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PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL: UCONN/SOUTH CAROLINA PREVIEW

Gamecock defense poses serious challenges to the Huskies

By Raphielle Johnson

Game week is finally here for the Connecticut Huskies (7-5) with preparations for the PapaJohns.com Bowl well underway. The team will arrive in Birmingham on Tuesday, with Saturday’s kickoff slated to be at 2 PM on ESPN. On the other side of the field will be the South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by one of the game’s iconic figures in Steve Spurrier. Just like the Huskies there are a number of talented youngsters on the roster, and the hope in that regard is that a win on Saturday can be the springboard to an even better 2010.

But South Carolina is also blessed with one of the game’s best linebackers in senior Eric Norwood. Norwood leads a defense that ranked among the SEC’s best this season and if not for Lorenzo Ward (coordinator) and Ellis Johnson’s (assistant head coach) unit it could be argued that South Carolina would be home for the holidays. Other standouts on the defense include safety Chris Culliver and defensive lineman Cliff Matthews.

Norwood was a First-Team All-SEC selection by both the AP and the league coaches while Culliver was a Second-Team choice of the AP. Matthews, who was an Honorable Mention selection by the AP, was named Second-Team by the coaches. There’s also a lot of young talent on the defense and as a group they finished the season 15th nationally in total defense. The Gamecocks also rank twelfth in pass defense, a number that could prove troublesome for Zach Frazer and his receiving corps.

Offensively it’s been a different story for South Carolina, which surprisingly has been one of the stories throughout Spurrier’s tenure in Columbia. Stephen Garcia has shown some improvement at the quarterback position but the Gamecocks still finished the season ranked 76th nationally in total offense. Why is that? Start off with a running game that ranks 91st and boasts a leading rusher (Kenny Miles) with just 616 yards. Connecticut’s tandem of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon both eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this year.

The passing game has been better thanks in large part to freshman All-American receiver Alshon Jeffery, but the offensive line has been a problem in this area as well. South Carolina ranks 104th in sacks allowed and at times it’s a wonder that Garcia has been able to play in every game this season. He’s mobile and his ability to buy time has bailed out South Carolina on occasion. Below is the projected two-deep for the Gamecocks accompanied by a few notes.

Offense

QB 5 Stephen Garcia (RSo.)
14 Reid McCollum (RFr.)

TB 10 Brian Maddox (Jr.)
31 Kenny Miles (RFr.)

FB 47 Patrick DiMarco (Jr.)
46 Dalton Wilson (Fr.)

To be blunt if Garcia were to go down the Gamecocks would be in serious trouble, as would the Huskies should something happen to Zach Frazer. Garcia has thrown for 300 or more yards in four games this season and is one of five Carolina players to have played in all twelve games. He’s tough and the decision-making has improved over the last year; Garcia finished the regular season with 2,733 yards and seventeen touchdowns against nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for four touchdowns and he ranks second on the team in rushing yards gained (372). The total of 130 yards accounts for 242 yards lost via sacks.

The more experienced Maddox usually gets the start at tailback but it’s Miles who finished the regular season as the Gamecocks’ leading rusher. Miles ran for 602 yards on 111 carries, good for an average of 5.4 yards per rush. Another good thing about Kenny: he seldom loses yardage, giving just fourteen yards on the season to date. Maddox is second on the team in rushing yards with 305 yards and is the more likely option in the red zone; he led South Carolina with five rushing touchdowns this season.

Maddox and Miles each finished the season with seventeen receptions, with Maddox also tallying a pair of touchdown receptions. Look for Coach Spurrier, who took over play-calling duties for his son (Steve Jr. is the passing game coordinator), to work them in via the screen game on occasion. DiMarco is the most likely option at fullback, and he’s more of a threat as a blocker or receiver (14 receptions) than as a ball-carrier (ten carries).

WR 1 Alshon Jeffery (Fr.)
81 Tori Gurley (RFr.)

WR 9 Moe Brown (Sr.)
86 Stephen Flint (So.)

WR 4 Jason Barnes (So.)
82 D.L. Moore (RFr.)

