M
Matt OBrien
Guest
Good evening Gamecock fans --- two days away from a big matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats, I'd like to briefly touch on some quick takeaways from last week's win over Vanderbilt and discuss how South Carolina can win this Saturday.
Vanderbilt Review
Not going to spend too much time here, as there was a ton of great analysis/review provided by the Gamecock Central team this week, but I thought there were a few promising takeaways from the win over Vandy.
1. Jake Bentley's level play: I thought Bentley came out and played a strong game start to finish last week. He hit Shi Smith on his favorite route for a TD early (which could probably be called more by coaches) and really stayed consistent for the remainder of the game. Bentley had one INT - and I'll touch on that more in the UK preview - but you can't complain about a 68-percent completion rate and throwing for more than 250 yards. We'll need to see this type of performance each week as the schedule certainly doesn't get any easier.
2. Offensive Line confidence: Vandy's DL certainly isn't one of the stronger units in the conference, but they do some things well, including mixing up their fronts/stunts, etc.. The South Carolina OL responded and was able to pave some nice running lanes throughout the game. Coming off of Georgia, it was important for the South Carolina OL to get some mojo back and I believe they will more confident than ever heading into this week.
3. Javon Kinlaw: There was a lot of hype around Kinlaw heading into the season and I believe he silenced any doubters last week. Kinlaw was simply dominant at times and recorded one of the highest-graded games by any player in the country this season, according to PFF. Kinlaw will no doubt be one of the more talked about players during this week's TV broadcast, and if he steps up for another strong game, could put himself on the national stage.
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Previewing Kentucky
This is a game South Carolina not only has to win for 2018's sake, but also for the program's perception within the SEC moving forward. The Gamecocks have not beaten the Wildcats since 2013, which means there isn't a single player on the roster who can claim a win against UK for the first time ever since joining the SEC. Kentucky is ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2007 and they're sitting tied-atop the SEC East rankings at 4-0. Kentucky embarrassed Florida in the Swamp, for my money, and wiped the floor with the then-ranked #14 team in the country last week: the MSU Bulldogs. Kentucky's looking to change the state of their program. They're in good position to do, but they have to beat South Carolina in order to validate the current hype around their team. This is a must-win game for Kentucky and they will treat it as such.
I'd like to discuss how South Carolina can stop their momentum and turn the tables back on this SEC matchup:
1. Stop Snell: If I could repeat this point twice, I would. Benny Snell is the heart and soul of this Kentucky team and he's playing like one of the best backs in the country. Snell leads the SEC in rushing by almost 100 yards more than the second guy on the list, and also has the most rushing TDs and carries in the SEC. South Carolina will have to treat Snell as a top-tier RB and focus on stopping him at the line of scrimmage. I believe the best way to do this is to use four and five-man fronts, with the BUCK and SAM alternating alignments down on the line according to formation.
The key players here will be Bryson Allen-Williams and Daniel Fennell. Having five guys at the line may be a risk for pass defense, but I have not been impressed with QB Terry Wilson's throwing abilities and truly believe the Gamecocks must not let Snell win. I also have not been overly impressed by South Carolina's inside linebackers' run defense this season, and am afraid that without proper push at the line, Snell will dominate them at the second-level. Snell is quicker and runs with more purpose than the Vanderbilt running backs, and any poor angles or gap reads will be exploited by Snell, and the other UK backs.
If the defense can stop Snell, it will take the wind a little bit of the Wildcats' sails and force them to find another way to win. And, I just don't believe they have one just yet. Sell out to stop Snell.
2. Force Wilson to throw vertically: Terry Wilson has some nice qualities in his game. I like his style and believe he is one of the better QBs in the league in hitting on his check-down routes and taking what the defense gives him. Wilson is also a strong runner and, in fact, has more rushing yards than South Carolina's top rusher Rico Dowdle. Wilson is consistent to a fault, meaning that I believe the Gamecock defense can easily pick up on his tendencies and mess up his rhythm.
