South Carolina Football 2011: Surprises and Fulfilled Expectations
by Gamecock Man on Dec 1, 2011 12:06 AM EST
in South Carolina Gamecocks Football
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PrintLet's play a little game. I saw something like this on a message board recently, and it sparked interesting discussion, so I thought we should try it here. Name and explain three things that surprised you about this season, and three things that didn't surprise you but that might have. This should be interesting, of course, because the season has, to say the least, been an odd one for the Gamecocks.
I'll start.
Surprised (in order from most to least)
1. Brandon Wilds. This kid totally shocked me. I heard the positive reports about his play in training camp, but I would have never thought that he would be able to fill in for an injured Marcus Lattimore the way that he did. And make no mistake, he was phenomenal; three 100-yard games in the final five games of the season is borderline All-SEC numbers. Toss in his impressive receiving yards, and you've got a very solid back. If he learns to block better, he'll likely continue to get plenty of playing time when Lattimore returns. Not bad for someone who a lot of recruiting experts thought we probably shouldn't have offered.
2. Stephen Garcia. I thought that Garcia, at worst, would simply be his 2010 self, and I didn't think he'd do something to get kicked off the team. On the former, I simply didn't see him regressing back to his 2008 self; heck, at least in 2008 he played well against Kentucky, so he actually regressed beyond anything he had ever done. There's been a lot of speculation about why he struggled, but, needless to say, his struggles weren't to be expected from someone who had at least proven last season that he could be a good QB most of the time. Regarding the latter, I thought that Garcia should have been kicked off the team back in the spring, and in hindsight, that would have been the right decision. However, I got behind the coaches' reasoning for giving him another chance, and I thought he would make good on it. I'm not going to rag the kid for what he did, because I think there is probably something going on there that we're not aware of, but it surprised me.
3. Alshon Jeffery. Yes, there are lots of good explanations for what happened with the big fella over the course of the season. He's dealt with coverages that have been specially designed to stop him. Early in the year, Garcia couldn't throw an accurate pass his way. Later in the year, our offensive line couldn't protect Shaw and we started running the option. Still, I never would have thought that we'd have this much trouble getting him the ball. It just seems kind of shocking to think we've got a first-round talent on our team and he only caught for 600 yards and never had a 100-yard game.
Keep reading after the jump.
Not Surprised
1. Connor Shaw. I was behind starting him against ECU. Nothing about Garcia's performances over the past few years made me feel that Garcia was categorically a better QB than Shaw, based on what we saw from Shaw in limited time last year and what we heard about him from practice. Things didn't work out at ECU, and I think Spurrier made the right decision to stick with Garcia for a few games. However, Shaw did turn out to be the better QB, and since taking over he's improved incrementally each week. We got a glimpse of just how good he can be this past weekend, and, considering his work ethic, I think we're going to have a very good QB next season. If Tanner McEvoy pushes Shaw for PT, it won't be because Shaw stinks. I could honestly see him developing into an All-SEC-type player if he learns to work the pocket better.
2. Overall Record. Before the season, I picked us to go 11-1 with a loss to Arkansas. The Auburn loss was a bad one, a game we never should have lost; take a look at what the other 10-win SEC teams did to Aubie and you'll see what I mean. The loss was mostly attributable to Garcia's poor play, and in that sense it was unexpected. That said, we came close to my 11 wins by getting to 10, so I wasn't far off.
I guess the real question comes when you consider that we lost Garcia and Lattimore. Lots of folks thought we'd fold after that. However, week to week, I actually picked us to win every game after the Auburn loss. Yes, the Arkansas pick was a huge stretch, which I realized at the time. But the others won't. I'm not surprised that we finished 10-2 after losing Garcia and Lattimore. I was surprised sometimes at how we did it, though; I thought we'd throw the ball better against Tenn., Ark., etc., after watching Shaw light up Kentucky, but instead we ran the ball. I think our coaches made some good adjustments to deal with some of these unexpected difficulties. However, going into most of these games, we had a huge advantage on the defensive line, and we were always able to muster enough offense to win. And yes, it was partially because some of the teams we played were average at best. At any rate, the talking heads who thought we'd lose all our games after Lattimore went down were simply being blind. Tenn., Florida, and, yes, Clemson, were never winning those games. Florida, maybe, but the others no.
