general with his knowledge of the offense and ability to deliver the ball? That's the key question going forward. The offense doesn't have a lot of cache right now in terms of projecting confidence.
Daman Staley, for what I believe is the third game in a row, played every defensive snap. A great credit to him for doing that, but you have to think the staff would like to develop more depth there if at all possible. Debo Williams and Daryle Ware played on special teams (Williams had the nice play on the final kickoff) and Mo Kaba played 7 defensive snaps.
The defense gave up some explosives that were problematic and missed probably more tackles than we're accustomed to seeing, which caused some issues. A mobile quarterback created issues, but the defense largely did its job on Saturday.
*** Let's dive into the recruiting front, as the Gamecock staff hosted a couple committed official visitors (WR Landon Samson and DB Peyton Williams) as well as multiple unofficial visitors on Saturday.
*** One of the priority underclassmen we already wrote about on Monday was 2023 Georgia four-star defensive lineman Victor Burley. He gave a nice review of his first game experience inside Williams-Brice Stadium in our interview with him, if you missed it earlier.
Burley's long been a priority target in that 2023 class for defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey, and there's a quality relationship there. Burley said Lindsey is "like an uncle" to him. Our understanding is that Burley and his father hung around for about an hour post-game chatting with Lindsey.
The competition here will be significant and probably only heats up from here. But Lindsey has pulled a chair up to the table for the Gamecocks.
Stay tuned to GamecockCentral.com throughout the week for plenty more visitor returns based on weekend activity.
*** When four-star defensive back TreQuon Fegans recently backed away from his commitment to Miami, most eyes immediately were turned toward Alabama.
That made sense: it's Fegans' home state program, and Miami's on-field struggles coupled with a renewed push from the Tide gave the expectation that Alabama would be tough to beat.
The Gamecock staff had kept in touch with Fegans along the way (he made an official visit over the summer) and there were efforts made to see about getting him on campus for a game visit this season.
It didn't materialize; Alabama was able to quickly swoop in and finish this job.
*** It's a ways away, but there are already two visitors likely to be in Columbia for the Clemson game at the season's end.
North Carolina DT KJ Sampson, a longtime target of area recruiter Montario Hardesty, is one.
IMG Academy linebacker Jordan Hall - a four-star from the 2023 class - is also looking to make a trip to Williams-Brice for that contest.
*** Thanks for reading and being a member of GamecockCentral.com! Any questions? Something I left out or didn't address? Let me know and I'll be glad to answer!
Post Up Careers can guide you through this process with their customized resume services. Get personalized coaching to up your game in the job market with Post Up Careers, a company whose mission is to help you navigate all aspects of your career: resume writing, interview preparation, LinkedIn optimization, and much more. Make your talents stand out with the help of a company owned by a lifelong Carolina fan and alumnus – visit PostUpCareers.com or email franklin@postupcareers.com today.
*********
*** Here's what I wrote as my game prediction heading into Saturday's game:
"Vanderbilt is one of the few teams on the Gamecocks’ schedule this year in which Carolina will hold a distinct talent advantage. The Dores have two wins over - over a bad Colorado State team, and a squeaker against the nation’s worst squad in UConn. Although Vanderbilt has given up yards and points by the plenty on defense, the Gamecocks offense has not done much to inspire confidence for a banner day even against an outmatched opponent. Carolina will get it done, but it may not be pretty.
USC 23, Vandy 10."
As it turns out, the Gamecocks did get it done, but I certainly understated/underestimated just how ugly it would be to get there.
Let's start here: South Carolina's team deserves credit for - as badly as it went for large stretches against a poor team - hanging in and getting it done at the end. Another notch in the win column is infinitely better than a loss to Vanderbilt. Beyond that, it was another largely rough outing for the offense in terms of sputtering out and repeatedly shooting itself in the foot.
There are times in which perception of a Gamecock opponent can change after watching live and diving into the game on rewatch after the fact. This isn't one of those times. Vandy is just as poor a team as I thought heading into the game. Yet, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, this Gamecocks team is not one that has room for much error on a weekly basis. We have seen that in multiple contests this season, including some close past escapes against East Carolina and Troy. It manifested itself again this week. We saw it again on Saturday. The Gamecocks started off well, scoring on 75-yard drives back to back to open the game and potentially setting the table for a comfortable victory.