Lynn Bowden, one of the more dynamic players in the SEC, is Wilson's go-to on passing downs and serves as his safety valve when outside of the pocket. Kentucky will look to get Bowden the ball creatively as well, and I expect him to be used more on the perimeter on Saturday. Tight end CJ Conrad is Wilson's check-down option over the middle and is probably underutilized in the UK offense.
Knowing how much UK relies on running the football and what Terry Wilson's style at QB is like and what his tendencies show, I believe it makes the most sense to sell out to stop the run along the front. I'd have the cornerbacks playing aggressively up on the perimeter to stop the short passes and help on reverses/bubble routes, and have one safety playing intermediate to stop Wilson's check-down targets. This leaves the secondary on an island of sorts, but they have the speed to play with Kentucky's receivers vertically. I also notice on Wilson vertical passes, that he winds up and lofts the ball to receivers, which should mean interception opportunities for the secondary.
3. Assistance on Allen: Of all of the talented defensive linemen and edge rushers South Carolina will play this season, Allen could end up being the highest-selected player of any of them in the 2019 NFL draft. Allen plays well against the run, but he's a sack specialist in nature. Allen looks to attack off a quick and long first step and will simply beat a tackle around the corner or gain leverage and then reverse inside. Even when not recording the sack, Allen is extremely disruptive and can affect a QBs internal clock during read progressions.
This most effective way to stalemate Allen would be to line TE Jacob August over him, no matter which side, to chip block him and prevent the explosive first step that makes Allen great. I don't believe RB protection will help, as by the time Allen gets a yard or so into the backfield, it's too late.
When Allen is on the left side of the defensive set, he is almost guaranteed to rush the passer. Kentucky also likes to complement this by having their defensive tackle take a step back off of the line to swat down any quick attempts by QBs to get the ball out to check-downs or crosser. QB Jake Bentley would be wise to keep this in mind, as it is exactly what Vanderbilt did on his interception last week.
I typically try to stay away from saying a team has one guy you should focus on stopping, as I know in this league, each team has talented playmakers -- it's the SEC after all. However, with Kentucky, they truly have one guy on each side of the ball that makes their team click. On offense, it's Benny Snell. On defense, it Josh Allen. I subscribe to the philosophy that you'll never beat me with your best, and I expect to see the same from the Gamecocks game plan this week.
Kentucky has a confident offense led by RB Benny Snell. I don't believe their QB can win this game if he's forced to throw vertically consistently. On defense, the Kentucky front is talented, led by Josh Allen, and disruptive in both passing and rushing games. However, their cornerbacks can be exploited by the Gamecocks receivers and I'd actually say the South Carolina RBs should have a good game receiving, as well, matched up with the Kentucky linebackers.
This is a game Kentucky needs to win in order to legitimize the program in the SEC pecking order, but i don't believe they will be able to get the job done with a South Carolina team coming in looking for redemption and executing at a high level for four quarters.
South Carolina 30, Kentucky 24
Offensive Player to Watch: Jake Bentley. Bentley will need to come out under control in this matchup, as it could prove to be one of the more important games of the season. Bentley had a strong performance last week, but will he be able to create consistent offense with UK pass rusher Josh Allen's constant threat on the edge? I believe the offense and Bentley will come out with a strong game plan and hit enough explosive plays to keep momentum and get into scoring range often.
Defensive Player to Watch: Bryson Allen-Williams. BAW will be counted on to hold down the edge of the defensive front against Kentucky. Against the run, BAW needs to pinch in the wide blockers to create contain and funnel Benny Snell to the linebackers. As a pass rusher, I believe BAW will be counted on to create pressure while also staying aware of Terry Wilson's scrambling abilities. Having to be responsible for all of these things on a given down is no easy task. However, BAW will be up to the challenge and should prove to be a difference maker in this game.
Newcomer to Watch: This will likely always be Jaycee Horn throughout the season, so I'd like to highlight a second name here: Josh Vann. My top-ranked recruit in last year's class, I believe Vann will have a big opportunity to contribute in this matchup with OrTre Smith out for the remainder of the season. I don't anticipate seeing too many targets go Vann's way, but he should make the most out of what he's given. Vann is explosive and I believe fits the offense better than some of the other secondary receiver options on the roster.