TE 88 Weslye Saunders (Jr.)
87 Justice Cunningham (Fr.)

This is the area where Connecticut should be most concerned, especially if they fail to apply consistent pressure to Garcia. Jeffery was one of the nation’s best freshmen, finishing the season with team highs in receptions (43), receiving yards (735) and touchdown receptions (six). Averaging more than seventeen yards per catch Jeffery qualifies as the Gamecocks’ biggest threat through the air. Moe Brown has been the dependable senior for Carolina; in fact he’s the lone senior on the two-deep when it comes to backs and receivers. He’s second on the team with thirty-two receptions for an average of fifteen yards per catch and three touchdowns.

Tori Gurley and Jason Barnes are the other two receivers likely to see the football, combining for fifty-two catches on the season. Gurley may be considered the bigger threat down the field of the two but in most of those situations it will be Jeffery or Brown who gets the call. And the tight end position has always had a featured role during Coach Spurrier’s time as head coach, with the hot Weslye Saunders moving into the role vacated by Jared Cook. Saunders has caught all three of his touchdown passes in the last two games and ranks third of the team in receptions with thirty.

LT 68 Kyle Nunn (So.)
76 Jarriel King (Jr.)

LG 70 Garrett Anderson (Sr.)
77 Garrett Chisolm (Jr.)

C 57 Lemuel Jeanpierre (Sr.)
70 Garrett Anderson (Sr.)

RG 55 T.J. Johnson (RFr.)
57 Lemuel Jeanpierre (Sr.)

RT 66 Hutch Eckerson (Jr.)
72 Quinton Richardson (So.) doubtful (shoulder)

This is the area that the Connecticut defense may be able to exploit; in fact, they’d better if they want to win the game. South Carolina has allowed thirty-four sacks and seventy tackles for loss on the season, and the run game ranks ninety-first nationally. Those numbers make the yards lost by backs Kenny Miles and Brian Maddox (33 yards) all the more impressive for those two.

Anderson and Jeanpierre are the elder statesmen up front but overall this is a young group that’s endured its fair share of growing pains. If Lindsey Witten shows up at Legion Field focused (he should; final game that serves as an NFL audition) he could be in store for a big afternoon.

Defense

DE 96 Clifton Geathers (Jr.)
98 Devin Taylor (RFr.)

DT 95 Nathan Pepper (Sr.)
94 Kenny Davis (RFr.)

DT 91 Ladi Ajiboye (Jr.)
6 Melvin Ingram (So.)

DE 83 Cliff Matthews (Jr.)
92 Byron McKnight (So.)

This is an experienced group that also ranks among the SEC elite with Matthews leading the way. Finishing the regular season with ten TFLs and seven sacks, Matthews was a second team All-SEC selection. On the other side of the line is Clifton Geathers, who is playing his best football of the season at just the right time.

On the inside is South Carolina’s most experienced player when it comes to bowl games in senior Nathan Pepper, who is the first Gamecock to play in four bowl games. He and Ladi Ajiboye provide a stout roadblock in the middle of the defensive line, and as a unit this is a fast group. But they have had issues defending the run, which could mean a good afternoon for Connecticut’s solid offensive line.

WLB 40 Eric Norwood (Sr.)
44 Tony Straughter (Jr.)

MLB 16 Shaq Wilson (So.)
41 Josh Dickerson (Jr.)

SPUR 26 Antonio Allen (So.)
33 Damario Jeffery (Fr.)

Any conversation about South Carolina football has to include Norwood, accepted by many close to the program as their Player of the Decade. Honored as a Walter Camp All-American, the senior is the career leader in both tackles for loss (54.5) and sacks (29.0). He’s also leading the team this year in interceptions with two. Simply put Eric is one of the game’s premier playmakers at the linebacker position.

But outside of him (252 lbs.) this is a unit that’s light yet extremely fast. Shaq Wilson leads the team in tackles with seventy-eight and SPUR (a safety/linebacker hybrid) Antonio Allen has made seven starts this season. They can run so the Huskies would be wise to avoid “east/west” runs.

