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FPRC's 2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Football Preview

Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:01 pm
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21520 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:01 pm
The Football Power Rankings Committee presents to tRant:

2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Football Preview


2013 Recap 11-2(6-2)

USC again finished 11-2 last year making it the third straight year going 10-2 (6-2) with a final W over a Big 10ish team in the bowl game. The entire coaching staff returns after OL coach Shawn Elliot turned down the Steelers, DB coach Grady Brown turned down the Detroit Lions, and DC Lorenzo Ward turned down FSU.

2014 Offense Preview



USC doesn't lose much in quantity on offense, returning 8 of 11 starters from last years squad, but it does lose quality. Connor Shaw exhausted his eligibility, and it really is a shame that he wasn't able to redshirt the 2010 season as this year he really excelled in Spurrier's offense. Also gone is Bruce Ellington, a criminally underrated receiver that made both clutch and spectacular catches throughout the year last year. In a similar situation to Ace Sanders last year, he unexpectedly went pro following his junior season and was drafted in the 4th round.

The unit that should be the biggest strength for this offense is the offensive line, which returns 4 of 5 starters from last year, and slides RS JR Mike Matulis, who was starting experience at OT, into the open RG guard. USC fans have had to suffer terribly incompetent offensive lines under Spurrier, but with Shawn Elliot's arrival in 2010 we have seen drastic improvement up front, and this years line has the potential to be the best in the SEC with LG AJ Cann leading the way as a 5th year senior, 4th year starter, NFL prospects RS SR Corey Robinson and RS JR Brandon Shell at LT and RT respectively, and either RS SO Cody Waldrop or RS SO Clayton Stadnick at C, both of which started several games last year due to an injury to Waldrop.

JR Mike Davis at RB is the biggest star not only on the offense, but the entire team. He had an excellent 2013 season that saw him rush for over 100 yards in 7 of the first 9 games before being hampered by injuries down the stretch. Davis opens the 2014 season on the injury list due to a hamstring but should be ready to go in the next week or two. Behind Davis are RS JR Brandon Wilds and RS JR Shon Carson. Wilds had a couple 100 yard games as a true freshman in 2011 that went from 5th string to starter due to injuries, and Carson saw significant snaps last season due to injury, particularly against UF.

There has been a lot of buzz around RS FR David Williams going back to last year and he might end up being the 2nd back off the bench. He was a 4 star prospect out of Philadelphia and clocked in with the second fastest 40 time on the team over the summer. Hes a player to keep an eye on.

WR returns several familiar faces from last year. JR Shaq Roland is the most talented and should turn heads this season as he opened and closed 2013 on a roll, but was slowed by a mid season 3 game suspension last year. With his leaping ability and soft hands, expect to see several fades thrown his way around the goal line. RS SR Nick Jones is undersized but has been a solid option at receiver, and a favorite for Dylan Thompson to find, so his production should increase this season. SR Damiere Byrd is returning from a knee injury suffered during bowl practice but all reports say he is back to 100 percent. He is the fastest player on the team and has been a very successful deep threat. SO Pharoh Cooper looks to get more reps at WR after primarily being the wildcat QB last season, and is a player that could burst onto the scene in 2014.

TEs return SR Rory Anderson, who is recovering form a torn tricep suffered during spring practice and JR Jerrell Adams. Both are very talented blockers and receivers, although they did not get many looks last season. A very successful play for USC the past several years has been a TE drag route against the grain of the WRs on the other side, so expect to see that at least a few times this season.



