After traveling to Vanderbilt for the 2012 season opener, South Carolina has eight days off until hosting East Carolina on Sept. 8 in the first of two straight home games at Williams-Brice Stadium against Conference USA opponents. The Gamecocks also host UAB on Sept. 15. Last year, USC rallied past ECU, 56-37, in a wild shootout at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It was the first of five contests between the schools over a six-year span. Will USC beat the Pirates for the second straight year? Here are five things it has to do:
1. The secondary must show up: East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill is a loyal disciple of current Washington State coach Mike Leach and worked alongside him as defensive coordinator for a decade at Texas Tech. So, when McNeill was named ECU coach two years ago, he brought the high-tempo, quick passing game to Greenville, N.C. Gamecock fans saw the offense up close and personal in last year's game. However, the Pirates don't have Dominique Davis pulling the trigger anymore at quarterback. With Davis at the controls, the ECU offense hummed along and finished No. 20 nationally in passing offense last season (286.1 yards per game). A year ago, we knew who the starting QB would be for the Pirates in the opener six months before the game.
This year, major question marks surround the QB position. The post-spring depth chart lists four co-starters at the position, three of whom are listed at 6-foot-2. Each class is represented, senior to freshman. Junior Rio Johnson was the backup to Davis last season and could have the inside track to the starting job. The wide receiver corps is considered deep and talented, and features 6-foot-8 wide receiver/tight end hybrid Justin Jones. So, the USC secondary should have their hands full the entire afternoon trying to contain ECU's passing attack.
2. Don't be anxious: The ECU offensive line allowed 30 sacks (2.5 per game) last season, none against the Gamecocks as Ellis Johnson determined that focusing on pass coverage and stopping the run rather than putting the quarterback on the ground were the best ways to contain the rapid-fire Pirates offense. USC gave up 345 yards and 37 points, but early turnovers led to the 17-0 deficit. Lorenzo Ward has promised the USC defense will be more aggressive in 2012 in terms of getting after the quarterback, but is that the best strategy against the Pirates since the offensive scheme relies on quick, two- and three-step drops and short passes to wide receivers?
The worst thing a defense can do against East Carolina is get overly aggressive and overpursue the quarterback. Then again, whoever is ECU's starting quarterback will lack the experience Davis had last season as a third-year starter. As a result, will the Pirates take a more conservative approach towards play-calling in 2012? ECU hosts Appalachian State on Sept. 1 in the season opener and while ASU is one of the top Division I-AA programs in the country, the quality of athlete the Pirates will see from the Mountaineers defense won't compare to the Gamecocks.
3. Let the offensive talent take over: East Carolina suffered from the worst defense in the country in 2010 (yielded a staggering 478 yards per game), McNeill's first season as head coach at his alma mater. Because of the poor showing and an abundance of talented linebackers, ECU switched to the 3-4 scheme. The move paid dividends as the Pirates surrendered about 102 fewer yards per game in 2011 and improved by 64 spots in the national ranking for total defense, leaping from 120th in 2010 to 56th in 2011. Sophomore middle linebacker Jeremy Grove was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year last season.
While ECU doesn't lack talent on the defensive side of the ball, the caliber of defense the Pirates will put on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium simply doesn't compare to the overwhelming majority of SEC defenses. Although the ECU defense improved significantly over 2010, they still finished 81st against the run, allowing 175.2 yards per game. If USC reaches that figure, their chances of losing the game are virtually nonexistent. So, if the USC offense shows patience, runs the football with Lattimore and its deep group of running backs and throws the ball often enough to keep the ECU secondary off-balance, USC should wear down the Pirates' defense and cruise to a comfortable win.
4. Survive the heat: Chances are the USC coaching staff will pull out the blueprint from the home game against Georgia in 2010 in order to prepare for this game. Because of a noon kickoff, that game was played in scorching heat. It also ended with USC on the right side of a dominating 17-6 victory. Historically, USC's home games in September have kicked off at night, creating a festive atmosphere inside Williams-Brice Stadium. But that was before the SEC was handed $2.25 billion from ESPN in 2009 to televise football games involving conference teams. By accepting the cash, the SEC handed over control of kickoff times to the four-letter network and whichever channel purchases the rights to the games from them.
Because of the enormous power and influence of TV, we now have a 12:20 p.m. kickoff for USC's home opener. Memo to fans: bring the sunscreen and the sunglasses. Any guesses on how much Gatorade will be consumed on the Gamecocks bench during the game? Dozens of gallons. Because of the expected high temperatures, USC will likely have to battle the heat as much as the Pirates on the field. It will certainly be a factor in the game. This is why the players spend all summer in conditioning workouts - preparing their bodies for games like this.
5. Don't watch the video board!: The countdown to the much-anticipated debut of USC's new $6.5 million high-definition scoreboard (total cost includes the control room) has started. Based on the photos being tossed around the Internet, including Facebook, the scoreboard will certainly be an awe-inspiring sight. In fact, the unveiling of the video board could overwhelm the actual game being played on the field. As a result, USC players must be careful not to get caught up in what's being shown on the board rather than the game itself.
