lacene
07-12-2007, 12:14 PM
Read this on gamecockanthem.com. It's long, but hell we don't post much in the USC forum anyways:
Fall Preview: South Carolina vs. Georgia
By Wes Mitchell
Football Commentary and Analysis
Posted Jul 11, 2007
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/443535.jpgWith summer workouts underway, and the first day of fall practice quickly approaching, college football fans everywhere are counting down the days until kickoff to the 2007 season. Over the next couple of weeks, GamecockAnthem.com will take an in depth look at all of South Carolina's SEC opponents, starting with the Georgia Bulldogs and concluding with the Florida Gators. Read inside for more.
As part of this in depth preview of South Carolina's 2007 conference oppenents, GamecockAnthem.com will look at the history between the two teams, position by position breakdowns, what each coach will hope to establish in the match up and keys to a Gamecock victory. As always, we thank you for turning to GamecockAnthem for all of your Gamecock needs.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445365.jpg
There will be no bigger game early in the year for the 2007 Gamecocks than when they travel to Athens, GA to play the Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges in week two of the season. In what is always a huge early season match up, the stakes have been raised even higher this year with both teams holding SEC title aspirations. Steve Spurrier even announced to some of his close friends that if the Gamecocks can leave Athens with a 'W,' they could be playing in Atlanta in December. Spurrier has always been one to tell it like it is, and while his team has met its goals the past two years, a win at Georgia would be crucial for the Gamecocks to have a chance at challenging for their first ever SEC crown.
History
Overall: Georgia leads 44-13
South Carolina under Spurrier: UGA leads 2-0
Last 10 years: UGA Leads 8-2
Last time playing: UGA won 18-0
While the Gamecocks usually play Georgia close, and Spurrier dominated them while at Florida, USC is 0-2 under Spurrier and has lost five in a row overall to Mark Richt's Dawgs. In the two losses under Spurrier, there have been a couple of underlying problems that South Carolina could not overcome.
The first of these problems has been the inability of the Gamecock defense to stop the UGA running game, specifically up the middle. Georgia's running backs have been able to pound off six and seven yards at will on 1st downs, leaving them in makeable 2nd and 3rd down situations. This has made life much easier for Georgia's quarterbacks, especially young Matthew Stafford a year ago. On many drives, Georgia only needed 1st and 2nd downs to keep the chains moving. The combination of Georgia's seasoned offensive line and talented running backs going against Carolina's undersized defensive front has proven to be costly for the Gamecock defense.
Another problem the Gamecock defense has faced is the inability to apply pressure on Georgia's quarterbacks. On three different third down occasions last year, Stafford, who is athletic but does not possess elite speed, was able to escape the pocket for first downs due to a lack of a pass rush on plays where receivers were covered. Stafford showed a tendency all year to throw interceptions and even threw three in Columbia, but he was able to beat the Gamecocks with his legs and was not made pay for the mistakes he did make.
On offense, turnover problems doomed the Gamecocks last fall, leading to Spurrier being shut out for only the second time in his coaching career. While the Gamecocks moved the ball fairly well and even had more opportunities in the red zone than Georgia, they could not get any type of running game going and failed to produce any points, which doomed them in the end. The decision to run a toss sweep backed up in their own end zone cost Carolina five points in the waning seconds of the first half as well. These mistakes hurt Carolina dearly and allowed Georgia to coast to a relatively easy victory without having a great day offensively.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445373.jpg
If the offensive line can give quarterback Blake Mitchell time to work in the pocket, the Gamecock offense could redeem itself after last year's shutout loss to the Bulldogs
South Carolina Offensive Line vs. Georgia Defensive Line
One of the biggest question marks of the offseason is the Gamecocks' offensive line, and they will get their first test of the year in Athens. While past Georgia defensive lines have always been strengths of the Bulldog defense, the 2007 front four does not feature a proven playmaker such as a Quentin Moses or David Pollack. One name, however, most Gamecock fans will recognize is defensive end, Jarius Wynn. Many who follow recruiting believed the JUCO transfer was going to enroll at Carolina after an intense recruiting battle. Instead, he enrolled at Georgia, and while he struggled some to grasp the defense during the spring, he is bigger than the other Georgia defensive ends and will garner some playing time if not a starting spot. At this time, Georgia is projected to start sophomore Roderick Battle and senior Marcus Howard at defensive end. Battle is talented, but unproven, and while Howard is a high-motor guy, he will remind many of some previous Gamecock defensive ends, as he is only 220 lbs. Inside, returning starter Jeff Owens will line up beside Kade Weston, who is raw but has unlimited potential.
