2011 South Carolina Gamecocks Fall Practice: What to Watch for on Defense
by Gamecock Man on Aug 3, 2011 11:01 PM EDT
in South Carolina Gamecocks Football
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PrintFall practice began today. Here are a few of the storylines to follow where our defense is concerned.
How much better will the secondary be? Secondary play was Carolina's Achilles Heel last year. It cost us the game against Kentucky and came close to costing us some other games, as well. That was surprising, considering the talent we had in the secondary. However, we lacked depth, and that exacerbated poor decision-making. Carolina's secondary should improve this year with improved depth and wise personnel decisions such as moving DeVonte Holloman to spur and moving Akeem Auguste to corner. However, will it return to the level it was at in past years? That could be the difference between having a good and an elite defense.
How good will Jadeveon Clowney be? We know he'll be good, particularly with time. But could he be good enough to come in and immediately play at the level his predecessor, Cliff Matthews, did? If he does, the defensive line and pass rush won't miss a beat.
Is Shaq Wilson ready to return at full speed? I feel like Wilson--who Ellis Johnson once called the QB of the defense--has become a bit of a forgotten man this year. However, he could quickly make his presence felt if he returns to form. With Tony Straughter and Josh Dickerson gone, he'll need to do so for our linebacking crew to maintain pace with last year.
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A few things to note from the practice Twitter feeds...
-Garcia was on point today. Accurate, crisp throws. That’s the best things we could hope for.
-Clowney apparently looked pretty good.
-The DBs other than Gilmore, who was dominant, got beat a few times. Hopefully that’s because our WRs are good, because the alternative isn’t very attractive.
-Alshon was in a minor car accident and didn’t practice. He’ll be OK, though.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog By and For Gamecocks Fans.
SOS said Clowney was going so fast the QBs didn't have time to do anything.
Good problem to have on day one.
by Skulls and Spurs on Aug 3, 2011 11:09 PM EDT reply actions
I hope to see our secondary
return to the Goon Squad days, if so we could be unstoppable. I feel the same way with Clowney as I did with Lattimore last season, and that is he will come in and make an immediate impact, players with their skill level simply can’t be left on the sideline… they are TOO GOOD. I have not forgotten about Wilson haha, I strongly believe his absence had alot to do with the mishaps in the secondary, when the “QB” of your defense is on the sideline, it is going to have a negative effect on the defense, so I am excited to see what the D can be like with him out there (remember the little he played last year, there was 2 fumbles recovered and he had 7 tackles)
"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall."
Frank Leahy / Notre Dame
Word on the street the first 2 days is that Byrd is FAST
and I do mean FAST, just about every update has included “Byrd leaves his man in the dust”… if he can put that speed on the field during games, I would think the coaches are forced to get him involved, and I will be excited to see that speed come Sept. 3
"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall."
Frank Leahy / Notre Dame
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