Vanderbilt Review
Not going to spend too much time here, as there was a ton of great analysis/review provided by the Gamecock Central team this week, but I thought there were a few promising takeaways from the win over Vandy.
1. Jake Bentley's level play: I thought Bentley came out and played a strong game start to finish last week. He hit Shi Smith on his favorite route for a TD early (which could probably be called more by coaches) and really stayed consistent for the remainder of the game. Bentley had one INT - and I'll touch on that more in the UK preview - but you can't complain about a 68-percent completion rate and throwing for more than 250 yards. We'll need to see this type of performance each week as the schedule certainly doesn't get any easier.
2. Offensive Line confidence: Vandy's DL certainly isn't one of the stronger units in the conference, but they do some things well, including mixing up their fronts/stunts, etc.. The South Carolina OL responded and was able to pave some nice running lanes throughout the game. Coming off of Georgia, it was important for the South Carolina OL to get some mojo back and I believe they will more confident than ever heading into this week.
3. Javon Kinlaw: There was a lot of hype around Kinlaw heading into the season and I believe he silenced any doubters last week. Kinlaw was simply dominant at times and recorded one of the highest-graded games by any player in the country this season, according to PFF. Kinlaw will no doubt be one of the more talked about players during this week's TV broadcast, and if he steps up for another strong game, could put himself on the national stage.
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Previewing Kentucky
This is a game South Carolina not only has to win for 2018's sake, but also for the program's perception within the SEC moving forward. The Gamecocks have not beaten the Wildcats since 2013, which means there isn't a single player on the roster who can claim a win against UK for the first time ever since joining the SEC. Kentucky is ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2007 and they're sitting tied-atop the SEC East rankings at 4-0. Kentucky embarrassed Florida in the Swamp, for my money, and wiped the floor with the then-ranked #14 team in the country last week: the MSU Bulldogs. Kentucky's looking to change the state of their program. They're in good position to do, but they have to beat South Carolina in order to validate the current hype around their team. This is a must-win game for Kentucky and they will treat it as such.
I'd like to discuss how South Carolina can stop their momentum and turn the tables back on this SEC matchup:
1. Stop Snell: If I could repeat this point twice, I would. Benny Snell is the heart and soul of this Kentucky team and he's playing like one of the best backs in the country. Snell leads the SEC in rushing by almost 100 yards more than the second guy on the list, and also has the most rushing TDs and carries in the SEC. South Carolina will have to treat Snell as a top-tier RB and focus on stopping him at the line of scrimmage. I believe the best way to do this is to use four and five-man fronts, with the BUCK and SAM alternating alignments down on the line according to formation.
The key players here will be Bryson Allen-Williams and Daniel Fennell. Having five guys at the line may be a risk for pass defense, but I have not been impressed with QB Terry Wilson's throwing abilities and truly believe the Gamecocks must not let Snell win. I also have not been overly impressed by South Carolina's inside linebackers' run defense this season, and am afraid that without proper push at the line, Snell will dominate them at the second-level. Snell is quicker and runs with more purpose than the Vanderbilt running backs, and any poor angles or gap reads will be exploited by Snell, and the other UK backs.
If the defense can stop Snell, it will take the wind a little bit of the Wildcats' sails and force them to find another way to win. And, I just don't believe they have one just yet. Sell out to stop Snell.
2. Force Wilson to throw vertically: Terry Wilson has some nice qualities in his game. I like his style and believe he is one of the better QBs in the league in hitting on his check-down routes and taking what the defense gives him. Wilson is also a strong runner and, in fact, has more rushing yards than South Carolina's top rusher Rico Dowdle. Wilson is consistent to a fault, meaning that I believe the Gamecock defense can easily pick up on his tendencies and mess up his rhythm.
Lynn Bowden, one of the more dynamic players in the SEC, is Wilson's go-to on passing downs and serves as his safety valve when outside of the pocket. Kentucky will look to get Bowden the ball creatively as well, and I expect him to be used more on the perimeter on Saturday. Tight end CJ Conrad is Wilson's check-down option over the middle and is probably underutilized in the UK offense.