Going up against an unproven defensive line will be huge for a South Carolina offensive line that will be looking to hit its stride while replacing three starters. As most Gamecocks know, Coach John Hunt’s offensive line returns its two starting tackles from a year ago in Jamon Meredith and Justin Sorenson. Senior Web Brown is a heady player and has had a productive offseason, but it will be imperative that he keep his weight up in order to keep his spot as the starting center. Some combination of Lemuel Jeanpierre, James Thompson, Garrett Anderson, and Kevin Young will make up the two guard spots. Jeanpierre is a converted defensive lineman, but is known as one of the hardest workers on the team. Kevin Young and Garrett Anderson are both young, but talented and also could end up playing center.
The South Carolina offensive line will not have to be dominant against the Bulldogs, but it will need to hold par to give Cory Boyd a little running room and Blake Mitchell a chance to throw. Boyd’s ability to break the first tackle and the fact Spurrier will scheme around the question marks at offensive line should take care of the rest.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445372.jpg
Running back Cory Boyd is expected to anchor a strong Gamecock rushing attack this season.
South Carolina Running backs vs. Georgia Linebackers
One area where the Gamecock offense is extremely settled is at running back, where they return their two leading rushers in Cory Boyd and Mike Davis. Both Boyd and Davis are underrated guys who are not speed threats, but are hard workers and are rarely taken down by the first defender. They will go up against a Georgia front seven that is replacing six of seven starters and an entire linebacker corp. The Georgia linebackers are not without talent, but even their most experienced player, Brandon Miller, is playing a new position after moving from strongside to middle linebacker. Likely playing beside Miller are Dannell Ellerbe and Darius Dewberry, who are athletic but also unproven.
The South Carolina running backs should have an advantage running up the middle if the offensive line can give them some room to work, while Georgia’s linebackers probably have the speed edge to get outside and cut Boyd and Davis off. Look for South Carolina to run right at the Georgia front seven, especially to the side of the undersized Marcus Howard.
South Carolina Wide Receivers vs. Georgia Secondary
Another intriguing match up and an area where both teams have question marks is at receiver for Carolina and in the secondary for Georgia. Both squads lost big contributors in Sidney Rice at WR and Paul Oliver at CB, respectively. When looking for proven players at those positions, one should look no further than South Carolina’s leading returning receiver Kenny McKinley, who caught 51 balls and was an excellent complement to the NFL-bound Rice. With McKinley the only proven Gamecock receiver, Spurrier will need for a couple of young guys to step up in order for his offense to be effective. The number two and three spots on the depth chart will likely come from some combination of returnees Jared Cook, Moe Brown, and JUCO transfer Larry Freeman. Also looking to make an impact will be a group of freshman receivers ranked among the best in the nation, featuring speedster Chris Culliver, athletic target Jason Barnes, Florida standout Dion Lecorn, and Columbia-native Mark Barnes.
For Georgia, returning starter Kelin Johnson will be joined by South Carolina-native C.J. Byrd at safety and sophomores Bryan Evans and Asher Allen at cornerback. While Georgia has a recent past of putting safeties in the NFL, they don’t have that proven playmaker here yet either.
Though South Carolina will likely look to establish the run, they will test the Georgia secondary early. If a young playmaker can step up, then the Gamecock receivers could give Georgia trouble, but without help, McKinley alone will not be able to beat the Georgia secondary.
