Sunday morning Takeaways from South Carolina’s loss to Arkansas
Sept. 11, 2022
The Gamecocks did rally late, they lost to the Razorbacks 44-30 to fall to 1-1 (0-1 SEC) on the season with Georgia up next to visit Columbia Saturday. Let us dive into Sunday morning Takeaways.
The Gamecocks continued to struggle in the ground game, particularly on runs up the middle as open lanes have been hard to come by. The Gamecocks finished with just 40 net rushing yards on 29 carries. Sophomore Juju McDowell was the team’s most effective runner, leading the Gamecocks with 35 yards on six carries and scoring a touchdown.
Rattler was blunt in his assessment of the ground attack after the game. “We’ve got to run the ball better,” Rattler said. “We rushed for (40) yards and that’s just not us. It can’t be us. We’re not going to win games if we can’t run the ball, and that goes for all of us.”
A week after giving up 200 rushing yards against Georgia State, the Gamecocks allowed the Razorbacks to amass 295 yards on the ground on a whopping 65 attempts Using a lethal read-option with mobile quarterback K.J. Jefferson and stud running back Rocket Sanders, the Hogs gashed the Gamecocks and left a lot of Gamecock blood on the ground. Sanders was especially effective, tallying 156 yards and two touchdowns.
The blood on the ground where key losses of defensive linemen Alex Huntley and Jordan Strachan and linebacker Mo Kaba certainly didn’t help the Gamecock run defense, but defending the run was an issue at full health in Week 1, and it’s something the Gamecocks will need to tighten up as they move deeper into SEC play.
Antwane Wells Nicknamed “Juice,” the 6-foot-1, 207-pound wide receiver showcased his top-end speed when he caught a Rattler pass in the third quarter and raced 62 yards for a touchdown the most explosive play of the day for the Gamecocks. In all, Wells caught eight passes for 189 yards. The next closest receiver was the running back Lloyd, who caught six passes for 65 yards in a checkdown-heavy approach from Rattler. Once Rattler started targeting Wells more, the Gamecock offense seemed more dynamic. The quarterback called Wells a “playmaker” after the game and said the Gamecocks need to continue to keep him involved.
With injuries to R.J. Roderick, David Spaulding, Darius Rush, and Cam Smith on Saturday, the Gamecocks had no choice but to tap into their depth in the secondary, leaning on seldom-used defensive backs as O’Donnell Fortune Gamecocks turned to true freshman from Irmo Nick Emmanwori. The 6-foot-4 defensive back trailed only defensive lineman Zacch Pickens with his 11 total tackles for the game, and his seven solo tackles led the team. Regardless of when Roderick returns, Emmanwori has at least earned himself a spot in the defensive rotation.
Now we return to special teams. There were no blocked punts to speak of, but Kroger shanked one from the Gamecocks' 42-yard line, going out of bounds at Arkansas’ 37-yard line. One week after making two big field goals, Jeter missed an extra-point attempt in the first half. And down by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, Jeter and the Gamecocks attempted an onside kick that was returned 34 yards to the Gamecocks' 9-yard-line, setting up an easy touchdown drive for the Hogs.
Sept. 11, 2022
The Gamecocks did rally late, they lost to the Razorbacks 44-30 to fall to 1-1 (0-1 SEC) on the season with Georgia up next to visit Columbia Saturday. Let us dive into Sunday morning Takeaways.
The Gamecocks continued to struggle in the ground game, particularly on runs up the middle as open lanes have been hard to come by. The Gamecocks finished with just 40 net rushing yards on 29 carries. Sophomore Juju McDowell was the team’s most effective runner, leading the Gamecocks with 35 yards on six carries and scoring a touchdown.
Rattler was blunt in his assessment of the ground attack after the game. “We’ve got to run the ball better,” Rattler said. “We rushed for (40) yards and that’s just not us. It can’t be us. We’re not going to win games if we can’t run the ball, and that goes for all of us.”
A week after giving up 200 rushing yards against Georgia State, the Gamecocks allowed the Razorbacks to amass 295 yards on the ground on a whopping 65 attempts Using a lethal read-option with mobile quarterback K.J. Jefferson and stud running back Rocket Sanders, the Hogs gashed the Gamecocks and left a lot of Gamecock blood on the ground. Sanders was especially effective, tallying 156 yards and two touchdowns.
The blood on the ground where key losses of defensive linemen Alex Huntley and Jordan Strachan and linebacker Mo Kaba certainly didn’t help the Gamecock run defense, but defending the run was an issue at full health in Week 1, and it’s something the Gamecocks will need to tighten up as they move deeper into SEC play.
Antwane Wells Nicknamed “Juice,” the 6-foot-1, 207-pound wide receiver showcased his top-end speed when he caught a Rattler pass in the third quarter and raced 62 yards for a touchdown the most explosive play of the day for the Gamecocks. In all, Wells caught eight passes for 189 yards. The next closest receiver was the running back Lloyd, who caught six passes for 65 yards in a checkdown-heavy approach from Rattler. Once Rattler started targeting Wells more, the Gamecock offense seemed more dynamic. The quarterback called Wells a “playmaker” after the game and said the Gamecocks need to continue to keep him involved.
With injuries to R.J. Roderick, David Spaulding, Darius Rush, and Cam Smith on Saturday, the Gamecocks had no choice but to tap into their depth in the secondary, leaning on seldom-used defensive backs as O’Donnell Fortune Gamecocks turned to true freshman from Irmo Nick Emmanwori. The 6-foot-4 defensive back trailed only defensive lineman Zacch Pickens with his 11 total tackles for the game, and his seven solo tackles led the team. Regardless of when Roderick returns, Emmanwori has at least earned himself a spot in the defensive rotation.
Now we return to special teams. There were no blocked punts to speak of, but Kroger shanked one from the Gamecocks' 42-yard line, going out of bounds at Arkansas’ 37-yard line. One week after making two big field goals, Jeter missed an extra-point attempt in the first half. And down by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, Jeter and the Gamecocks attempted an onside kick that was returned 34 yards to the Gamecocks' 9-yard-line, setting up an easy touchdown drive for the Hogs.
