W
Will Helms
Guest
Through eight games, South Carolina sits 4-4 with four wins as heavy favorites and four losses as heavy underdogs. Basically, we still know nothing.
South Carolina was playing with house money as 20-point home underdogs to Florida, often a good spot to be with a fan base not expecting much.
The Lead
Not all 4-4 teams are created equal and I thought that might be on display tonight. That being said, in our first chance to see a Shane Beamer team after a bye week, I expected to see a cleaner game. And while more inconsistent than Zeb Noland, Jason Brown provides a lot of upside and big play ability from the quarterback position that South Carolina has been missing this season.
Add to this the fact that Florida hasn’t exactly dazzled in recent weeks and has its own quarterback issues and the game is more wide open than people might think.
I loved the game plan early. South Carolina was aggressive, but not reckless. Defensively, the Gamecocks blitzed on three of Florida’s first five plays, nearly getting home a couple of times and mixing things up enough to force an opening punt, a key against new-old starter Emory Jones.
On offense, South Carolina started with a flea flicker, but didn’t force it deep, instead taking a modest 20-yard gain. The Gamecocks also went for it in an obvious go-for-it situation. But instead of getting carried away with the aggression, Beamer and Marcus Satterfield stuck to the game plan: run the ball and take the shots.
South Carolina ran as confidently as I’ve seen in a while. While the offense threw in a few ground game wrinkles and window dressing, the Gamecocks predominantly ran power concepts, often shifting to give themselves multiple lead blockers. They also did well to rotate their four running backs and keep the offense fresh.
In the passing game, South Carolina ran a lot of 2 and 3-man route concepts to give Brown more time and fewer reads. Satterfield altered his entire game plan to accommodate his quarterback, minimizing the reads and maximizing the protection.
From start to finish, the Gamecocks looked like the more talented, poised and experienced teams. Brown was never sacked, the Gamecocks averaged seven yards a carry and South Carolina imposed its will on Florida. The Gamecocks are 5-4 and one win away from bowl eligibility. In Shane Beamer's first year, the Gamecocks got the big win they needed to inspire confidence.
Keys to the Win
Confidence- Oh to be a fly on the wall at practice these past two weeks. South Carolina didn’t play itself into believing it could compete, the Gamecocks walked into Williams-Brice expecting to be the better team. Up front, the offensive line was confident, pushing piles, picking up blitzes and collectively imposing its will on a talented Florida front. Defensively, South Carolina sent more blitzes and played more press than I’ve seen all season. Satterfield put his confidence in Brown and let him turn it loose. Simply put, the Gamecocks came in with the swagger of a 20-point favorite, not a 20-point underdog.
Discipline- Some things don’t need fancy analysis or advanced “game-within-the-game” numbers. South Carolina didn’t commit a penalty until midway through the third quarter, limited defensive breakdowns and held onto the football. When the team plays well in other aspects, not shooting itself in the foot is always a good strategy.
Gameplan- South Carolina came in with a clear plan in every aspect of the game and executed it to perfection. Offensively, as well as Jason Brown played, he was never the focus. South Carolina’s plan was to pound the ball with a mixture of power and counter looks. It worked. Florida’s defensive line was on skates as South Carolina rotated backs and bullied them down the stretch. This looked like what Shane Beamer and company had in mind over the offseason.
Trench Work- South Carolina bullied Florida’s lines on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Brown was kept clean in the passing game and the running backs had holes the size of pickup trucks all night. On defense, Florida didn’t have running room at all. During one stretch in the third quarter, South Carolina’s defense stuffed Florida on back-to-back short-yardage runs on third and fourth down before easily picking up a fourth-and-1 on offense.
Final Thoughts
Offensively, this game felt like a reset out of the bye week. The Gamecocks put their lack of offensive success behind them and went back to the “pound the ball and hit the tight ends” plan that we heard ad nauseum in the offseason.
From start to finish South Carolina played and coached like the better team. To a new viewer, South Carolina could easily have been mistaken for the team with the established coach and play-caller. While the Gamecocks would like to improve on their ability to close out games, this was the win (and performance) the program needed under Shane Beamer. Enjoy this one, Gamecock fans, and don’t overthink it. South Carolina won in dominating fashion. Enjoy it, then turn your attention to Missouri, where the Gamecocks will have the chance to become bowl eligible.