CB 5 Stephon Gilmore (Fr.)
36 D.J. Swearinger (Fr.)

FS 17 Chris Culliver (Jr.)
3 Akeem Auguste (So.)

SS 24 Darian Stewart (Sr.)
21 DeVonte Holloman (Fr.)

CB 3 Akeem Auguste (So.)
12 C.C. Whitlock (So.)

Coming into the 2009 season there were some concerns regarding the secondary given the loss of key contributors such as Captain Munnerlyn, Stoney Woodson, Carlos Thomas and Emmanuel Cook. Consider those fears taken care of, as they Gamecocks come into this game ranked 12th nationally against the pass.

The corners, Gilmore and Auguste, are young but willing to take on any challenge and they should make for good competition opposite the likes of Marcus Easley and Kashif Moore. Gilmore (a freshman All-American) is another of the five players to have played in every game for South Carolina and he will also see some snaps offensively in the Gamecocks’ “wildcat” formation.

Auguste racked up thirty-six tackles in nine games and also forced a pair of fumbles. Akeem is the more physical in regards to defending the run while Stephon is the better cover corner. At free safety is the aforementioned Culliver, who is tied for the team lead with eight pass breakups (Gilmore) and ranks third on the team in tackles with fifty-eight.

And at the strong safety position will be senior Darian Stewart, who is the most experienced member of the secondary with eleven starts this year and thirty-five over the last three seasons. As a team South Carolina has just six interceptions but they do boast a combined forty-four passes defensed, making them a capable challenge for the Connecticut passing game.

Special Teams

K 34 Spencer Lanning (Jr.)
81 Adam Yates (RFr.) backup on kickoffs

P 34 Spencer Lanning (Jr.)
42 Eric Davis (RFr.)

KR 22 Bryce Sherman (RFr.)
17 Chris Culliver (Jr.)

PR 5 Stephon Gilmore (Fr.)
3 Akeem Auguste (So.)

This is the area where the game could be decided and it’s a good thing the Huskies have taken care of the issues that left them susceptible to blocked punts last season. South Carolina finished the regular season tied with Alabama atop the SEC in kicks blocked with four. However, when it comes to kick coverage there are areas that the Huskies can look to exploit.

South Carolina ranks 93rd in net punting and they’re a middle of the pack team when it comes to kickoff (66th) and punt (64th) returns. Spencer Lanning handles the kicking and punting duties for South Carolina, replacing the talented Ryan Succop as placekicker. And Spencer has gotten the job done when it comes to field goals, making seventeen of twenty this season (including a streak of twelve straight) with a long of 47 yards. He’s also the punter with an average of 41.8 yards per punt and fifteen downed inside of the 20-yard line with none blocked.

Lanning also took over the kickoff duties for Adam Yates in their season-ending win over Clemson with Coach Spurrier hoping that the change would improve their numbers. South Carolina averages just 59.6 yards per kickoff with a net of 37.3 yards and just one touchback. And given UConn’s ability to run back kicks this may be an area that gives Carolina some concern heading into Saturday.

In the return game South Carolina as a team averages 21.6 yards per kickoff return, three yards less than their opponents. They’ve also given up three returns for touchdowns this season and South Carolina’s opponents average just over six yards more per punt return (14.6-8.4). If Connecticut is to knock off the Gamecocks the special teams area must be a win, and there’s no reason to believe that it can’t be.

Who has the edge?

Offense: Connecticut (the Gamecocks rank among the SEC’s worst in offensive production and have struggled to both protect their quarterback and establish the run)
Defense: South Carolina (Connecticut has struggled against the pass much of this season and if there’s a bigger culprit look no further than their shoddy tackling)
Special Teams: Connecticut (The Huskies have the edge when it comes to returning kicks and punting but Lanning gets the edge over David Teggart in the field goal department)

Quick Fact: These two teams have just twenty-one seniors on the roster between them, with Connecticut boasting twelve while the Gamecocks have just nine. Both teams can use this game (and the practices that precede it) as a springboard towards bigger things in 2010. As a matter of fact, they should.