GAMECOCKBOY
09-08-2006, 11:57 PM
September 8, 2006
Five keys to victory
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in The Insiders Forum
The South Carolina Gamecocks will play host to the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow night in Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN, and it will provide Steve Spurrier and his players with an opportunity to move to 2-0 in the SEC if they can pull off the upset. This article examines five things they must do well to make that happen.
1. Control the edges
Georgia's strength on defense is its ends, led by starters Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson. South Carolina's biggest weakness in its opener against Mississippi State was the play of the offensive line and its inability to protect the quarterback. USC can't afford a repeat performance Saturday night. Improvement needs to come from the offensive line learning from its mistakes, and just flat out playing better. Also, look for scheme adjustments from Spurrier, such as keeping a running back in for added protection, running more plays out of the shotgun, and working in more quick-developing plays than was seen in Starkville.
2. Poise and confidence
Regardless of how well the Gamecock offensive line plays against Georgia, starting quarterback Blake Mitchell is going to face a lot of pressure in the pocket at times. He never seemed comfortable in that situation against Mississippi State, and that can't happen again Saturday night. It's imperative for Mitchell to remain poised in the pocket and make good, quick decisions even with the chaos going on around him. He needs to also show confidence in all of his receivers and not force the ball to Sidney Rice. Guys like Syvelle Newton, Kenny McKinley and Jared Cook are all capable of making big things happen, too.
3. Limit big plays
Mississippi State narrowly missed on multiple big plays against South Carolina when receivers managed to get behind the Gamecock secondary. With defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix likely aiming to limit the Georgia running game as much as possible with extra bodies close to the line of scrimmage, the Bulldogs are likely to take their shots downfield. The South Carolina secondary must step up and perform well in one-on-one coverage and also tackle very well to limit big plays as much as possible.
4. Establish the running game
The South Carolina offensive line not only needs to protect the quarterback, but it also must provide running backs Cory Boyd and Mike Davis room to run against the Bulldog defense. Boyd, in particular, was much more effective in the second half of the opener than the first, but USC needs to establish the run game early in Saturday night's contest to prevent Georgia from just pinning its ears back and attacking Mitchell.
5. Obvious passing situations
The more South Carolina can make Georgia rely on its passing game, the better chance the Gamecocks have to prevail. So the more they can force the Bulldogs into obvious passing situations, such as third-and-long, the better chance they have to force turnovers and mistakes. If Georgia is able to mix it up and keep the Gamecocks off-balance, it could be a long night for Nix's defense.
Five keys to victory
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in The Insiders Forum
The South Carolina Gamecocks will play host to the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow night in Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN, and it will provide Steve Spurrier and his players with an opportunity to move to 2-0 in the SEC if they can pull off the upset. This article examines five things they must do well to make that happen.
1. Control the edges
Georgia's strength on defense is its ends, led by starters Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson. South Carolina's biggest weakness in its opener against Mississippi State was the play of the offensive line and its inability to protect the quarterback. USC can't afford a repeat performance Saturday night. Improvement needs to come from the offensive line learning from its mistakes, and just flat out playing better. Also, look for scheme adjustments from Spurrier, such as keeping a running back in for added protection, running more plays out of the shotgun, and working in more quick-developing plays than was seen in Starkville.
2. Poise and confidence
Regardless of how well the Gamecock offensive line plays against Georgia, starting quarterback Blake Mitchell is going to face a lot of pressure in the pocket at times. He never seemed comfortable in that situation against Mississippi State, and that can't happen again Saturday night. It's imperative for Mitchell to remain poised in the pocket and make good, quick decisions even with the chaos going on around him. He needs to also show confidence in all of his receivers and not force the ball to Sidney Rice. Guys like Syvelle Newton, Kenny McKinley and Jared Cook are all capable of making big things happen, too.
3. Limit big plays
Mississippi State narrowly missed on multiple big plays against South Carolina when receivers managed to get behind the Gamecock secondary. With defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix likely aiming to limit the Georgia running game as much as possible with extra bodies close to the line of scrimmage, the Bulldogs are likely to take their shots downfield. The South Carolina secondary must step up and perform well in one-on-one coverage and also tackle very well to limit big plays as much as possible.
4. Establish the running game
The South Carolina offensive line not only needs to protect the quarterback, but it also must provide running backs Cory Boyd and Mike Davis room to run against the Bulldog defense. Boyd, in particular, was much more effective in the second half of the opener than the first, but USC needs to establish the run game early in Saturday night's contest to prevent Georgia from just pinning its ears back and attacking Mitchell.
5. Obvious passing situations
The more South Carolina can make Georgia rely on its passing game, the better chance the Gamecocks have to prevail. So the more they can force the Bulldogs into obvious passing situations, such as third-and-long, the better chance they have to force turnovers and mistakes. If Georgia is able to mix it up and keep the Gamecocks off-balance, it could be a long night for Nix's defense.