RS SR Dylan Thompson is without a doubt the starting QB according to Spurrier and will only be benched if injured or in a blowout W. He has starter games in both 2012 and 2013 with some success. He is very different from Shaw as a prototypical drop back QB so the offense should reflect that change this season. Thompson does have the ability to gain yards with his feet, gaining two critical 3rd down conversions on the ground against Clemson in 2012, (one a 3rd and 19 ) but is not nearly the same threat to gain yards on the ground on any given down like Shaw was. Hopefully the offensive line will provide the time he needs to stand in the pocket and deliver, and to Thompson's credit he has been known to take his steps and deliver the ball quickly. It will be important for him to take care of the ball and not try too hard as the talent around him is much better than his own.
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21520 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:01 pm to
2014 Defense Previews



LB is far and away the most talented unit on the field, and in order to get more players of these players on the field Ward has decided to play a lot of 3-4 defense this season. The unit is lead by weakside LB SO Skai Moore, who made the freshman All-American team last season. It is laughable that he was left off the pre-season SEC teams as he lead the USC defense in both tackles and interception as a true freshman in 2013. He could be a household named by mid-season. Starting at middle linebacker is JR Kaiwan Lewis who split time with RS SO TJ Holloman last year. Expect both to play but Lewis to remain the starter.

The Spur position remains the same despite the move from 4-2-5 to 3-4 due to it being a LB/Safety combo. RS SR Sharod Golightly is the returning starter and miraculous 2nd team All-SEC selection from 2013, but should have his starting position challenged for by RS SO Jordan Diggs who has better size and talent.

The new position on the defense is the BOB which stand for Big Ole Backer. SO Johnathon Walton and SO Larenz Bryant are competing for the starting job. Walton has moved from MLB to WLB to BOB in order to try and get him more playing time because the coaches really like him and want to get him on the field. Bryant was one of the top rated prospects in the 2013 class and many were surprised he didn't play more in 2013. Also a candidate to play the BOB is true freshman Bryson Allen-Williams. Both coaches and fans are excited to see him in action.



On the DL, DT is loaded with experienced and talented players. RS SR JT Surratt is the lone returning starter from last years squad and should be a leader on the defense. RS JR Gerold Dixon Jr. should start opposite Surratt in a 4 man front and compete with Surratt for the starting spot in a 3 man front. Surratt is 310 lbs and Dixon Jr. upwards of 320 lbs. Behind them are RS JR Philip Dukes, RS SO Deon Green and SO Kelsey Griffin, all of which have played significant snaps. JUCO transfer RS SO Abu Lamin is looking to make an immediate impact at DT and compete for a starting spot. He might be athletic enough to play DE in a 3 man front as well.

At DE, RS SO Gerald Dixon (not to be confused with his half brother) and RS SO Darius English are the starters. Dixon played a lot of snaps last year and performed well. English has had trouble putting on weight, but he reportedly has been steady at 250 lbs this summer so coaches and fans are hopeful that he will be able to be an every down DE at that weight and not just a pass rushing specialist.

Behind these two theres not much depth, and it is probably another factor that led Ward to install the 3-4 defense this season. Former LBs RS JR Cedrick Cooper and RS JR Mason Harris are both too light to play DE on a regular basis, RS FR David Johnson is unproven and FR Blake McClain is recovering from an injury and may have to redshirt. Thats all of our DEs, so an injury to Dixon or English could have devastating consequences, although I think we'll see some of the more athletic DT playing DE in a 3 man front.

In the secondary, SR Brison Williams returns at SS and RS SO Chaz Elder returns at FS. The secondary really turned a corner last season once Elder was named the started at FS and Williams moved to SS, but Elder suffered a couple concussions last season so that could be an issue to watch for. Behind Elder at FS is SR Kadetrix "JJ" Marcus. He started the first half of the season and has played a lot of snaps so he is a reliable backup. Behind Williams at SS JR TJ Gurley has played a ton of experience and was looking great in 2012 before an ACL injury ended his season and seemed to affect his 2013 season. The coaches have enough confidence in Gurley that they've experimented with Williams at CB though. This could be a permanent move or it could be something done early in the year so that we don't have true FR starting at CB the first few games.