3. Whipping Clemson. I hate to lay on our orange-and-purple friends...OK, I really don't. At any rate, their downfall and loss to us were to be expected, and I don't mean that in some vague "that's just what Clemson does" sense. When Clemson gets their act together, they'll no longer do "what Clemson does." Same has been true for us; when we put a better team on the field the past two years, those November slides haven't happened. Clemson's problem this year was evident from the first game, and it's one Gamecocks fans know well--the Tigers are soft in the interior. They were able to mask their problems throughout the middle part of the season; it's shocking to think about how they did against FSU and VT, now that I think about it. But their problems came back to bite them as teams figured out how to exploit their weaknesses. We had all the matchup advantages to exploit those weaknesses from the beginning, so it's no surprise that we did so.
OK--your turn. Also your turn to call me crazy.
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Good stuff, GM.
Surprises:
Secondary. Part of me isn’t surprised by this, considering the talent we have back there. But based on our struggles in that department last year and the first two weeks of the season, it was a pretty remarkable turnaround. Of course playing two option teams helped, but our DBs stepped up against passing teams, too. Clemson is a prime example of this. We also put up great numbers against the teams we should be containing, which instills a lot of confidence in fans and players alike.
Turnovers gained. The 30 turnovers we forced is a large part of why we’re 10-2 (never mind that the 27 we lost are why we aren’t 11-1 or better…) Moreover, it’s not just that we forced the turnovers, but that we forced them at crucial, game-saving junctures. Three situations, in particular, come to mind. Does history repeat itself if Antonio Allen doesn’t snag that pass against Navy? No way we beat Georgia without any of the big turnovers we forced in that game. And the dramatist in me might go so far as saying DJ Swearinger’s pick against Miss St. saved our season. If the Bulldogs had marched down the field and scored to take the game (a la Auburn), does that compound the loss of Lattimore and have a more lasting affect on our team’s morale? Who knows, but it was a huge play. One bonus, now that I’m thinking of it: DJ’s goalline pick against UT kept them from gaining any kind of momentum.
Not Surprised
Defensive Line: Melvin, Devin, Jadeveon, Travian…years from now we’ll all remember how lucky we were to have these four guys on the field simultaneously. Not sure any of us would have picked Melvin to be best of the bunch, but it was no secret to fans that his own teammates hailed him as the squad’s best athlete. Devin was reliable even if his numbers were down a tad from his breakout 2010 season. I’m most thankful for Clowney performing up to par. As Brad Lawing said, JD didn’t exceed expectations, he met them. Of course, his expectations were to play lights-out his freshman year. So if racking up a handful of sacks, blowing up tackles on a weekly basis, and tying for the league lead in forced fumbles is just “meeting expectations”, then I can’t wait to see what he’ll do in the upcoming years. Once he reins in his technique a bit, the guy will be scary.
Ellington’s impact: When Bruce decided to play football, it was felt like a ‘rich get richer’ type situation. And I think we can all agree that having Bruce on the field paid dividends in the way of two of our longest TDs of the year (Kentucky run, Clemson catch.) Of course, we’re all hearing that Bruce might be one-and-done as a football player. This would be a bittersweet, but it would allow us to get Damiere Byrd more involved in his sophomore year. But if it is Bruce’s one year playing at the Brice, he sure chose a good time to do it.
That’s all I got at the moment. What a season!!
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by Gamecock'n'Balls on Dec 1, 2011 7:35 AM EST reply actions
Good pick on Ellington.
It drives me crazy every time an announcer acts shocked that he’s a good football player. He was, after all, runner-up to Lattimore for SC Mr. Football his senior year.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Dec 1, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
Love this
Surprises:
1. 10-2. Really surprised at how the team reacted in tough times. The Garcia suspension, Lattimore injury, and O-line injuries would be tough for any team to overcome. Maybe I’m in “classic USC mode” but this isn’t what we normally do. Guys stepped in and did what had to be done. Wasn’t always pretty but a win is a win is a win. I guess that speaks to the recruiting over the past few seasons.