Fall Preview: South Carolina vs. Georgia
By Wes Mitchell
Football Commentary and Analysis
Posted Jul 11, 2007
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/443535.jpgWith summer workouts underway, and the first day of fall practice quickly approaching, college football fans everywhere are counting down the days until kickoff to the 2007 season. Over the next couple of weeks, GamecockAnthem.com will take an in depth look at all of South Carolina's SEC opponents, starting with the Georgia Bulldogs and concluding with the Florida Gators. Read inside for more.
As part of this in depth preview of South Carolina's 2007 conference oppenents, GamecockAnthem.com will look at the history between the two teams, position by position breakdowns, what each coach will hope to establish in the match up and keys to a Gamecock victory. As always, we thank you for turning to GamecockAnthem for all of your Gamecock needs.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445365.jpg
There will be no bigger game early in the year for the 2007 Gamecocks than when they travel to Athens, GA to play the Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges in week two of the season. In what is always a huge early season match up, the stakes have been raised even higher this year with both teams holding SEC title aspirations. Steve Spurrier even announced to some of his close friends that if the Gamecocks can leave Athens with a 'W,' they could be playing in Atlanta in December. Spurrier has always been one to tell it like it is, and while his team has met its goals the past two years, a win at Georgia would be crucial for the Gamecocks to have a chance at challenging for their first ever SEC crown.
History
Overall: Georgia leads 44-13
South Carolina under Spurrier: UGA leads 2-0
Last 10 years: UGA Leads 8-2
Last time playing: UGA won 18-0
While the Gamecocks usually play Georgia close, and Spurrier dominated them while at Florida, USC is 0-2 under Spurrier and has lost five in a row overall to Mark Richt's Dawgs. In the two losses under Spurrier, there have been a couple of underlying problems that South Carolina could not overcome.
The first of these problems has been the inability of the Gamecock defense to stop the UGA running game, specifically up the middle. Georgia's running backs have been able to pound off six and seven yards at will on 1st downs, leaving them in makeable 2nd and 3rd down situations. This has made life much easier for Georgia's quarterbacks, especially young Matthew Stafford a year ago. On many drives, Georgia only needed 1st and 2nd downs to keep the chains moving. The combination of Georgia's seasoned offensive line and talented running backs going against Carolina's undersized defensive front has proven to be costly for the Gamecock defense.
Another problem the Gamecock defense has faced is the inability to apply pressure on Georgia's quarterbacks. On three different third down occasions last year, Stafford, who is athletic but does not possess elite speed, was able to escape the pocket for first downs due to a lack of a pass rush on plays where receivers were covered. Stafford showed a tendency all year to throw interceptions and even threw three in Columbia, but he was able to beat the Gamecocks with his legs and was not made pay for the mistakes he did make.
On offense, turnover problems doomed the Gamecocks last fall, leading to Spurrier being shut out for only the second time in his coaching career. While the Gamecocks moved the ball fairly well and even had more opportunities in the red zone than Georgia, they could not get any type of running game going and failed to produce any points, which doomed them in the end. The decision to run a toss sweep backed up in their own end zone cost Carolina five points in the waning seconds of the first half as well. These mistakes hurt Carolina dearly and allowed Georgia to coast to a relatively easy victory without having a great day offensively.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445373.jpg
If the offensive line can give quarterback Blake Mitchell time to work in the pocket, the Gamecock offense could redeem itself after last year's shutout loss to the Bulldogs
South Carolina Offensive Line vs. Georgia Defensive Line
One of the biggest question marks of the offseason is the Gamecocks' offensive line, and they will get their first test of the year in Athens. While past Georgia defensive lines have always been strengths of the Bulldog defense, the 2007 front four does not feature a proven playmaker such as a Quentin Moses or David Pollack. One name, however, most Gamecock fans will recognize is defensive end, Jarius Wynn. Many who follow recruiting believed the JUCO transfer was going to enroll at Carolina after an intense recruiting battle. Instead, he enrolled at Georgia, and while he struggled some to grasp the defense during the spring, he is bigger than the other Georgia defensive ends and will garner some playing time if not a starting spot. At this time, Georgia is projected to start sophomore Roderick Battle and senior Marcus Howard at defensive end. Battle is talented, but unproven, and while Howard is a high-motor guy, he will remind many of some previous Gamecock defensive ends, as he is only 220 lbs. Inside, returning starter Jeff Owens will line up beside Kade Weston, who is raw but has unlimited potential.