Knowing how much UK relies on running the football and what Terry Wilson's style at QB is like and what his tendencies show, I believe it makes the most sense to sell out to stop the run along the front. I'd have the cornerbacks playing aggressively up on the perimeter to stop the short passes and help on reverses/bubble routes, and have one safety playing intermediate to stop Wilson's check-down targets. This leaves the secondary on an island of sorts, but they have the speed to play with Kentucky's receivers vertically. I also notice on Wilson vertical passes, that he winds up and lofts the ball to receivers, which should mean interception opportunities for the secondary.
3. Assistance on Allen: Of all of the talented defensive linemen and edge rushers South Carolina will play this season, Allen could end up being the highest-selected player of any of them in the 2019 NFL draft. Allen plays well against the run, but he's a sack specialist in nature. Allen looks to attack off a quick and long first step and will simply beat a tackle around the corner or gain leverage and then reverse inside. Even when not recording the sack, Allen is extremely disruptive and can affect a QBs internal clock during read progressions.
This most effective way to stalemate Allen would be to line TE Jacob August over him, no matter which side, to chip block him and prevent the explosive first step that makes Allen great. I don't believe RB protection will help, as by the time Allen gets a yard or so into the backfield, it's too late.
When Allen is on the left side of the defensive set, he is almost guaranteed to rush the passer. Kentucky also likes to complement this by having their defensive tackle take a step back off of the line to swat down any quick attempts by QBs to get the ball out to check-downs or crosser. QB Jake Bentley would be wise to keep this in mind, as it is exactly what Vanderbilt did on his interception last week.
I typically try to stay away from saying a team has one guy you should focus on stopping, as I know in this league, each team has talented playmakers -- it's the SEC after all. However, with Kentucky, they truly have one guy on each side of the ball that makes their team click. On offense, it's Benny Snell. On defense, it Josh Allen. I subscribe to the philosophy that you'll never beat me with your best, and I expect to see the same from the Gamecocks game plan this week.
Kentucky has a confident offense led by RB Benny Snell. I don't believe their QB can win this game if he's forced to throw vertically consistently. On defense, the Kentucky front is talented, led by Josh Allen, and disruptive in both passing and rushing games. However, their cornerbacks can be exploited by the Gamecocks receivers and I'd actually say the South Carolina RBs should have a good game receiving, as well, matched up with the Kentucky linebackers.
This is a game Kentucky needs to win in order to legitimize the program in the SEC pecking order, but i don't believe they will be able to get the job done with a South Carolina team coming in looking for redemption and executing at a high level for four quarters.
South Carolina 30, Kentucky 24
Offensive Player to Watch: Jake Bentley. Bentley will need to come out under control in this matchup, as it could prove to be one of the more important games of the season. Bentley had a strong performance last week, but will he be able to create consistent offense with UK pass rusher Josh Allen's constant threat on the edge? I believe the offense and Bentley will come out with a strong game plan and hit enough explosive plays to keep momentum and get into scoring range often.
Defensive Player to Watch: Bryson Allen-Williams. BAW will be counted on to hold down the edge of the defensive front against Kentucky. Against the run, BAW needs to pinch in the wide blockers to create contain and funnel Benny Snell to the linebackers. As a pass rusher, I believe BAW will be counted on to create pressure while also staying aware of Terry Wilson's scrambling abilities. Having to be responsible for all of these things on a given down is no easy task. However, BAW will be up to the challenge and should prove to be a difference maker in this game.
Newcomer to Watch: This will likely always be Jaycee Horn throughout the season, so I'd like to highlight a second name here: Josh Vann. My top-ranked recruit in last year's class, I believe Vann will have a big opportunity to contribute in this matchup with OrTre Smith out for the remainder of the season. I don't anticipate seeing too many targets go Vann's way, but he should make the most out of what he's given. Vann is explosive and I believe fits the offense better than some of the other secondary receiver options on the roster.
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