quote:
I feel like SC's line has been mediocre at best for a few years now.

They only averaged 3.67 YPC last year and about 138 yards per game on the ground.

They were also #102 in the nation in sacks allowed, and #82 in total offense.

That line was not very good last year.

They were a pretty good in 2011, but still gave up a ton of sacks, although the ground option game was pretty good for them.

In 2010 they were #60 in rushing and #74 in sacks allowed.

in 2009 they were #91 in rushing and #100 in sacks allowed.

There is a pattern here. USCe lines have not been very impressive the last few years.

Especially in pass protection.

Fair enough and damn hard to argue with that logic - when you put it that way - IF putting it that way was pertinent to the discussion - which it's not.

But let's admit this at least, if you will?

2009 and 2010 don't mean shite. Even we Gamecock fans will tell you our OLine sucked both those years, although they did well enough to help us win some games and get on the right track beginning in 2010. Very young at the time, a lot of freshmen, but now all grown-up.

Shawn Elliott joined us in January of 2010. He started recruiting better players, it's all gonna pay-off this coming year and hopefully for awhile to come.

With regard to last year, those numbers are deceiving. You make it as if our offense was Busch league? Why? In 2012, the Gamecocks finished fifth in the SEC in scoring, (31.5 points per game), averaging 377 yards of O per contest, with a methodical, balanced, attack of 139 ypg on the ground and 238 ypg through the air. Senior center T.J. Johnson was second-team All-SEC behind the guy at Bama, and tackle Brandon Shell (Who Saban wanted badly two years ago) was named to the SEC All-Freshman squad.

In 2011 with a super young squad, The Gamecock offense showed good balance. The squad averaged 192 yards on the ground and 182 yards through the air. Carolina had a 100-yard rusher in eight of the 13 games. Offensive tackle Rokevious Watkins earned first team All-SEC honors as a senior.

But, as I typed earlier, this is gonna be the year when it finally all comes together for the Gamecocks and Shawn Elliott on the offensive line.