I thought that was a game that had several momentum shifts. It looked like NC State had all the momentum going into halftime but then South Carolina played a great third quarter on both sides of the ball. NC State grabbed the momentum in the fourth quarter but South Carolina was able to hang on.
South Carolina’s defense did some good things and bad things. The third quarter was great for the defense. I thought the defense line played really well in that quarter. Keir Thomas made several big plays in his limited action in that quarter. I was impressed with him. I think everyone was excited to see D.J. Wonnum this season and he delivered today. I thought Wonnum and Dante Sawyer both had good games throughout. The play of Wonnum and Sawyer was the bright spot for the defensive line. The play in the third quarter by the entire unit was something to build off of going forward.
The pass rush for South Carolina was most people’s biggest concern going into the season and we saw why that was the case today. It was non-existent the entire first half. Fatigue definitely played a role in the fourth quarter as it seemed like the defense was on the field the entire fourth quarter and most of the third quarter as well. South Carolina doesn’t have much depth as it is and that played a big role. I did think they did a solid job against the run except on the drive after Chris Lammons messed up on the punt return. NC State ran it right down their throat for a touchdown.
I thought Skai Moore looked like his usual self. I don’t have the stat sheet in front of me right now but I would guess he would be the team’s leading tackler. He plays physical, smart, and is a sure tackler. He was also the player that was guarding Jaylen Samuels the last play of the game and took him out of the play. It looked to me that was where NC State wanted to go with the ball on that play. I thought Bryson Allen-Williams was more effective rushing the passer off the edge today. South Carolina’s defense had several misreads and didn’t contain very well.
What might be the biggest concern to me for the defense after watching that game is the secondary. I thought NC State was picking on JaMarcus King most of the game. I think he needs to play better. Jamyest Williams looked like a true freshman playing his first game in my opinion. I will give the secondary credit that they did step up on the last drive and didn’t let NC State in the endzone. DJ Smith had a huge tackle on Samuels 1-on-1 on fourth down late in the game to help keep South Carolina the lead. The lack of pass rush also hurt them today. They are going to have to be better next week against Missouri.
The last drive for NC State before halftime by the defense was a huge head scratcher for me. I’m not sure what South Carolina was doing playing off coverage for as long as they did. They basically gave them that touchdown to tie the game before the half.
I thought the offense played really well up until the fourth quarter. They struggled getting a first down in the fourth quarter. I will start with the offensive line because they played much better than what I expected. They gave Jake Bentley enough time to do damage against the NC State secondary. It wasn’t perfect but they played better than I thought they would have. The running game wasn’t good. They have to get better there. I really like Rico Dowdle and how he runs the ball. He deserved better stats than what he had.
I was surprised at the lack of time Ty’Son Williams got at running back. I was also surprised at the lack of touches the tight ends got. Hayden Hurst was a non-factor and the same can be said about K.C. Crosby. With that said, it was still a good day for the offense and the potential is definitely there for them to have a great season.
It was a very nice start for Jake Bentley. He made some big time throws. The best throw was when he escaped a sack, rolled to his right on a full sprint, and fired a bomb to Deebo Samuel on the money for a touchdown. That was one of those throws that make your jaw drop. The other throw that I really liked was the other touchdown throw to Deebo. Bentley had pressure coming in his face and he made a nice touch pass to Deebo.
The thing that surprised me today about Bentley was how he was able to make things happen with his feet. He extended drives twice on third downs by scrambling and picking up the first down with his feet. Those were two big plays in the game. Bentley wasn’t as accurate in the fourth quarter but it was a really good start for him.
The same can be said about Deebo. He had the kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game and then added two more scores. He is a playmaker. It will be interesting to see what this offense looks like when they get more guys involved.
This was a big win for South Carolina. They should feel good about themselves. They beat a good NC State team. A team that probably should have beat Clemson and Florida State last year and some people thought was a dark horse in the ACC this year. NC State did out gain South Carolina significantly but the Gamecocks won the turnover battle and didn’t get dominated at the line of scrimmage. They had players make big plays at the skill position and that is why they won the game. Next week will be a huge test for South Carolina’s defense but I think South Carolina’s offense should have a big day. I did pick NC State to win the game so I am 0-1 on the season but the good news is that South Carolina is 1-0.
