A week ago, I wrote that No. 6 South Carolina was hard to understand.
Not to rehash that column much, but I didn’t think through three games that the Gamecocks had developed a true identity, especially since quarterback Connor Shaw had not played completely healthy and the offensive line was really struggling.
That’s a big reason why several national pundits and prognosticators claimed South Carolina was ripe for the picking last week. While some of their points for picking an upset by Missouri were uneducated, it did seem like a possibility.
However, USC completely dominated the Tigers in all three phases of the game last Saturday to earn a 31-10 victory.
How much of it was the Gamecocks really playing well, and how much was Missouri simply not ready for an SEC road game?
It was a little of both.
That sounds like the easy answer, but it’s true.
The Tigers’ offense was supposed to wreak havoc with its speed and fast tempo, but USC defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward drew up a masterful game plan; he didn’t blitz like he usually does and figured how to slow Mizzou’s pace down.
And the South Carolina defense, which looks to once again be one of the nation’s best, flawlessly executed it. Missouri QB James Franklin didn’t seem 100 percent, but nonetheless, he played, and he was held to 98 total yards. The Tigers’ entire offense only racked up 255 – and 75 of that came against USC’s second-string defense late in the fourth quarter.
What does all that mean?
Mizzou wasn’t nearly as potent as most people expected, and Ward has the chops to play chess and the right pieces to earn the checkmate.
As far as the QB situation goes, I believed last week there was no controversy between Shaw and backup Dylan Thompson – something coach Steve Spurrier preached all week.
Shaw needed to show what he could do healthy, and there’s no doubt he did just that.
Twenty consecutive completions and one of the most efficient games he’s ever played made USC look like the SEC contender many folks thought it would be heading into 2012.
Marcus Lattimore is playing at a very high level, and the receivers are beginning to make big-time plays.
Granted, Missouri’s defense isn’t a juggernaut and has a long way to go in the SEC, but USC is finding a groove behind the right QB for the job.
Now, with all that said, that doesn’t mean the Gamecocks are ready to run roughshod over a brutal October schedule.
They’re certainly more prepared than they were three weeks ago for the likes of Georgia, LSU, Florida and Tennessee.
You’ve got to think that USC will handle a Kentucky team this week that’s not just on the ropes; the Wildcats look like they’re down for the count coming off miserable losses to Western Kentucky and Florida.
The offensive line still has a long way to go, and it’s hard to see the Gamecocks – or any team for that matter – running the table with that kind of October slate.
Still, the evaluation process is about to get a whole lot easier
link: http://www.independe...t-all-together/
Not to rehash that column much, but I didn’t think through three games that the Gamecocks had developed a true identity, especially since quarterback Connor Shaw had not played completely healthy and the offensive line was really struggling.
That’s a big reason why several national pundits and prognosticators claimed South Carolina was ripe for the picking last week. While some of their points for picking an upset by Missouri were uneducated, it did seem like a possibility.
However, USC completely dominated the Tigers in all three phases of the game last Saturday to earn a 31-10 victory.
How much of it was the Gamecocks really playing well, and how much was Missouri simply not ready for an SEC road game?
It was a little of both.
That sounds like the easy answer, but it’s true.
The Tigers’ offense was supposed to wreak havoc with its speed and fast tempo, but USC defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward drew up a masterful game plan; he didn’t blitz like he usually does and figured how to slow Mizzou’s pace down.
And the South Carolina defense, which looks to once again be one of the nation’s best, flawlessly executed it. Missouri QB James Franklin didn’t seem 100 percent, but nonetheless, he played, and he was held to 98 total yards. The Tigers’ entire offense only racked up 255 – and 75 of that came against USC’s second-string defense late in the fourth quarter.
What does all that mean?
Mizzou wasn’t nearly as potent as most people expected, and Ward has the chops to play chess and the right pieces to earn the checkmate.
As far as the QB situation goes, I believed last week there was no controversy between Shaw and backup Dylan Thompson – something coach Steve Spurrier preached all week.
Shaw needed to show what he could do healthy, and there’s no doubt he did just that.
Twenty consecutive completions and one of the most efficient games he’s ever played made USC look like the SEC contender many folks thought it would be heading into 2012.
Marcus Lattimore is playing at a very high level, and the receivers are beginning to make big-time plays.
Granted, Missouri’s defense isn’t a juggernaut and has a long way to go in the SEC, but USC is finding a groove behind the right QB for the job.
Now, with all that said, that doesn’t mean the Gamecocks are ready to run roughshod over a brutal October schedule.
They’re certainly more prepared than they were three weeks ago for the likes of Georgia, LSU, Florida and Tennessee.
You’ve got to think that USC will handle a Kentucky team this week that’s not just on the ropes; the Wildcats look like they’re down for the count coming off miserable losses to Western Kentucky and Florida.
The offensive line still has a long way to go, and it’s hard to see the Gamecocks – or any team for that matter – running the table with that kind of October slate.
Still, the evaluation process is about to get a whole lot easier
link: http://www.independe...t-all-together/
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