Preview 2019: South Carolina. 5 Things You Need To Know, Season Prediction
April 29, 2019, |
2018 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 in SEC
Head Coach: Will Muschamp. 4th year, 22-17
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA OFFENSE
– The offense was just okay at cranking up the yards, but there wasn’t enough of a scoring punch, the ground game was too light, and and the passing attack wasn’t efficient enough. With seven starters returning and decent depth at most spots, this is when the Gamecocks need to have an O that’s more than just along for the ride.
– Jake Bentley has been an underappreciated SEC quarterback star. Okay, star might be a little bit of an overstatement, but he’s steady, he has improved, and he has had to carry the offense on his shoulders. If he can slow down on the interceptions, the passing game should do far more despite the loss of Deebo Samuel.
– Bryan Edwards is a true No. 1 caliber receiver, and Shi Smith and OrTre Smith are more than just complementary targets. TE Kiel Pollard needs to be a bigger part of the attack after catching 15 passes last season.
– And then there’s the ground game. Rico Dowdle is a decent veteran back who led the team with 654 yards, and there’s depth behind with seniors Mon Denson and AJ Turner reliable enough to count on. The backs will be fine, and the retooled and rebuild offensive line will be okay, but the depth is a bit thin up front.
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSE
– The defense was able to get behind the line on a regular basis – coming up with an okay 26 tackles, but generated 80 tackles for loss – but the takeaways weren’t there and there were too many issues against the run. There should be more consistency from the line with a loaded group of tackles to play around with, and the pass rush should come from several spots with 23 of the 26 sacks returning.
– The linebacking corps should be terrific. TJ Brunson is the team’s leading tackler in the middle, but there are plenty of other options to work into the inside. The outside combination of Sherrod Green and Daniel Fennell are veterans who should be far more consistent and more dangerous.
– Can the secondary pick off a pass? Graduated CB Rashad Fenton came up with three interceptions. The rest of the Gamecocks came up with three. It’s not that the secondary was awful – it was more than fine – but it didn’t generate enough big plays.
Jaycee Horn is a rising star at corner, but the depth isn’t there on the outside. The safeties have experience and players to fold into the mix around sophomore RJ Roderick, who’ll play more of a freelancing role in a nickel spot.
3. TOP SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS
Best South Carolina Offensive Player
QB Jake Bentley, Sr.
The 6-4, 220-pound senior only seems like he’s been around since the Lou Holtz era. He’s got the size and the arm, but now he needs his three years of starting experience to translate into fewer mistakes.
He’ll hit well over 60% of his passes, he’ll push the ball deep with a good receiving corps to work with, and he’ll be the coolest guy in the room in a few clutch spots, but the interceptions have got to slow down after giving away 14 last year and 30 in his career.
2. WR Bryan Edwards, Sr.
3. WR Shi Smith, Jr.
4. QB Ryan Hilinski, Fr.
5. TE Kiel Pollard, Sr.
Best South Carolina Defensive Player
LB TJ Brunson, Sr.
There are other excellent options in the linebacking corps, and there has to be room and time on the inside for freshman Derek Boykins and sophomore Ernest Jones, but the 6-1, 235-pound Brunson is the leading returning star.
A great leader with good toughness, he came up with a team-high 106 tackles with four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. One of the only bright spots in the bowl loss to Virginia, he made 12 tackles, and went through a three-game midseason stretch with 45 stops.
2. DE DJ Wonnum, Sr.
3. P Joseph Charlton, Sr.
4. LB Sherrod Greene, Jr.
5. S RJ Roderick, Soph.
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The South Carolina Offense
Good things happen when the running game works. Jake Bentley and the passing game will be where the bread is buttered, but when the Gamecocks can run, they win. They ran for 15 touchdowns last season, but they were bunched in six games, going 5-1 when they scored on the ground and 2-5 when they didn’t.
They went 4-0 when running for 200 yards or more, and was 7-2 when hitting the 100-yard mark. In the three years under Will Muschamp, USC is 7-0 when running for two bills.
Biggest Key To The South Carolina Defense
Where are the takeaways? The South Carolina offense is fine, and the defense is good, but this whole puzzle of Gamecock football doesn’t come together under Muschamp unless the turnover margin is on the right side. Takeaways weren’t a problem in his first two seasons, but last year the Gamecocks picked off just six passes – one in the last eight games – and forced a mere 16 turnovers overall.
Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Sadarius Hutcherson, Jr.
The offensive line did an okay job overall. It wasn’t a force, but it wasn’t a glaring issue, either. Now the front five is undergoing some remodeling, and it starts with the 6-4, 312-pound Hutcherson moving from right guard over to left tackle … maybe. It’ll be a work in progress in fall camp, but if Hutcherson can hold down the gig, all of a sudden, the other four spots look strong.
Key Game To The South Carolina Season
at Missouri, Sept. 21
The Gamecocks start the SEC season against Alabama, and they have to go do Georgia in mid-October. They’ll be good, but it’ll take a big upset to win either of those two games. Lose on the road at Mizzou – USC has won three in a row in the series, including a 37-35 last year at home – and there’s a big, big problem. With a road game at Texas A&M and home date against Clemson to deal with, too, the Gamecocks have to win the 50/50 games like this.
– South Carolina Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 South Carolina Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: Opponents 35:03 – South Carolina 24:57
– Red Zone Scores: Opponents 51-of-62 (82%) – South Carolina 43-of-56 (77%)
– Opponent 1st Quarter Scoring: 71 – Opponent 2nd Quarter Scoring 129
1. SOUTH CAROLINA WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
It’s unfortunate that South Carolina should have a few better team in several ways, and it should be the best and deepest squad yet under Will Muschamp, and there won’t be a whole lot to show for it.
The Gamecocks have the veteran passer in Jake Bentley who’s been through all the SEC wars. They have a terrific receiving corps, a veteran backfield, and a rising, good-looking O line.
The defensive front doesn’t have any household name stars, but it’s going to be terrific. The linebacking corps is deep, the secondary is promising, and the kicking game is among the best in the SEC.
And then there’s the schedule. This is a ten-win team wrapped in a schedule that screams .500 with just one bad loss.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Yes, Alabama and Clemson are coming to Williams-Brice, but they’re still Alabama and Clemson. Florida and Kentucky are home games, too, but going to Georgia, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri won’t be easy.
Throw in the November dates against Vanderbilt and even Appalachian State – there’s no room for a brain cramp against either one – and the opener against North Carolina, and there are just enough decent battles to be annoying.
April 29, 2019, |
2018 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 in SEC
Head Coach: Will Muschamp. 4th year, 22-17
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA OFFENSE
– The offense was just okay at cranking up the yards, but there wasn’t enough of a scoring punch, the ground game was too light, and and the passing attack wasn’t efficient enough. With seven starters returning and decent depth at most spots, this is when the Gamecocks need to have an O that’s more than just along for the ride.
– Jake Bentley has been an underappreciated SEC quarterback star. Okay, star might be a little bit of an overstatement, but he’s steady, he has improved, and he has had to carry the offense on his shoulders. If he can slow down on the interceptions, the passing game should do far more despite the loss of Deebo Samuel.
– Bryan Edwards is a true No. 1 caliber receiver, and Shi Smith and OrTre Smith are more than just complementary targets. TE Kiel Pollard needs to be a bigger part of the attack after catching 15 passes last season.
– And then there’s the ground game. Rico Dowdle is a decent veteran back who led the team with 654 yards, and there’s depth behind with seniors Mon Denson and AJ Turner reliable enough to count on. The backs will be fine, and the retooled and rebuild offensive line will be okay, but the depth is a bit thin up front.
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSE
– The defense was able to get behind the line on a regular basis – coming up with an okay 26 tackles, but generated 80 tackles for loss – but the takeaways weren’t there and there were too many issues against the run. There should be more consistency from the line with a loaded group of tackles to play around with, and the pass rush should come from several spots with 23 of the 26 sacks returning.
– The linebacking corps should be terrific. TJ Brunson is the team’s leading tackler in the middle, but there are plenty of other options to work into the inside. The outside combination of Sherrod Green and Daniel Fennell are veterans who should be far more consistent and more dangerous.
– Can the secondary pick off a pass? Graduated CB Rashad Fenton came up with three interceptions. The rest of the Gamecocks came up with three. It’s not that the secondary was awful – it was more than fine – but it didn’t generate enough big plays.
Jaycee Horn is a rising star at corner, but the depth isn’t there on the outside. The safeties have experience and players to fold into the mix around sophomore RJ Roderick, who’ll play more of a freelancing role in a nickel spot.