Going up against an unproven defensive line will be huge for a South Carolina offensive line that will be looking to hit its stride while replacing three starters. As most Gamecocks know, Coach John Hunt’s offensive line returns its two starting tackles from a year ago in Jamon Meredith and Justin Sorenson. Senior Web Brown is a heady player and has had a productive offseason, but it will be imperative that he keep his weight up in order to keep his spot as the starting center. Some combination of Lemuel Jeanpierre, James Thompson, Garrett Anderson, and Kevin Young will make up the two guard spots. Jeanpierre is a converted defensive lineman, but is known as one of the hardest workers on the team. Kevin Young and Garrett Anderson are both young, but talented and also could end up playing center.
The South Carolina offensive line will not have to be dominant against the Bulldogs, but it will need to hold par to give Cory Boyd a little running room and Blake Mitchell a chance to throw. Boyd’s ability to break the first tackle and the fact Spurrier will scheme around the question marks at offensive line should take care of the rest.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/445372.jpg
Running back Cory Boyd is expected to anchor a strong Gamecock rushing attack this season.
South Carolina Running backs vs. Georgia Linebackers
One area where the Gamecock offense is extremely settled is at running back, where they return their two leading rushers in Cory Boyd and Mike Davis. Both Boyd and Davis are underrated guys who are not speed threats, but are hard workers and are rarely taken down by the first defender. They will go up against a Georgia front seven that is replacing six of seven starters and an entire linebacker corp. The Georgia linebackers are not without talent, but even their most experienced player, Brandon Miller, is playing a new position after moving from strongside to middle linebacker. Likely playing beside Miller are Dannell Ellerbe and Darius Dewberry, who are athletic but also unproven.
The South Carolina running backs should have an advantage running up the middle if the offensive line can give them some room to work, while Georgia’s linebackers probably have the speed edge to get outside and cut Boyd and Davis off. Look for South Carolina to run right at the Georgia front seven, especially to the side of the undersized Marcus Howard.
South Carolina Wide Receivers vs. Georgia Secondary
Another intriguing match up and an area where both teams have question marks is at receiver for Carolina and in the secondary for Georgia. Both squads lost big contributors in Sidney Rice at WR and Paul Oliver at CB, respectively. When looking for proven players at those positions, one should look no further than South Carolina’s leading returning receiver Kenny McKinley, who caught 51 balls and was an excellent complement to the NFL-bound Rice. With McKinley the only proven Gamecock receiver, Spurrier will need for a couple of young guys to step up in order for his offense to be effective. The number two and three spots on the depth chart will likely come from some combination of returnees Jared Cook, Moe Brown, and JUCO transfer Larry Freeman. Also looking to make an impact will be a group of freshman receivers ranked among the best in the nation, featuring speedster Chris Culliver, athletic target Jason Barnes, Florida standout Dion Lecorn, and Columbia-native Mark Barnes.
For Georgia, returning starter Kelin Johnson will be joined by South Carolina-native C.J. Byrd at safety and sophomores Bryan Evans and Asher Allen at cornerback. While Georgia has a recent past of putting safeties in the NFL, they don’t have that proven playmaker here yet either.
Though South Carolina will likely look to establish the run, they will test the Georgia secondary early. If a young playmaker can step up, then the Gamecock receivers could give Georgia trouble, but without help, McKinley alone will not be able to beat the Georgia secondary.