2. Clowney. I knew he was going to be good, but I expected it to take a year or two. Kid came in a performed on par with an experienced and good D line. I cannot wait to see how he is in with a year of coaching and weight room sessions under his belt
3. Secondary. Like G n’ B, I was worried after the first few games. But the adjustments made by EJ proved to be fruitful. He let the athletes play and they delivered. I hope we continue to be aggresive in the future like that.
Not surprised;
1. Connor Shaw. Reports out of practice were that he was performing lights out. Had Barnes caught that long pass against ECU, I think he would have been our starter all year (and probably would have performed better earlier…perhaps erase that Auburn loss). He’s no Mike Vick, but he’s got deceptive speed and when he’s got time in the pocket he can hit any pass. Can’t wait to see him next year
2. Read option: Not the typical Spurrier package but the guy is first and foremost about winning. He’ll adjust the gameplan to fit the players as long as it equals a W. Love that about him.
3. Clemson sacks. I was worried about this game, but when I heard Boyd tweeted that our D line is average, I knew we would make some noise. This could possibly go down as the best D Line in USC history. I’m hoping Taylor comes back next year to team with Clowney, Dukes, and Quarles. We’ve got players to replace leaving players finally and it feels good.
I'll have to admit, in response to both you and Gamecock 'n Balls, that I'm not terribly surprised by the secondary.
I was down on them after the first couple of games, but I kept believing they’d come around, particularly after we started running more press man and got Hampton back. There’s just too much talent back there for them to play so badly.
That said, they did look like crap against Georgia.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Dec 1, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
This is great
Surprises
How we won: I never thought we would grind it out near as much as we did. I thought we were going to have to put some more points to win. I was unsure that the secondary could hold up and stay healthy enough to contain wide receivers. They did settle down and had some great games and even when guys got hurt. I think Antonio Allen with be missed greatly next year. This team seemed to have that same flavor as the baseball team. Someone went down and another stepped up. Battled and found ways to win. Even if it wasn’t pretty at times, there is still 10 W’s in the win column. And all those turnovers helped a bunch.
Garcia: I thought this would be his year. I didn’t see a Heisman performance coming, but up until this point Garcia had gotten a little better every year. And I thought with all the play makers on the field that a little better Garcia would have gone a long way. Yes he would make mistakes, but he could also make the big plays. I have to agree and believe there is more going on behind the scenes that none of us know. I wish him well in life and was sad to see it end the way it did.
Special Teams: I’m not sure why we can’t seem to put it together on special teams, but do we really have to give other teams the ball at the 35 or better every time. I was expecting us to get a little better this year, but it never happened. Punting and kickoffs were very inconsistent and you never knew what was about to happen. It didn’t seem to matter who was out there, starters or non-starters, it was about the same. I would like to see a stat on average starting field position for opponents.And why so many fumbles? We had at least three different guys fumble on kick returns. It speaks volumes to our defense always defending a short field. They had some huge stands in the red zone and time and time again bailed us out.
Not Surprised
Brandon Wilds: Some of you may not believe me, but I expected good things from him. Call it a hunch or whatever you will, I didn’t feel panicked when Lattimore went down. I was saddened and felt horrible for Marcus, but okay about how our running game would do without him. I’m not sure if it was because I believed our line could run block well enough to give any of our backs some holes or if I just had a good feeling about Wilds or if I knew with how well Connor runs the ball that defenses couldn’t crash down on the running back as much. Somewhere in it all I just thought we could still run the ball well without Marcus. With all that said I’m itching to see Latti, Wilds, and Carson all in the back field next year. And if this was Kenny Miles last game as a Gamecock, thanks for sticking to Clemson for a couple of years and making the team better.