3. TOP SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS
Best South Carolina Offensive Player
QB Jake Bentley, Sr.
The 6-4, 220-pound senior only seems like he’s been around since the Lou Holtz era. He’s got the size and the arm, but now he needs his three years of starting experience to translate into fewer mistakes.
He’ll hit well over 60% of his passes, he’ll push the ball deep with a good receiving corps to work with, and he’ll be the coolest guy in the room in a few clutch spots, but the interceptions have got to slow down after giving away 14 last year and 30 in his career.
2. WR Bryan Edwards, Sr.
3. WR Shi Smith, Jr.
4. QB Ryan Hilinski, Fr.
5. TE Kiel Pollard, Sr.
Best South Carolina Defensive Player
LB TJ Brunson, Sr.
There are other excellent options in the linebacking corps, and there has to be room and time on the inside for freshman Derek Boykins and sophomore Ernest Jones, but the 6-1, 235-pound Brunson is the leading returning star.
A great leader with good toughness, he came up with a team-high 106 tackles with four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. One of the only bright spots in the bowl loss to Virginia, he made 12 tackles, and went through a three-game midseason stretch with 45 stops.
2. DE DJ Wonnum, Sr.
3. P Joseph Charlton, Sr.
4. LB Sherrod Greene, Jr.
5. S RJ Roderick, Soph.
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The South Carolina Offense
Good things happen when the running game works. Jake Bentley and the passing game will be where the bread is buttered, but when the Gamecocks can run, they win. They ran for 15 touchdowns last season, but they were bunched in six games, going 5-1 when they scored on the ground and 2-5 when they didn’t.
They went 4-0 when running for 200 yards or more, and was 7-2 when hitting the 100-yard mark. In the three years under Will Muschamp, USC is 7-0 when running for two bills.
Biggest Key To The South Carolina Defense
Where are the takeaways? The South Carolina offense is fine, and the defense is good, but this whole puzzle of Gamecock football doesn’t come together under Muschamp unless the turnover margin is on the right side. Takeaways weren’t a problem in his first two seasons, but last year the Gamecocks picked off just six passes – one in the last eight games – and forced a mere 16 turnovers overall.
Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Sadarius Hutcherson, Jr.
The offensive line did an okay job overall. It wasn’t a force, but it wasn’t a glaring issue, either. Now the front five is undergoing some remodeling, and it starts with the 6-4, 312-pound Hutcherson moving from right guard over to left tackle … maybe. It’ll be a work in progress in fall camp, but if Hutcherson can hold down the gig, all of a sudden, the other four spots look strong.
Key Game To The South Carolina Season
at Missouri, Sept. 21
The Gamecocks start the SEC season against Alabama, and they have to go do Georgia in mid-October. They’ll be good, but it’ll take a big upset to win either of those two games. Lose on the road at Mizzou – USC has won three in a row in the series, including a 37-35 last year at home – and there’s a big, big problem. With a road game at Texas A&M and home date against Clemson to deal with, too, the Gamecocks have to win the 50/50 games like this.
– South Carolina Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 South Carolina Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: Opponents 35:03 – South Carolina 24:57
– Red Zone Scores: Opponents 51-of-62 (82%) – South Carolina 43-of-56 (77%)
– Opponent 1st Quarter Scoring: 71 – Opponent 2nd Quarter Scoring 129
1. SOUTH CAROLINA WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
It’s unfortunate that South Carolina should have a few better team in several ways, and it should be the best and deepest squad yet under Will Muschamp, and there won’t be a whole lot to show for it.
The Gamecocks have the veteran passer in Jake Bentley who’s been through all the SEC wars. They have a terrific receiving corps, a veteran backfield, and a rising, good-looking O line.
The defensive front doesn’t have any household name stars, but it’s going to be terrific. The linebacking corps is deep, the secondary is promising, and the kicking game is among the best in the SEC.
And then there’s the schedule. This is a ten-win team wrapped in a schedule that screams .500 with just one bad loss.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Yes, Alabama and Clemson are coming to Williams-Brice, but they’re still Alabama and Clemson. Florida and Kentucky are home games, too, but going to Georgia, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri won’t be easy.
Throw in the November dates against Vanderbilt and even Appalachian State – there’s no room for a brain cramp against either one – and the opener against North Carolina, and there are just enough decent battles to be annoying.
