That large collective exhale you heard coming from Nashville on Saturday afternoon was likely coming from the South Carolina coaching staff. It had been far too long since they had been able to celebrate a victory, and the 41-7 smashing of an undermanned Vanderbilt team was just what this program needed. Now the question is can the Gamecocks build on the momentum created from a good performance? Will Muschamp’s teams have been hampered by inconsistency his entire tenure in Columbia. If they are to shake that reputation, now is the time. Three games in and this team is beginning to form an identity, but its margin for error is still very small.
Gamecocks Build Momentum
The results through two weeks didn’t reflect it, but it was clear that South Carolina is a better team in 2020 than they were to end last year. The victory over Vanderbilt saw the Gamecocks build a foundation to push forward through the rest of the season. After consecutive road games, they will host the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. This shapes up to be an ideal situation for the garnet and black. Auburn comes in ranked in the top 15, but has looked shaky on the field during their 2-1 start.
This will definitely be a winnable game at Williams-Brice Stadium, and will hold the optics of beating a ranked opponent. The key of course will be consistency. The Gamecocks need to play well on both sides of the ball. A strong start will help as they can get what will be a diminished crowd involved early. Controlling things along both lines of scrimmage and limiting mistakes is how this team has its best chance to win.
Ground and Pound
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has made his mark through three weeks with his game plan, play calling, and in game adjustments. His offense is helping the Gamecocks build a reputation as a power running team. Sophomore Kevin Harris has stepped into the lead role in the backfield. Before this season he was known as a tough runner with good pad level, and hard to bring to the ground. Saturday he showed he has the wheels to go along with the thumping nature of his running style. Harris found a crease in the Vanderbilt defense early in the fourth quarter, and simply ran away from the defense. His 88 yard touchdown is the longest run in college football this season.
Harris has proven himself as the clear number one ball carrier. Back-up Deshaun Fenwick has also flashed some ability out of the backfield. He has shown he can be a productive runner when his number gets called. Each of these guys has also been heavily involved in the passing game. While South Carolina searches for receivers not named Shi Smith to step up, the two tailbacks have been very capable catching passes out of the back field. The offensive line led by Sadrius Hutcherson has been solid so far, aside from a poor second quarter in week one. The run blocking is ahead of the pass protection, which leads to more carries for Harris and Fenwick.
Controlling The Line
Auburn’s offense has had its issues to begin the season, but they to found their tailback this past weekend. Freshman Tank Bigsby had a huge game in their controversial victory over Arkansas. Stopping the run is always a key when playing the Tigers, and this week will be no different. Kingsley Enagbare and Zacch Pickens have played very well along the defensive line early in the season. The former is second in the SEC with three sacks, while the latter is becoming a force in the interior of the line. These two will need to play well to disrupt Auburn. Freshman Jordan Burch is also flashing his ability to make an impact. The five star recruit is athletic, active, and has shown good instincts diagnosing plays. Hes quickly showing he is too talented not to be on the field. Senior Aaron Sterling was a menace in 2019, but he is still waiting on a breakout game this season. The Gamecocks will need to force negative plays and harass quarterback Bo Nix to have a chance.
Matching Up
This weekend could be a big moment for this program. South Carolina is an improving team, but they have to get the results to match. Self inflicted miscues cost this team in its first two ball games. The blowout of Vanderbilt was needed, but the competition will be much tougher the rest of the schedule. The Gamecocks can still use the confidence of putting together a good performance in all three phases as they move forward. It begins to sound like a broken record, but consistency is still the key with this team. They have to show they can follow up a good performance with another one. If the Gamecocks build an early lead then they could shift the pressure over to the other sideline. The blueprint for this team is there now. South Carolina needs to control the clock while limiting miscues and missed assignments. The opportunity is there for the taking, and its time for this team to take advantage.
