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Let's start Monday off with a deeper dive more into South Carolina's road loss in Athens, plus where things go from here...
*** When you lose a game by 27, there's surely plenty to talk about in terms of what went wrong.
With a team as fearsome as Georgia on defense - their front seven is making rounds in coaching circles for being the best/one of the best in recent college football memory - you can understand and even live with getting whipped up front at times.
What you cannot stand for is mental miscues and procedural issues that lend an assist to an opponent that, quite frankly, doesn't need any more help. In the first three games, we have seen too much of that from the offense, particularly up front.
There have been plenty of times when you've looked down on the field or at your screen and wondered where the offensive line's eyes are at, which is fair. To be clear, it's not always a single answer. Sometimes it's been a communication issue on checks, at times there have been assignment issues. It's something that South Carolina has to get cleaned up in some form or fashion and will be up to the staff to solve it. Personnel and how things are being structured are all going to have be addressed to get better in that aspect.
Nick Muse and Jaheim Bell didn't see as much action as far as balls their way against Georgia. Some of that was surely the opposing defense, but those guys need to play a prominent role going forward.
Shane Beamer's not been shy about saying that South Carolina has to coach better, scheme better, and put the players in position to be more successful.
The good news is that, despite all the offensive kinks - and there have been plenty - South Carolina is sitting where just about everyone thought they'd be: 2-1 after the first three games. Where things go from here beginning this week on that side will be critical.
*** Defensively, we knew that the competition level in the trenches, at quarterback, and at the skill positions in facing Georgia would be about as dramatic a step up you can get from EIU and ECU as it gets. While the secondary did a very good job in games one and two - and the staff and players deserve a lot of credit for that - there was concern about some exposures in this contest. That came to fruition, with Georgia hitting some deep balls and winning some one-on-one battles in the passing game. Because the Dawgs were able to be so balanced on defense, it became more difficult to get consistent pressure on Georgia quarterback JT Daniels.
The end result was that Georgia was excellent in converting third downs, and that was a key difference in this contest.
*** There were also some hinge point moments in this game that South Carolina did not take advantage of that could have at least had this one more interesting at the half.
The Gamecocks had a first down at the Georgia 12 yard line later in the second quarter. After a short Luke Doty run, Carolina was penalized for breaking the huddle with 12 men. Two more plays ensued, and the Gamecocks had to settle for a field goal. A touchdown there would have had it 14-10 instead of what it ended up being, 14-6. Carolina had settled for a field goal earlier in the game after an explosive play to Josh Vann.
South Carolina hurt itself with a Vann unsportsmanlike penalty in the first half, too. The Gamecocks were on the UGA side of the field after Vann's play, but had to back up and eventually punted.
Carolina then gave up a safety at the end of half, which Beamer took full responsibility for in front of the team and media. The third quarter opened with an interception that Georgia summarily capitalized on with another touchdown.
*** One of my keys to this game offensively was to find a way to create explosive plays offensively, because it wasn't reasonable to expect the team to drive the field against the Dawgs on a consistent basis. Indeed, Carolina's three scores came following a 61-yard Vann catch, a defensive interception, and a 36-yard scoring catch by Vann. That's what it would have taken to score more for Carolina. Tall order, but there weren't enough explosives created.
*** Let's now move onto this point: the Gamecocks' opponent was really, really good.
In response to a question about what Georgia did on Saturday night to cause South Carolina so many issues, Shane Beamer noted that the Dawgs "have like 100 5-star players."
While Beamer was clearly exaggerating to make a point about Georgia's talent level, the point stands: the Dawgs are loaded.
Consider this: only one of UGA's offensive starters - OL Justin Shaffer - was not at least a 4-star prospect during the recruiting process. Only two defensive starters fit that bill - although DBs Ameer Speed and Latavious Brini were right on the cusp as high three-stars out of high school.
In all, Georgia started the following on offense and defense on Saturday night:
5 former five-star prospects, 5 former top 100 four-star stars, and 9 additional 4-star prospects. For the game, Georgia played a total of 10 former 5-stars, a total of 9 former top 100 4-stars, and 22 additional former 4-star prospects.
That means that 81 percent of players that saw the field on Saturday were 4-star players or better. Many of those included in the 19 percent were specialists, special teams players, or guys that were playing late when the game was decided.