Oh yeah, if you’re a fellow South Carolina over 4 bettor, don’t forget to cash your ticket.
South Carolina was playing with house money as 20-point home underdogs to Florida, often a good spot to be with a fan base not expecting much.
The Lead
Not all 4-4 teams are created equal and I thought that might be on display tonight. That being said, in our first chance to see a Shane Beamer team after a bye week, I expected to see a cleaner game. And while more inconsistent than Zeb Noland, Jason Brown provides a lot of upside and big play ability from the quarterback position that South Carolina has been missing this season.
Add to this the fact that Florida hasn’t exactly dazzled in recent weeks and has its own quarterback issues and the game is more wide open than people might think.
I loved the game plan early. South Carolina was aggressive, but not reckless. Defensively, the Gamecocks blitzed on three of Florida’s first five plays, nearly getting home a couple of times and mixing things up enough to force an opening punt, a key against new-old starter Emory Jones.
On offense, South Carolina started with a flea flicker, but didn’t force it deep, instead taking a modest 20-yard gain. The Gamecocks also went for it in an obvious go-for-it situation. But instead of getting carried away with the aggression, Beamer and Marcus Satterfield stuck to the game plan: run the ball and take the shots.
South Carolina ran as confidently as I’ve seen in a while. While the offense threw in a few ground game wrinkles and window dressing, the Gamecocks predominantly ran power concepts, often shifting to give themselves multiple lead blockers. They also did well to rotate their four running backs and keep the offense fresh.
In the passing game, South Carolina ran a lot of 2 and 3-man route concepts to give Brown more time and fewer reads. Satterfield altered his entire game plan to accommodate his quarterback, minimizing the reads and maximizing the protection.
From start to finish, the Gamecocks looked like the more talented, poised and experienced teams. Brown was never sacked, the Gamecocks averaged seven yards a carry and South Carolina imposed its will on Florida. The Gamecocks are 5-4 and one win away from bowl eligibility. In Shane Beamer's first year, the Gamecocks got the big win they needed to inspire confidence.
Keys to the Win
Confidence- Oh to be a fly on the wall at practice these past two weeks. South Carolina didn’t play itself into believing it could compete, the Gamecocks walked into Williams-Brice expecting to be the better team. Up front, the offensive line was confident, pushing piles, picking up blitzes and collectively imposing its will on a talented Florida front. Defensively, South Carolina sent more blitzes and played more press than I’ve seen all season. Satterfield put his confidence in Brown and let him turn it loose. Simply put, the Gamecocks came in with the swagger of a 20-point favorite, not a 20-point underdog.
Discipline- Some things don’t need fancy analysis or advanced “game-within-the-game” numbers. South Carolina didn’t commit a penalty until midway through the third quarter, limited defensive breakdowns and held onto the football. When the team plays well in other aspects, not shooting itself in the foot is always a good strategy.
Gameplan- South Carolina came in with a clear plan in every aspect of the game and executed it to perfection. Offensively, as well as Jason Brown played, he was never the focus. South Carolina’s plan was to pound the ball with a mixture of power and counter looks. It worked. Florida’s defensive line was on skates as South Carolina rotated backs and bullied them down the stretch. This looked like what Shane Beamer and company had in mind over the offseason.
Trench Work- South Carolina bullied Florida’s lines on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Brown was kept clean in the passing game and the running backs had holes the size of pickup trucks all night. On defense, Florida didn’t have running room at all. During one stretch in the third quarter, South Carolina’s defense stuffed Florida on back-to-back short-yardage runs on third and fourth down before easily picking up a fourth-and-1 on offense.
Final Thoughts
Offensively, this game felt like a reset out of the bye week. The Gamecocks put their lack of offensive success behind them and went back to the “pound the ball and hit the tight ends” plan that we heard ad nauseum in the offseason.
From start to finish South Carolina played and coached like the better team. To a new viewer, South Carolina could easily have been mistaken for the team with the established coach and play-caller. While the Gamecocks would like to improve on their ability to close out games, this was the win (and performance) the program needed under Shane Beamer. Enjoy this one, Gamecock fans, and don’t overthink it. South Carolina won in dominating fashion. Enjoy it, then turn your attention to Missouri, where the Gamecocks will have the chance to become bowl eligible.
Oh yeah, if you’re a fellow South Carolina over 4 bettor, don’t forget to cash your ticket.
