SC defense in trouble

[mstate321]

Jasper Brinkley is out for season. How will the defense do without their best player?

[D^3]

Jasper Brinkley is out for season. How will the defense do without their best player?


I guess you guys are about to find out.

Go Dogs!

[JerryBeeds]

They looked pretty good in the second half without him against LSU.

[GTmorris1970]

They are gonna look just fine.

[scfan5338]

I'm not as optimistic about the situation as the other two guys are but we'll have to wait and see. We'll miss him but we should be able to fill in a couple of different guys at MLB to get his production. You can't plug in a freshmen and expect to get the same production out of him as you would with a All-Sec, all-american and potential top 15 pick. It's going to be a replacement by comittee. I'm not worried about the defense as much as I am about the offense though.

[mstate321]

Yea defense and running game will win this games with both off the teams starting a new qb

[OffThePorch]

We need all the advantages we can get. still i feel bad for that kid. go DOGS!

[TigersFanTaylor]

Yea defense and running game will win this games with both off the teams starting a new qb

This isn't Smelley's first start of the season though.

[mstate321]

When did Smelley start i know he came in at LSU

[uscrules]

He started the first game of the season.

[LSUisLIFE611]

They looked pretty good in the second half without him against LSU.
i give sc some credit but most of it was poor lsu play.

[Zee]

i give sc some credit but most of it was poor lsu play.

I thought USC played pretty poorly. Funny how that works eh?

As far as Jasper being out, it is devastating. I'm pretty sure that the first touchdown scored agaisnt USC while Jasper was in the game was the fake field goal at LSU. He was hurt for both touchdowns agaisnt ULL, UGA didn't score one and he was healthy all game, SC State didn't score one and he was healthy all game, then the first two at LSU he was out of the game. The last two he was in I believe, but probably playing at about 50%. When he was out against LSU they ran the ball like crazy. When he came back in even at 50% there was a noticeable change. He is an absolute beast and the "quarterback" of our defense. This loss hurts us bad, I'm just hoping someone can step up. I think our defense is good across the board, but losing a leader like that really hurts. Now I'm worried about Ark when I previously wasnt. Florida will be that much tougher. And Clemson could even slip in and beat us with their run game. This is not good, but I'll hold out hope that we adapt. The only plus is that he'll be back next year, and we'll be even better.

[STUCKNBIG10]

I think USC has more depth than they have ever had, so I don't look for them to become a sieve on defense; however, very few teams this side of LSU, UF, or Southern Cal can afford to lose a player of that calibur without it having an impact. Feel bad for the kid and hope he fully recovers.

On the field, this has to be good news for MSU and UK, USC's next two opponents. I am just hoping that it takes Spurrier 3-4 more weeks to work out the kinks in his offense.

[Nick Hull]

While I have to admit that this is good news for my team, I hope that he gets back on the field as soon as possible. Other than this week when it's MSU vs USC, I'll be pulling for the Gamecocks this year.

[Dr. Pepper]

Injuries are part of the game. Losing someone like Brinkley is like Alabama losing Prothro. It affects everything.

However, Sapp is no slouch. He is not only a good athlete, he is intelligient. While there will be a drop, it won't be as much as we might think.

Also, I am ecstatic that Brinkley will be with us in 2008. I was worried about not having him next year, and it sets up 2008 as being a great year for Carolina football.

[Ralliartist]

I don't see the defense having too much trouble except against arky and clemsux. We'll force Miss state to run the ball, or else there will be some int's. Same goes for UK. I'm glad we'll have him next year, but losing him this year does suck. I still don't think MSU, UK, vandy, UNC, or Tenn will be too much trouble for us.

[GamecockDieHard]

His replacement was the 2nd leading tackler on our defense last year, Marvin Sapp. This year he's been playing backup because of our depth. I think we'll be ok.

[Lawdog]

Also, I am ecstatic that Brinkley will be with us in 2008. I was worried about not having him next year, and it sets up 2008 as being a great year for Carolina football.