Compare that to the Gamecocks, who played started zero former 5-star players, zero former top 100 four-stars, and started a total of 6 former four-stars.
The numbers look better than that for South Carolina when one looks at the guys that played (many significant roles) throughout the game: Three former 5-stars, one former top 100 prospect (Doty), and 13 additional former 4-stars.
Still, that pales in comparison to what the Dawgs rolled out there.
*** Beamer was sure to make the point after the game that there were some positive things to take away from the Gamecocks' performance as a team. While lines such as this can sometimes be coaching platitudes, a closer examination shows that - in my view - he is correct.
The first point he made was a good one in that South Carolina largely matched Georgia's physicality. Kevin Harris got the start and played 41 snaps - the largest tally for him or any Gamecock back this season - and doled out plenty of punishment with some big-man hits. Watching the contest, South Carolina looked plenty tough enough.
Josh Vann entered this season with a lot of confidence and needed that to quickly manifest on the field. Through three games, he's gotten better each time he's been out there and looks the part of the guy we all thought he would be out of high school. His emergence is significant for this team.
It was really good to see Jalen Brooks' one-handed catch as well. While Georgia's secondary is their "weaker link" - that's definitely a relative term - it showed that Carolina has some guys that can make some one-on-one plays. If that's a development, it's a good one.
On defense, Jabari Ellis had a sack and a big run stop, and there were flashes from the rest of the front four, too. Keep in mind that Carolina lost Sherrod Greene on the second play of the game and Brad Johnson was battling an illness. That's not ideal for a linebacker group still trying to find depth.
Let's end with Luke Doty. Folks have to realize how much practice time Doty has missed. He hurt his foot in mid-August and spent plenty of time in a boot, unable to practice. Once he returned, he was quite limited. Beamer said publicly that, even having done much more in the lead-up to the UGA game than he had been doing, it was still Thursday before the contest that he got in and did live 11-on-11 work in practice.
That's a lot of missing reps for a quarterback that entered the season having only played the position in 2.5 career games. And yet, he stepped into the situation and performed admirably against the country's best defense.
Doty's ability to run and create some off-platform plays, moxie, and natural talent (the deep throws were hit or miss, but he surely hit some) give this offense another level of intrigue.
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.
******
Let's start Monday off with a deeper dive more into South Carolina's road loss in Athens, plus where things go from here...
*** When you lose a game by 27, there's surely plenty to talk about in terms of what went wrong.
With a team as fearsome as Georgia on defense - their front seven is making rounds in coaching circles for being the best/one of the best in recent college football memory - you can understand and even live with getting whipped up front at times.
What you cannot stand for is mental miscues and procedural issues that lend an assist to an opponent that, quite frankly, doesn't need any more help. In the first three games, we have seen too much of that from the offense, particularly up front.
There have been plenty of times when you've looked down on the field or at your screen and wondered where the offensive line's eyes are at, which is fair. To be clear, it's not always a single answer. Sometimes it's been a communication issue on checks, at times there have been assignment issues. It's something that South Carolina has to get cleaned up in some form or fashion and will be up to the staff to solve it. Personnel and how things are being structured are all going to have be addressed to get better in that aspect.
Nick Muse and Jaheim Bell didn't see as much action as far as balls their way against Georgia. Some of that was surely the opposing defense, but those guys need to play a prominent role going forward.
Shane Beamer's not been shy about saying that South Carolina has to coach better, scheme better, and put the players in position to be more successful.
The good news is that, despite all the offensive kinks - and there have been plenty - South Carolina is sitting where just about everyone thought they'd be: 2-1 after the first three games. Where things go from here beginning this week on that side will be critical.
*** Defensively, we knew that the competition level in the trenches, at quarterback, and at the skill positions in facing Georgia would be about as dramatic a step up you can get from EIU and ECU as it gets. While the secondary did a very good job in games one and two - and the staff and players deserve a lot of credit for that - there was concern about some exposures in this contest. That came to fruition, with Georgia hitting some deep balls and winning some one-on-one battles in the passing game. Because the Dawgs were able to be so balanced on defense, it became more difficult to get consistent pressure on Georgia quarterback JT Daniels.
The end result was that Georgia was excellent in converting third downs, and that was a key difference in this contest.
*** There were also some hinge point moments in this game that South Carolina did not take advantage of that could have at least had this one more interesting at the half.