South Carolina’s defense did some good things and bad things. The third quarter was great for the defense. I thought the defense line played really well in that quarter. Keir Thomas made several big plays in his limited action in that quarter. I was impressed with him. I think everyone was excited to see D.J. Wonnum this season and he delivered today. I thought Wonnum and Dante Sawyer both had good games throughout. The play of Wonnum and Sawyer was the bright spot for the defensive line. The play in the third quarter by the entire unit was something to build off of going forward.
The pass rush for South Carolina was most people’s biggest concern going into the season and we saw why that was the case today. It was non-existent the entire first half. Fatigue definitely played a role in the fourth quarter as it seemed like the defense was on the field the entire fourth quarter and most of the third quarter as well. South Carolina doesn’t have much depth as it is and that played a big role. I did think they did a solid job against the run except on the drive after Chris Lammons messed up on the punt return. NC State ran it right down their throat for a touchdown.
I thought Skai Moore looked like his usual self. I don’t have the stat sheet in front of me right now but I would guess he would be the team’s leading tackler. He plays physical, smart, and is a sure tackler. He was also the player that was guarding Jaylen Samuels the last play of the game and took him out of the play. It looked to me that was where NC State wanted to go with the ball on that play. I thought Bryson Allen-Williams was more effective rushing the passer off the edge today. South Carolina’s defense had several misreads and didn’t contain very well.
What might be the biggest concern to me for the defense after watching that game is the secondary. I thought NC State was picking on JaMarcus King most of the game. I think he needs to play better. Jamyest Williams looked like a true freshman playing his first game in my opinion. I will give the secondary credit that they did step up on the last drive and didn’t let NC State in the endzone. DJ Smith had a huge tackle on Samuels 1-on-1 on fourth down late in the game to help keep South Carolina the lead. The lack of pass rush also hurt them today. They are going to have to be better next week against Missouri.
The last drive for NC State before halftime by the defense was a huge head scratcher for me. I’m not sure what South Carolina was doing playing off coverage for as long as they did. They basically gave them that touchdown to tie the game before the half.
I thought the offense played really well up until the fourth quarter. They struggled getting a first down in the fourth quarter. I will start with the offensive line because they played much better than what I expected. They gave Jake Bentley enough time to do damage against the NC State secondary. It wasn’t perfect but they played better than I thought they would have. The running game wasn’t good. They have to get better there. I really like Rico Dowdle and how he runs the ball. He deserved better stats than what he had.
I was surprised at the lack of time Ty’Son Williams got at running back. I was also surprised at the lack of touches the tight ends got. Hayden Hurst was a non-factor and the same can be said about K.C. Crosby. With that said, it was still a good day for the offense and the potential is definitely there for them to have a great season.
It was a very nice start for Jake Bentley. He made some big time throws. The best throw was when he escaped a sack, rolled to his right on a full sprint, and fired a bomb to Deebo Samuel on the money for a touchdown. That was one of those throws that make your jaw drop. The other throw that I really liked was the other touchdown throw to Deebo. Bentley had pressure coming in his face and he made a nice touch pass to Deebo.
The thing that surprised me today about Bentley was how he was able to make things happen with his feet. He extended drives twice on third downs by scrambling and picking up the first down with his feet. Those were two big plays in the game. Bentley wasn’t as accurate in the fourth quarter but it was a really good start for him.
The same can be said about Deebo. He had the kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game and then added two more scores. He is a playmaker. It will be interesting to see what this offense looks like when they get more guys involved.
This was a big win for South Carolina. They should feel good about themselves. They beat a good NC State team. A team that probably should have beat Clemson and Florida State last year and some people thought was a dark horse in the ACC this year. NC State did out gain South Carolina significantly but the Gamecocks won the turnover battle and didn’t get dominated at the line of scrimmage. They had players make big plays at the skill position and that is why they won the game. Next week will be a huge test for South Carolina’s defense but I think South Carolina’s offense should have a big day. I did pick NC State to win the game so I am 0-1 on the season but the good news is that South Carolina is 1-0.