He may not. He may just go pro now instead of putting it off another year. With that said, I sure hope he does come back.

[uscrules]

I look for him to at least test the NFL to see where he may go in the draft. It would be hard to risk a career ending injury next year and lose out on all that money.

[DELTOR]

Well this is what his brother said about him, for those of you that think he still may go pro:

"He (Jasper) is very excited about having another chance to come out here and play for a whole year," Casper said. "(Jasper) is very set on coming back another year. He's definitely coming back. He thought it was just a little bump on his knee but after the game he was in so much pain. I knew it was kind of serious."

[JDStud6]

I don't see the defense having too much trouble except against arky and clemsux. We'll force Miss state to run the ball, or else there will be some int's. Same goes for UK. I'm glad we'll have him next year, but losing him this year does suck. I still don't think MSU, UK, vandy, UNC, or Tenn will be too much trouble for us.

I dont think we'll get any INTs from UK. Have you seen Woodson's stats? That kid is a beast! haha

JD

[uscrules]

I dont think we'll get any INTs from UK. Have you seen Woodson's stats? That kid is a beast! haha

JDIf we do it will probably stop his current NCAA record setting streak.

[bad42]

This isn't Smelley's first start of the season though.

This won't be carroll's or riddell's first start either. I hope riddell gets the nod on saturday, I think another week of practice with the first string offense will really start to show.

[roosterbooster]

i give sc some credit but most of it was poor lsu play.

I give LSU some credit but most of it was poor USC play.

[scfan5338]

I don't see the defense having too much trouble except against arky and clemsux. We'll force Miss state to run the ball, or else there will be some int's. Same goes for UK. I'm glad we'll have him next year, but losing him this year does suck. I still don't think MSU, UK, vandy, UNC, or Tenn will be too much trouble for us.

If we force MSU to run the ball, that works to our disadvantage. We suck at stopping the running. As for UK, Woodson is a beast and doubt he throws many INT's..I think we probably lose that game. Clemson and Arkansas have the two best running back tandeums in the country and they are scary. Clemson's QB is throwing the ball pretty well so if he can keep the defense honest, we're screwed. I hope I'm wrong but I think UK,UT will be more trouble than you think. I dont know why many guys on here don't seem to recognize we suck at stopping the damn running game. We gave up 300 yards to LSU, and dont say they have a option scheme, they do when Flynn is not in but still.

[TigersFanTaylor]

I don't see the defense having too much trouble except against arky and clemsux. We'll force Miss state to run the ball, or else there will be some int's. Same goes for UK.

Good luck forcing the Cats to run the ball. So far, no one has been able to stop Woodson, and until proven otherwise, no one will. He hasn't thrown a pick this season, and only threw 7 last year to counter his 31 TD passes. Also, forcing Mississippi State to run the ball may not end up being to great for the Cocks, because with Dixon, that's the Bulldogs strong point.

I still don't think MSU, UK, vandy, UNC, or Tenn will be too much trouble for us.

Erik Ainge has already proven himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. Foce him to have to pass the ball, and it could be a long day for the Gamecock secondary. Ainge threw for 4 TDs on 300+ yards against a much more experienced Arkansas St. secondary. It's really just a matter of Cutcliffe's playcalling.

MSU, UK, Vandy, and Tennessee will be trouble for the Gamecocks.

[TrueGCFan]

Erik Ainge has already proven himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. Foce him to have to pass the ball, and it could be a long day for the Gamecock secondary. Ainge threw for 4 TDs on 300+ yards against a much more experienced Arkansas St. secondary.

MSU, UK, Vandy, and Tennessee will be trouble for the Gamecocks.

Ainge is good, but did you just compare Arkansas St. to USC seondary? We currently have at least 3 guys that will be playing on Sunday in two or three years. Plus three of our secondary players started last year and 3 other saw a lot of playing time. I don't care if Arky St. has 5 5th year starters their not going to be nearly as good are SC's.
That being said Tenn. may throw for 800 yards against us, but Arky St. secondary isn't even the same class as us.