Instead, what followed was turning the ball over five times (two fumbles, two interceptions, and a turnover on downs), untimely penalties, and a couple explosive plays surrendered in the passing game on defense that led to Vanderbilt putting some points on the board. It's hard to do that - particularly the turnovers on offense - and expect to have success against anyone. The one "silver lining", if you're searching, is that it's not like the Gamecocks just couldn't move the ball or do anything against the Commodores, which would have been even more alarming than what we observed. A huge reason for Carolina leaving points on the table was the turnovers. It's been something - or multiple things - in every game, though. Slow starts, frustrating penalties, near-hits on big plays, calls you'd like to have back, missed execution, turnovers, and a lack of taking advantage of situations. Minus the slow starts, we saw some of all that in this one, too.
Kevin Harris and MarShawn Lloyd were both banged up at points in the game, and Juju McDowell was out totally. Let's give the benefit of the doubt that the Gamecocks could have run the ball more effectively with a full stable.Not a given, sure, but more likely than it was given those circumstances. Take those turnovers away and the Gamecocks moved the football. The problem is - the turnovers were there. So were some of the penalties that have been on display much of the year. So was not taking advantage of opportunities to put more points on the board (getting a Vanderbilt turnover and then coming away with no points). And until those things improve, this offense may continue to struggle.
As an aside, I didn't understand the play call on the fourth and less than 5 that ultimately went to Xavier Legette in space. Legette played the most snaps of any receiver in the game (60) in Jalen Brooks' absence, and I thought it was fantastic that he ended up catching the touchdown that tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Still, drawing up a play in space for him at the time left me scratching my head a bit.
Looking back at the play multiple times, it looks like Carolina had a man-beating type route on, whereas Vanderbilt was in zone. There were other routes on, but the ball came out very quickly. That ultimately meant the play's success may have hinged on Vanderbilt's coverage.
Zeb Noland came in and was a cool customer in delivering the football against a Vanderbilt zone. The Dores, if that staff had another chance, would probably play that drive much differently. Give Noland credit for executing in that instance, and the Gamecock receivers for coming down with the football during the drive.
With Luke Doty feeling the effects of his foot injury, Noland is slated to get the start against Texas A&M - and we'll see where it goes from there. Can he give Carolina a spark in the pass game, or with the offense in general with his knowledge of the offense and ability to deliver the ball? That's the key question going forward. The offense doesn't have a lot of cache right now in terms of projecting confidence.
Daman Staley, for what I believe is the third game in a row, played every defensive snap. A great credit to him for doing that, but you have to think the staff would like to develop more depth there if at all possible. Debo Williams and Daryle Ware played on special teams (Williams had the nice play on the final kickoff) and Mo Kaba played 7 defensive snaps.
The defense gave up some explosives that were problematic and missed probably more tackles than we're accustomed to seeing, which caused some issues. A mobile quarterback created issues, but the defense largely did its job on Saturday.
*** Let's dive into the recruiting front, as the Gamecock staff hosted a couple committed official visitors (WR Landon Samson and DB Peyton Williams) as well as multiple unofficial visitors on Saturday.
*** One of the priority underclassmen we already wrote about on Monday was 2023 Georgia four-star defensive lineman Victor Burley. He gave a nice review of his first game experience inside Williams-Brice Stadium in our interview with him, if you missed it earlier.
Burley's long been a priority target in that 2023 class for defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey, and there's a quality relationship there. Burley said Lindsey is "like an uncle" to him. Our understanding is that Burley and his father hung around for about an hour post-game chatting with Lindsey.
The competition here will be significant and probably only heats up from here. But Lindsey has pulled a chair up to the table for the Gamecocks.
Stay tuned to GamecockCentral.com throughout the week for plenty more visitor returns based on weekend activity.
*** When four-star defensive back TreQuon Fegans recently backed away from his commitment to Miami, most eyes immediately were turned toward Alabama.
That made sense: it's Fegans' home state program, and Miami's on-field struggles coupled with a renewed push from the Tide gave the expectation that Alabama would be tough to beat.
The Gamecock staff had kept in touch with Fegans along the way (he made an official visit over the summer) and there were efforts made to see about getting him on campus for a game visit this season.
It didn't materialize; Alabama was able to quickly swoop in and finish this job.
*** It's a ways away, but there are already two visitors likely to be in Columbia for the Clemson game at the season's end.
North Carolina DT KJ Sampson, a longtime target of area recruiter Montario Hardesty, is one.
IMG Academy linebacker Jordan Hall - a four-star from the 2023 class - is also looking to make a trip to Williams-Brice for that contest.
*** Thanks for reading and being a member of GamecockCentral.com! Any questions? Something I left out or didn't address? Let me know and I'll be glad to answer!