Alshon Jeffery: I knew it was going to be tough on Alshon this year. I thought coming in that everybody’s game plan would be stop Marcus and stop Alshon. Alshon got more double coverage and sometimes even a third guy shaded his way than anyone I’ve seen in a long time. I think defenses said if the Gamecocks are going to beat us, it won’t be because of Alshon. I wish we could have gotten more balls his way. With the way defenses were playing him this year, the passes had to be more accurate than in the past. We just couldn’t seem to quite get it there at times. But his affect on the game was tremendous. Other receivers were open and running lanes opened up because he was in the game.
Defensive Line: I was giddy coming into this year with everyone we had on the D-line. Robertson, Ingram, and Taylor and add Clowney and Quarles. They didn’t disappoint. Their backups weren’t too shabby either. This group was special and will be talked about for years to come. They were a lot of fun to watch all year and a great way to end it, giving Clemson more than they ever wanted. If the twitter comment from Boyd was true, thanks for adding fuel to the fire.
Good stuff, flip. Agreed on "How We Won." I'm not surprised that we did win, but I didn't always think it would be the way we did.
I expected us to air it out against Tennessee, for instance. Of course, Tenn. expected that too and planned accordingly, and we took what they gave us in the second half, which I guess was to be expected.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Dec 1, 2011 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
As much as I love the deep ball,
I really LOVE running an offense that chews the clock and punches defenses in the mouth. With the zone read capabilities that SC has now, that is exactly what we will be doing next year, imposing our will on teams through the running game. Oh and of course, Connor Shaw will be better at hitting those passes next year to have that passing threat as well. Teams will have a really hard time stopping Lattimore and Shaw next season.
D line is going to be a monster again. After all the hype about Clowney, I expected him to be good, but he was really just as good as Ingram. He just needs to find that consistent approach in practice and in games but he will since he is still young. I was awed by how he could either slam down the OT, trip, and still bring the QB down halfway across the field.
Braves.
Falcons.
Gamecocks.
Clowney was great. Seems like a lot of people have been dogging him for only having six sacks, but truth is he got that as a true freshman and while only playing limited snaps.
Could easily see him being a 10-15-sack guy next year with increased PT.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Dec 1, 2011 12:26 PM EST up reply actions
RE Connor working the pocket better...
I was very pleasantly surprised at his pocket presence in the Clemson game, and perhaps no single thing gives me more hope for next season than his development as a QB this half season. In the Clemson game, I saw numerous times when the pocket collapsed and he either side stepped or stepped up in the pocket and made a great throw. Or, he rolled out, bought time and found an open guy. His checkdowns to Cunningham and Anderson were things of beauty. Also, now we know that he can make a 50 yd throw! It wasn’t a perfect game, but if he plays like that and continues to get better in his Junior season…watch out SEC!
As much as I hate seeing GA in the SEC game, I’m really glad to be 10-2 with a chance to be 11-2 in a decent bowl game. I’d rather have a team in the SEC game that I feel really has a shot to win, than be a team that gets there year after year and gets blown out by the West.
Braves.
Falcons.
Gamecocks.
Surprises:
Losing to Auburn/not winning the East: Sorry to kick off the post with a negative. But I was in shock…still am.
Garcia implosion: I was SO sure that he was primed to have a great season. 20/20: now I see the deep-dark-garnet glasses I was wearing here. With the trouble over the summer, and how unstable Garcia had proven to be over the years I should have seen this coming.
The amazing play of the secondary: After the ECU game my confidence in the SC secondary was rock bottom. This unit killed it this year. IMO, Best secondary group I have seen in garnet and black
Not surprised:
Beating UGA, UT, UF and CU: for the second consecutive year! I think we have a good chance to do it 3 in a row.
Play of the DL: I expected this group to be one of the best.
10 wins
you took the words out of my mouth
the only thing I would add is that I thought the O-Line would have played better even after Nunn went down. It wasn’t until Matulis started that the O-Line issues seemed to resolve.
Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)
One more surprise
Buster Anderson. Can’t wait to watch him in the next few years. I think he’s going to be really good
Yeah, he was a huge surprise. Based on high-school performance, I had expected the other TE, Drew Owens, to be the guy who make the bigger impact.