Of course, the East Carolina players might have to battle the same urges. No matter what, the opener promises to be an emotional moment for many long-time USC fans with the inauguration of the revamped Farmer's Market scheduled as well. It promises to be a celebratory day in Columbia. But the history books will just show the final score of the USC-ECU game, so the Gamecocks must keep focus on the task at hand. link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1388967
1. The secondary must show up: East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill is a loyal disciple of current Washington State coach Mike Leach and worked alongside him as defensive coordinator for a decade at Texas Tech. So, when McNeill was named ECU coach two years ago, he brought the high-tempo, quick passing game to Greenville, N.C. Gamecock fans saw the offense up close and personal in last year's game. However, the Pirates don't have Dominique Davis pulling the trigger anymore at quarterback. With Davis at the controls, the ECU offense hummed along and finished No. 20 nationally in passing offense last season (286.1 yards per game). A year ago, we knew who the starting QB would be for the Pirates in the opener six months before the game.
This year, major question marks surround the QB position. The post-spring depth chart lists four co-starters at the position, three of whom are listed at 6-foot-2. Each class is represented, senior to freshman. Junior Rio Johnson was the backup to Davis last season and could have the inside track to the starting job. The wide receiver corps is considered deep and talented, and features 6-foot-8 wide receiver/tight end hybrid Justin Jones. So, the USC secondary should have their hands full the entire afternoon trying to contain ECU's passing attack.
2. Don't be anxious: The ECU offensive line allowed 30 sacks (2.5 per game) last season, none against the Gamecocks as Ellis Johnson determined that focusing on pass coverage and stopping the run rather than putting the quarterback on the ground were the best ways to contain the rapid-fire Pirates offense. USC gave up 345 yards and 37 points, but early turnovers led to the 17-0 deficit. Lorenzo Ward has promised the USC defense will be more aggressive in 2012 in terms of getting after the quarterback, but is that the best strategy against the Pirates since the offensive scheme relies on quick, two- and three-step drops and short passes to wide receivers?
The worst thing a defense can do against East Carolina is get overly aggressive and overpursue the quarterback. Then again, whoever is ECU's starting quarterback will lack the experience Davis had last season as a third-year starter. As a result, will the Pirates take a more conservative approach towards play-calling in 2012? ECU hosts Appalachian State on Sept. 1 in the season opener and while ASU is one of the top Division I-AA programs in the country, the quality of athlete the Pirates will see from the Mountaineers defense won't compare to the Gamecocks.
3. Let the offensive talent take over: East Carolina suffered from the worst defense in the country in 2010 (yielded a staggering 478 yards per game), McNeill's first season as head coach at his alma mater. Because of the poor showing and an abundance of talented linebackers, ECU switched to the 3-4 scheme. The move paid dividends as the Pirates surrendered about 102 fewer yards per game in 2011 and improved by 64 spots in the national ranking for total defense, leaping from 120th in 2010 to 56th in 2011. Sophomore middle linebacker Jeremy Grove was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year last season.
While ECU doesn't lack talent on the defensive side of the ball, the caliber of defense the Pirates will put on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium simply doesn't compare to the overwhelming majority of SEC defenses. Although the ECU defense improved significantly over 2010, they still finished 81st against the run, allowing 175.2 yards per game. If USC reaches that figure, their chances of losing the game are virtually nonexistent. So, if the USC offense shows patience, runs the football with Lattimore and its deep group of running backs and throws the ball often enough to keep the ECU secondary off-balance, USC should wear down the Pirates' defense and cruise to a comfortable win.
4. Survive the heat: Chances are the USC coaching staff will pull out the blueprint from the home game against Georgia in 2010 in order to prepare for this game. Because of a noon kickoff, that game was played in scorching heat. It also ended with USC on the right side of a dominating 17-6 victory. Historically, USC's home games in September have kicked off at night, creating a festive atmosphere inside Williams-Brice Stadium. But that was before the SEC was handed $2.25 billion from ESPN in 2009 to televise football games involving conference teams. By accepting the cash, the SEC handed over control of kickoff times to the four-letter network and whichever channel purchases the rights to the games from them.
Because of the enormous power and influence of TV, we now have a 12:20 p.m. kickoff for USC's home opener. Memo to fans: bring the sunscreen and the sunglasses. Any guesses on how much Gatorade will be consumed on the Gamecocks bench during the game? Dozens of gallons. Because of the expected high temperatures, USC will likely have to battle the heat as much as the Pirates on the field. It will certainly be a factor in the game. This is why the players spend all summer in conditioning workouts - preparing their bodies for games like this.
5. Don't watch the video board!: The countdown to the much-anticipated debut of USC's new $6.5 million high-definition scoreboard (total cost includes the control room) has started. Based on the photos being tossed around the Internet, including Facebook, the scoreboard will certainly be an awe-inspiring sight. In fact, the unveiling of the video board could overwhelm the actual game being played on the field. As a result, USC players must be careful not to get caught up in what's being shown on the board rather than the game itself.
Of course, the East Carolina players might have to battle the same urges. No matter what, the opener promises to be an emotional moment for many long-time USC fans with the inauguration of the revamped Farmer's Market scheduled as well. It promises to be a celebratory day in Columbia. But the history books will just show the final score of the USC-ECU game, so the Gamecocks must keep focus on the task at hand. link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1388967