[TigersFanTaylor]

Ainge is good, but did you just compare Arkansas St. to USC seondary? We currently have at least 3 guys that will be playing on Sunday in two or three years. Plus three of our secondary players started last year and 3 other saw a lot of playing time. I don't care if Arky St. has 5 5th year starters their not going to be nearly as good are SC's.
That being said Tenn. may throw for 800 yards against us, but Arky St. secondary isn't even the same class as us.

I never said they were better, I just said they were more experienced. But, that's not the point I was trying to make. The point I was trying to make was that Ainge is one of the best quaterbacks in the SEC, and forcing him to throw won't neccessarily make the game easier for USC.

[MSUBULLY]

I dont know why many guys on here don't seem to recognize we suck at stopping the damn running game. We gave up 300 yards to LSU, and dont say they have a option scheme, they do when Flynn is not in but still.

Finally I guess an SC fan and a bulldog can agree on something. USC has had a lot of trouble this year stopping the run. Does that mean I think MSU is going to beat you? No, not by any stretch of the means, but I do think that this game will be a lot closer now especially with one of your best tacklers out of the game. I wish ya'll the best of luck this weekend, I just hope a little of that luck finds it's way into MSU's corner.

[JerryBeeds]

Finally I guess an SC fan and a bulldog can agree on something. USC has had a lot of trouble this year stopping the run. Does that mean I think MSU is going to beat you? No, not by any stretch of the means, but I do think that this game will be a lot closer now especially with one of your best tacklers out of the game. I wish ya'll the best of luck this weekend, I just hope a little of that luck finds it's way into MSU's corner.

This should be a good game. Both our teams seem to be headed in the right direction. Hopefully we can pull it out.

[Neo]

He started the first game of the season.

Smelley also played in the USC/MSU game last year......:thumpsup:

[scfan5338]

Finally I guess an SC fan and a bulldog can agree on something. USC has had a lot of trouble this year stopping the run. Does that mean I think MSU is going to beat you? No, not by any stretch of the means, but I do think that this game will be a lot closer now especially with one of your best tacklers out of the game. I wish ya'll the best of luck this weekend, I just hope a little of that luck finds it's way into MSU's corner.

It should be a good game no doubt. I think Dixon is a great runner and is going to cause problems for USC. I say he runs for at least 150. I've been saying all long, while other USC fans just push the fact to the side that we suck at stopping the run. I dont know if its the schemes of Nix or the players we have but since Spurrier got here we haven't been able to stop anyone. I went out on a limb and said that MSU might beat USC after the LSU game but that was on the basis of Mitchell still being QB. I think MSU has a great shot at beating us, but I think having Smelley back there will be better for us.

[GeauxTo]

The South Carolina / Miss State game should be the best game of the weekend; very well matched. Both have good defenses and both have young QBs who have lots of potential but not much successful experience, yet. It should be a very close and hard-fought contest, and very difficult to call. Home field advantage may play a huge part.

[GAMECOCK_FAN]

The South Carolina / Miss State game should be the best game of the weekend; very well matched. Both have good defenses and both have young QBs who have lots of potential but not much successful experience, yet. It should be a very close and hard-fought contest, and very difficult to call. Home field advantage may play a huge part.
After the way MSU played LSU in the 1st game of the season, I was unconcerned about the way this game would turn out (initially). After the way, MSU has played the last few weeks, I believe this could be a very good matchup (now). I'm just hoping SC comes out on top in this game, but a win by either team would not surprise me that much.

