I think that’s the last time we put up over 500 yards.

Kick off coverage is vexing. I don’t know what’s wrong there.

It will be nice to have Ajiboye back next week. We need him.

a game that we would find a way to pull out at the last second. We’ve now improved a couple of quarters. :)

Still a lot of work ahead for this team but when has that never been the case?

that vs “lesser” opponents we play like this (keep it close) and that has caused me to lose a few years of my life.

Gamecock man – i will cross post your questions today but agree with what you said in your answers. This team on offense looks a lot better but defense just can not play a full 60 mins of lights out D. I have no comment on special teams today as it is sunday and it may force me to lose my religon.

1. Pretty worried. After the missed extra-point I thought ‘That could be the difference right there’. I was more worried for how the games would turn out down the road.

2. Giles and Maddox. It really depends on line play. If we are having trouble making spaces it should be Maddox. He is really coming into his own as a bruiser and can get some good yardage after contact. Giles is showing that he can be a little more elusive if he’s given some space.

3. First, we’re not playing starters on special teams. We don’t have the depth to do that. The biggest problem with our lack of depth is that there aren’t enough hungry guys trying to earn playing time on the special teams. Special teams is only the place for backups if they are close enough to playing in O and D that they see it as a way to earn the coaches favor and to show off their skills. We need to make Special Teams something the kids want to play.

4. Stephen Garcia is playing lights out for a sophomore. He has a lot of room to grow, but he is starting to show the skill set and leadership that we were told he had. We didn’t get a chance to see it last year. Hopefully, this trend is continuing.

5. Yes! We’ve got some fundamental issues on D. Not wrapping up. Trying to make the big play instead of handling your assignment. Too many missed tackles due trying to make the big hit, interception, or trying to play the ball instead of playing the receiver or the runner. Some of this may be youth, but when Auguste is in on as many plays that he is… its a bad thing. Glad to see the hustle, but it should not get that far. The coaches need to do something to change the thought process… and do it fast! With Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Spiller still on our slate, the problems on D and Special Teams could get ugly fast.

However, it is worth noting that a lot of these problems are due to using a 3-4 system that we’re not used to running. Hopefully, with the return of some personnel we can use more 4-3. Coach Johnson has touched on this a few times himself. 3-4 never really worked for us with the previous defensive administration either. The more I learn about football, the more I believe that 3-4 doesn’t have much of a place in major college football. The pros still seem to love it, though.

6. Most defanately!! Finally an offense that can put some drives together. Having said that… we really need to work on the red zone. I think that gets better as the season progresses, but its hurting us early on.

A lot of these problems really are due to youth. You can see it all over this team. That’s why I feel that we’ll improve with the season. Its one thing to practice a skill, its another to see how it translates into actual use. That doesn’t matter if its Football or life. I think we have the best overall squad since the beginning of the Spurrier era, if not the last 15 years. I think that we’ll start seeing dividends soon.