We’re set for the next few years at the position. Don’t forget that we’ve got Jerrell Adams and, hopefully, Kelvin Rainey (committed but considering Arkansas) coming in next year.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
Now that you mention TE's
I remember before the CU game, the Post & Courier did a Q&A piece on former Tiger RB Jamie Harper (think the Tigs missed him? Oh yeah) who is now playing for the Tenessee Titans. Anyhow, it was exactly the kind of piece you’d expect from a rookie back whose mostly ridden the bench this season.
What caught my eye was how Harper described how Jared Cook was coming into the Titans locker room wearing USC gear. I remembered that Jared didn’t go on the best of terms when he departed early for the NFL draft – but it was gratifying to see him proud of his Gamecock playing days. Even if we only heard it from the mouth of a Clemson alum!
Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)
I almost put him on my surprise list. Again, huge fan of this guy.
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by Gamecock'n'Balls on Dec 1, 2011 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
Loved that stiff-arm he gave the Clemson defender on the long reception.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
Surprises
Secondary: After last year, I expected passing teams to give USC fits. This year, USC’s secondary played well, and the pass rush from the d-line helped too. It was so demoralizing last year to see other teams throw on us for big plays, but that wasn’t the case.
Auburn: This season I thought would be the season USC would exact revenge on Auburn for the SECCG. I knew Auburn wouldn’t be that great because of the Cam Newton hangover and the large amount of players that left/graduated. Clemson beat them, and if a team that struggled with Wofford could beat them, USC should be able too. Even during the game, until the 4th quarter, I thought USC would turn the jets on and pull away. That never happened, and the whole one second on the clock debacle made it even worse. Another surprise, I didn’t think that game would come back to bite us. I figured UGA would drop another game or two, and USC would face off with Florida again to see who would go to Atlanta.
Connor Shaw: After the ECU game, I wrote Shaw off. I figured that he was a bust, but we would have time with Garcia at the helm to get another quarterback ready. After the Garcia fiasco, I thought, "Okay, we still have a Lattimore and Jeffrey. Runs and Screen Passes can get us some W’s." Then after Mississippi State, I figured USC will lose out with the exception of Citadel. As a long term Carolina fan, I always worried about depth which is what usually caused the "November Slump". Shaw turned out to be a good QB and leader. Completely different than the ECU game. He got it done, and he came into his own during the Clemson game. From everything I hear about him, Shaw is good a guy, and it’s nice to see hard working athletes develop and do well. Connor Shaw also served as a shining example that Spurrier has built depth, and USC really has turned a corner that 9 and 10 win seasons aren’t just flukes.
Not Surprised
Clowney: After seeing Marcus Lattimore making an immediate impact last year as freshman and watching Clowney’s highlights, I figured he would have an impact on defense. I’m a little surprised at how well he has done, but I had a feeling he would be above average. I’m even more excited to see him develop and become better. Murray probably has night terrors about Clowney.
Staying in the Top 25: There was a time when getting a top 25 ranking was something that didn’t happen much in Columbia. This year we stayed in the Top 25 all season and cracked the Top 10. That’s awesome and not too surprising given the talent on our team.
Trick Plays/Outside the box offense: Spurrier is known for these. The Emory and Henry formation. Ingram’s fake punt run play against UGA. There were some flea flickers and wild cats. Overall, there were some Spurrier-esque plays this year.
by Spurriersvisor on Dec 1, 2011 2:48 PM EST via mobile reply actions
great call about the fakes and offensive innovation
Ingram taking it to the house will be a fond memory for many years
by loop4zill on Dec 1, 2011 6:17 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, I've really liked that stuff. Spurrier is known for it, but hasn't always used it as much at USC.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
I second that emotion
on trick plays. I would also use “half” a surprise that we used Emory & Henry sets to great advantage in the UK game, and to some advantage in the MSU game, and then shelved it. I’m surprised we didn’t see it again – only our conventional zone-read and wildcat sets from the end of the MSU game on.
Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)
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