The Gamecocks had a first down at the Georgia 12 yard line later in the second quarter. After a short Luke Doty run, Carolina was penalized for breaking the huddle with 12 men. Two more plays ensued, and the Gamecocks had to settle for a field goal. A touchdown there would have had it 14-10 instead of what it ended up being, 14-6. Carolina had settled for a field goal earlier in the game after an explosive play to Josh Vann.
South Carolina hurt itself with a Vann unsportsmanlike penalty in the first half, too. The Gamecocks were on the UGA side of the field after Vann's play, but had to back up and eventually punted.
Carolina then gave up a safety at the end of half, which Beamer took full responsibility for in front of the team and media. The third quarter opened with an interception that Georgia summarily capitalized on with another touchdown.
*** One of my keys to this game offensively was to find a way to create explosive plays offensively, because it wasn't reasonable to expect the team to drive the field against the Dawgs on a consistent basis. Indeed, Carolina's three scores came following a 61-yard Vann catch, a defensive interception, and a 36-yard scoring catch by Vann. That's what it would have taken to score more for Carolina. Tall order, but there weren't enough explosives created.
*** Let's now move onto this point: the Gamecocks' opponent was really, really good.
In response to a question about what Georgia did on Saturday night to cause South Carolina so many issues, Shane Beamer noted that the Dawgs "have like 100 5-star players."
While Beamer was clearly exaggerating to make a point about Georgia's talent level, the point stands: the Dawgs are loaded.
Consider this: only one of UGA's offensive starters - OL Justin Shaffer - was not at least a 4-star prospect during the recruiting process. Only two defensive starters fit that bill - although DBs Ameer Speed and Latavious Brini were right on the cusp as high three-stars out of high school.
In all, Georgia started the following on offense and defense on Saturday night:
5 former five-star prospects, 5 former top 100 four-star stars, and 9 additional 4-star prospects. For the game, Georgia played a total of 10 former 5-stars, a total of 9 former top 100 4-stars, and 22 additional former 4-star prospects.
That means that 81 percent of players that saw the field on Saturday were 4-star players or better. Many of those included in the 19 percent were specialists, special teams players, or guys that were playing late when the game was decided.
Compare that to the Gamecocks, who played started zero former 5-star players, zero former top 100 four-stars, and started a total of 6 former four-stars.
The numbers look better than that for South Carolina when one looks at the guys that played (many significant roles) throughout the game: Three former 5-stars, one former top 100 prospect (Doty), and 13 additional former 4-stars.
Still, that pales in comparison to what the Dawgs rolled out there.
*** Beamer was sure to make the point after the game that there were some positive things to take away from the Gamecocks' performance as a team. While lines such as this can sometimes be coaching platitudes, a closer examination shows that - in my view - he is correct.
The first point he made was a good one in that South Carolina largely matched Georgia's physicality. Kevin Harris got the start and played 41 snaps - the largest tally for him or any Gamecock back this season - and doled out plenty of punishment with some big-man hits. Watching the contest, South Carolina looked plenty tough enough.
Josh Vann entered this season with a lot of confidence and needed that to quickly manifest on the field. Through three games, he's gotten better each time he's been out there and looks the part of the guy we all thought he would be out of high school. His emergence is significant for this team.
It was really good to see Jalen Brooks' one-handed catch as well. While Georgia's secondary is their "weaker link" - that's definitely a relative term - it showed that Carolina has some guys that can make some one-on-one plays. If that's a development, it's a good one.
On defense, Jabari Ellis had a sack and a big run stop, and there were flashes from the rest of the front four, too. Keep in mind that Carolina lost Sherrod Greene on the second play of the game and Brad Johnson was battling an illness. That's not ideal for a linebacker group still trying to find depth.
Let's end with Luke Doty. Folks have to realize how much practice time Doty has missed. He hurt his foot in mid-August and spent plenty of time in a boot, unable to practice. Once he returned, he was quite limited. Beamer said publicly that, even having done much more in the lead-up to the UGA game than he had been doing, it was still Thursday before the contest that he got in and did live 11-on-11 work in practice.
That's a lot of missing reps for a quarterback that entered the season having only played the position in 2.5 career games. And yet, he stepped into the situation and performed admirably against the country's best defense.
Doty's ability to run and create some off-platform plays, moxie, and natural talent (the deep throws were hit or miss, but he surely hit some) give this offense another level of intrigue.
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