W
Will Helms
Guest
— The first drive was well-called, only ending on a drop by Bryan Edwards on third and seven. Tavien Feaster had two touches, Edwards was targeted twice and Rico Dowdle had three touches as well.
— The Gamecocks came out in what was essentially a 3-safety set on defense. The Gamecocks had five defensive backs, but Mukuamu played almost as an in-box safety. Like last year, the Gamecock defense had some holes in the flats and North Carolina was able to exploit some of them.
— Feaster impressed me more than I thought he would
— Entering the game, Aaron Sterling was listed as co-starter at defensive end opposite D.J. Wonnum. While both he and J.J. Enagbare were always going to play extensively, it was Sterling who shined.
— The offense was once again frustrating to watch for Gamecock fans. The play calling was mainly conservative and when they had the plays, a missed block, missed read or missed throw derailed the play. Even Feaster’s early touchdown was mainly an individual effort. Like last year, this year’s offense looks like it has the potential to fly up and down the field or sputter at any moment. There just isn’t much consistency, something that just shouldn’t be the case for a unit led by four-year starters in every position group.
— Defensively, this year’s team looks better overall, but still struggles to defend in space. Ernest Jones looks more than capable at linebacker, but the secondary still struggles to shed blocks and defend screens, tosses and swing passes, something that will be clear to other opponents on film.
— I was confused by some of the pass plays. Jake Bentley was not great by any means, but I didn’t understand why most of the route concepts had only one or two players actually in viable patterns. That’s something I’d expect in a gameplan for a freshman, not a 4-year starter that could leave as the school’s all-time leading passer.
— Not much has changed since last year in terms of explosion versus consistency. South Carolina was 60th in offensive efficiency last year, but 22nd in explosiveness. Yet again, the Gamecocks thrived on big plays against North Carolina, but failed to consistently move the ball.
— Similarly, the defense was hot and cold all day, fluctuating between being dominant for whole drives and lost for whole drives. On the first and third defensive drives of the second half, the Gamecocks held North Carolina to eight yards on seven plays and a fumble. On the second and fourth drives of the half, North Carolina scored 11 points on 17 plays for 151 yards. The excuses about youth don’t work anymore. This team, even in good wins, seems incapable of putting together a complete game.
— The two punt calls later in the game were terrible. To be fair, I’m more aggressive than the average person in philosophy, but it still wasn’t smart. The first call to punt on fourth and 6 from the 38 was more excusable and the punt was good. North Carolina still went 98 yards in less than two and a half minutes for a touchdown. Then South Carolina punted from the 50 on fourth and inches while up 3. Once again, North Carolina made them pay, flying down the field for another touchdown.
— South Carolina’s hyper-conservativism will cost them games this year if not fixed immediately. The Gamecocks played a team they should have beaten handily while wearing kid gloves and in the end it cost them.
— Brace for a long season. North Carolina is improved, but likely the fourth-worst team on South Carolina’s schedule. Knowing this team, they’ll win a game or two it feels like they shouldn’t, but at this point a four or five-win year seems almost likely.
— Mack Brown was as bad as Will Muschamp all day and it didn’t matter. An inexcusable loss means a long season.
— It goes without saying, but Bentley was terrible down the stretch. He missed open receivers on back-to-back-to-back plays, finishing the game on a bad interception. His final second-half line: 7-16, 67 yards a touchdown and two interceptions.
— The Gamecocks came out in what was essentially a 3-safety set on defense. The Gamecocks had five defensive backs, but Mukuamu played almost as an in-box safety. Like last year, the Gamecock defense had some holes in the flats and North Carolina was able to exploit some of them.
— Feaster impressed me more than I thought he would
— Entering the game, Aaron Sterling was listed as co-starter at defensive end opposite D.J. Wonnum. While both he and J.J. Enagbare were always going to play extensively, it was Sterling who shined.
— The offense was once again frustrating to watch for Gamecock fans. The play calling was mainly conservative and when they had the plays, a missed block, missed read or missed throw derailed the play. Even Feaster’s early touchdown was mainly an individual effort. Like last year, this year’s offense looks like it has the potential to fly up and down the field or sputter at any moment. There just isn’t much consistency, something that just shouldn’t be the case for a unit led by four-year starters in every position group.
— Defensively, this year’s team looks better overall, but still struggles to defend in space. Ernest Jones looks more than capable at linebacker, but the secondary still struggles to shed blocks and defend screens, tosses and swing passes, something that will be clear to other opponents on film.
— I was confused by some of the pass plays. Jake Bentley was not great by any means, but I didn’t understand why most of the route concepts had only one or two players actually in viable patterns. That’s something I’d expect in a gameplan for a freshman, not a 4-year starter that could leave as the school’s all-time leading passer.
— Not much has changed since last year in terms of explosion versus consistency. South Carolina was 60th in offensive efficiency last year, but 22nd in explosiveness. Yet again, the Gamecocks thrived on big plays against North Carolina, but failed to consistently move the ball.
— Similarly, the defense was hot and cold all day, fluctuating between being dominant for whole drives and lost for whole drives. On the first and third defensive drives of the second half, the Gamecocks held North Carolina to eight yards on seven plays and a fumble. On the second and fourth drives of the half, North Carolina scored 11 points on 17 plays for 151 yards. The excuses about youth don’t work anymore. This team, even in good wins, seems incapable of putting together a complete game.
— The two punt calls later in the game were terrible. To be fair, I’m more aggressive than the average person in philosophy, but it still wasn’t smart. The first call to punt on fourth and 6 from the 38 was more excusable and the punt was good. North Carolina still went 98 yards in less than two and a half minutes for a touchdown. Then South Carolina punted from the 50 on fourth and inches while up 3. Once again, North Carolina made them pay, flying down the field for another touchdown.
— South Carolina’s hyper-conservativism will cost them games this year if not fixed immediately. The Gamecocks played a team they should have beaten handily while wearing kid gloves and in the end it cost them.
— Brace for a long season. North Carolina is improved, but likely the fourth-worst team on South Carolina’s schedule. Knowing this team, they’ll win a game or two it feels like they shouldn’t, but at this point a four or five-win year seems almost likely.
— Mack Brown was as bad as Will Muschamp all day and it didn’t matter. An inexcusable loss means a long season.
— It goes without saying, but Bentley was terrible down the stretch. He missed open receivers on back-to-back-to-back plays, finishing the game on a bad interception. His final second-half line: 7-16, 67 yards a touchdown and two interceptions.