At CB we return 1 start with RS SO Rico McWilliams. Brison Williams is expected to move over from SS early, but true FR Al Harris Jr, Chris Lammons and Wesley Green are all expected to play a lot and one of them is probably going to start. There's been a lot of buzz around Al Harris Jr (son of pro bowler Al Harris) and he opened fall practice as the number 1 CB opposite Williams. Lammons and Green weren't enrolled until August so their inability to be here over the summer will probably affect their playing time early in the season.

Ward seems confident that the schemes he uses aren't overly complicated for the young corners since we play a bunch of man coverage and believes they will be able to compete at a high level early on, but it could be an adventure the first few games.

2014 Special Teams Preview



SO Elliott Fry earned a scholarship last season after missing only 3 FGs over the year. His range tops out around 46 yards, but he is very accurate and the bright spot of the unit. He also suffers from type 1 diabetes.

Pharoh Cooper ended last season as both the KR and PR, but coaches have said they do not want him doing both this season. Tyler Hull was terrible at punting last season and hopefully he'll have some competition.
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21520 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:02 pm to
2014 Schedule



Aug 28 vs Texas A&M
Sept 6 vs East Carolina
Sept 13 vs Georgia
Sept 20 @ Vanderbilt
Sept 27 vs Missouri
Oct 4 @ Kentucky
Oct 18 vs Furman
Oct 25 @ Auburn
Nov 1 vs Tennessee
Nov 15 @ Florida
Nov 22 vs South Alabama
Nov 29 @ Clemson

USC's schedule is front loaded with 5 SEC games in the first 6 games of the season. The two toughest games of the season @Auburn and @UF have favorable set ups, with a bye week and Furman before @ Auburn and another bye week before @UF. South Alabama precedes the @Clemson game as well.

Analysis of coaching



USC is in the rare position of returning the entire coaching staff from last year. Obviously, the HBC is at the top of the list. He still calls the majority of the plays, but also takes input from offensive line coach/co-offensive coordinator Shawn Elliot, QB coach/co-offensive coordinator GA Mangus and WR coach Steve "Bubba" Spurrier Jr. Elliot is responsible for bringing the zone read and blocking schemes to Columbia in 2010, and since Mangus was hired the development of our QBs has drastically improved. With Dylan Thompson a less mobile option at QB, I expect to see a return to a more traditional Spurrier offense with more I-form and 2 back sets. On the defensive side of the ball Lorenzo Ward is the DC, and he is much more aggressive than his predecessor Ellis Johnson. It will be interesting to see how he handles the addition of the 3-4 to the playbook and how often its utilized this season.

Off-season Report

Starting RG Mike Matulis sprained his knee a few days ago. Extent of the injury isn't known yet but it doesn't look good.

Cody Waldrop is expect to slide over from center and start at RG for the aTm game at least. Na'ty Rodgers could also move over from RT

Keys to Success / Failure

Dylan Thompson has to take care of the ball. USC has won just one game since 2010 that it didn't win the turnover margin (@Mizzou '13). Thompson has shown a tendency to throw interceptions so hes got to keep those to a minimum for USC to have a successful season.

Wrap-up

Even with the loss of some quality players from last year, this years team should be able to equal or better the 10-2 record of the past 3 seasons.

This post was edited on 8/18/14 at 2:46 pm
Posted by carolinaswamper
unincorporated swamp, johns island,
Member since Jan 2013
3142 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:07 pm to
aggie troll in 3..2..1..
Posted by Cockopotamus
Member since Jan 2013
15737 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:14 pm to
quote:

No arrest or major injuries

:jinx engaged:


Starting RG Mike Matulis sprained his knee a few days ago. Extent of the injury isn't known yet but it doesn't look good.

Cody Waldrop is expect to slide over from center and start at RG for the aTm game at least. Na'ty Rodgers could also move over from RT
Posted by scrooster
Resident Ethicist
Member since Jul 2012
37579 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:29 pm to
Vanilla but not bad.

Thank you.

Did I miss the mention of the home winning streak?

The Gamecocks' winning percentage against Top 25 Competition?

The overall culture change of the program, the expectations, the potential for outstanding team chemistry that the coaches have espoused since the beginning of fall practice?
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21520 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:48 pm to
quote:

Cockopotamus
It was written a couple weeks ago so there were bound to be a few changes from what the OP wrote. Thanks for the updates...I'll add them to the Preview if you don't mind
This post was edited on 8/18/14 at 2:49 pm
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21520 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 2:48 pm to
quote:

scrooster
if you want a few tidbits added, provide them and I can alter the OP
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora, Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
63867 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 5:40 pm to
If i wrote this i would have talked more about dylan, which is what everyone wants to know about.
Posted by theGarnetWay
Washington, D.C.
Member since Mar 2010
25849 posts
Posted on 8/18/14 at 5:42 pm to
As the QB I can understand why, but truth is our DBs are our biggest weak spot. At least from the time being. It seems like we've got a lot of pure talent out there but not a lot of experience. Hopefully it won't take long for them to adjust.
Posted by gamecocks22
SC
Member since Dec 2012
4913 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 7:02 am to
quote:

OL coach Shawn Elliot turned down the Steelers, DB coach Grady Brown turned down the Detroit Lions, and DC Lorenzo Ward turned down FSU.
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora, Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
63867 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 11:28 am to
What was the nature of the medical issue that kept Meatball Mike sidelined near the end of last season?
Posted by atlgamecockman
Washington, DC
Member since Dec 2012
3822 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 12:20 pm to
Ankle sprain? or hammy I think.
Posted by Spirit Of Aggieland
Houston
Member since Aug 2011
4607 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 1:06 pm to
Limited D line depth (DE) could be an issue

That's the only glaring weakness on paper
Posted by TbirdSpur2010
ALAMO CITY
Member since Dec 2010
134026 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

It seems like we've got a lot of pure talent out there but not a lot of experience. Hopefully it won't take long for them to adjust.


I don't doubt that they'll come along extremely quickly
Posted by theGarnetWay
Washington, D.C.
Member since Mar 2010
25849 posts
Posted on 8/19/14 at 2:18 pm to
quote:

Limited D line depth (DE) could be an issue

That's the only glaring weakness on paper



Yeah, I think it was mentioned by the OP but we're expecting to use a lot of 3-4 to minimize the DEs and maximize the LBs. Given the LB depth and the lack of depth by the others I imagine we'll see our LBs all over the place.
Posted by WestCoastAg
Member since Oct 2012
145075 posts
Posted on 8/20/14 at 1:05 pm to
quote:

Limited D line depth (DE) could be an issue
they also have a pretty inexperienced secondary
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora, Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
63867 posts
Posted on 8/20/14 at 1:10 pm to
Inexperienced secondary only an issue against experienced qb.

Against inexperienced qb, inexperienced s-dary dont make a shite.

I look forward to watching the opener and hope to see lots of injuries to SC players.

Not critical injuries, just the kind that keep you out for two weeks. Bruised ribs, pulled muscles, that sort of thing.
Posted by Loathor
Columbia, SC
Member since Jun 2012
2369 posts
Posted on 8/20/14 at 1:26 pm to
quote:

I look forward to watching the opener and hope to see lots of injuries to SC players.

Not critical injuries, just the kind that keep you out for two weeks. Bruised ribs, pulled muscles, that sort of thing.


Well.. that's kind of shitty. I hope you guys mash Clemson in your first game and if you don't come out completely healthy, I hope they are just the sort of thing that gets healthy during your bye week. We don't need you to be injured before we do the injuring in week three...
Posted by Cockopotamus
Member since Jan 2013
15737 posts
Posted on 8/20/14 at 2:14 pm to
quote:

they also have a pretty inexperienced secondary



Only at CB. Safety was stacked enough to move 3 year starter Brison Williams over to CB.

Its like some of yall didn't even read the OP
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