Go Gamecocks!:thumpsup:

[blues_cap]

I'm not as optimistic about the situation as the other two guys are but we'll have to wait and see. We'll miss him but we should be able to fill in a couple of different guys at MLB to get his production. You can't plug in a freshmen and expect to get the same production out of him as you would with a All-Sec, all-american and potential top 15 pick. It's going to be a replacement by comittee. I'm not worried about the defense as much as I am about the offense though.

top 15 pick??? not a chance in hell. he is probably the 4th-5th best middle backer in the country, probably not a first round pick. he is good, but that is wishful thinking.

dan conner and maguala(sp???) from usc are 1 and 2 in no particular order. you have to throw goff in there, and as bad as i think he is overrated, laurinitis(sp???) will probably be drafted b/f him should he come out(which is a mistake, as this kid is waaaayyy overrated).

[scfan5338]

top 15 pick??? not a chance in hell. he is probably the 4th-5th best middle backer in the country, probably not a first round pick. he is good, but that is wishful thinking.

dan conner and maguala(sp???) from usc are 1 and 2 in no particular order. you have to throw goff in there, and as bad as i think he is overrated, laurinitis(sp???) will probably be drafted b/f him should he come out(which is a mistake, as this kid is waaaayyy overrated).

If he had the season that he did last year, he would be ahead of Laurinitis. I agree Dan Conner and the guys from southern cal are ahead of him, but if we produced like he did last year he had a hell of a chance. Maybe not a top 15 pick, but he would have gone in the first round. There are tons of teams that need a good MLB. I hope he gets the red shirt and comes back next year because then he has a chance to be that top 15 pick.

[cocky4ever]

It should be a good game no doubt. I think Dixon is a great runner and is going to cause problems for USC. I say he runs for at least 150. I've been saying all long, while other USC fans just push the fact to the side that we suck at stopping the run. I dont know if its the schemes of Nix or the players we have but since Spurrier got here we haven't been able to stop anyone. I went out on a limb and said that MSU might beat USC after the LSU game but that was on the basis of Mitchell still being QB. I think MSU has a great shot at beating us, but I think having Smelley back there will be better for us.

The backs that kill us are the ones with blazing speed. We did a good job at stuffing the middle against UGA. Most of the Dawgs rushing yards came on big plays where Moreno just used his speed to hit the corner, make one person miss, and then head off to the races. The same thing with Holliday against LSU. Dixon doesnt seem to have that kind of speed, or at least he didnt look like a blazing fast back in the games I've seen him play. He's more of a workhorse back who tries to power through and then use a few moves to make people miss...pretty much like Boyd. I think he will have problems against our defense because we wont have to worry about MSU's passing game until they prove its effective. We should be able to just plug up the middle, keep the corners contained, and beg their QB to throw against our man coverage. Plus I expect us to try and score quick and often to force them to place even more emphasis on their passing game.

That being said I do think it will be a good one. Both teams come in at 3-1/1-1 in SEC play. Im not trying to think about any of the other games yet. One game at a time.

[mstate321]

The passing games for state is a mystery. im not sure we can run like we did against auburn the whole game. Put if we can hit a few passes early we may be able to at least keep the defense honest

[scfan5338]

The passing games for state is a mystery. im not sure we can run like we did against auburn the whole game. Put if we can hit a few passes early we may be able to at least keep the defense honest

Exactly and if you MSU is able to do that...we're in trouble. Should be a heck of a game. I'll be at this one so I hope we win.

[BAMAPERRY]

USC wins this one fairly comfortably.

[WayzUp]

With all due respect to MSU, we would need to turn the ball over 4+ times or so than they do to lose this game. We should be able to put 8 in the box most of the time & c4e is right, our rushing defense troubles are more with speed & option plays that get to the corner faster than we react and/or missed tackles. Dixon won't find the running between the tackles as easy as it sounds some expect.


As long as Smelley manages the game & doesn't turn the ball, I think we'll be fine especially since we're playing at home.

[roosterbooster]

top 15 pick??? not a chance in hell. he is probably the 4th-5th best middle backer in the country, probably not a first round pick. he is good, but that is wishful thinking.

dan conner and maguala(sp???) from usc are 1 and 2 in no particular order. you have to throw goff in there, and as bad as i think he is overrated, laurinitis(sp???) will probably be drafted b/f him should he come out(which is a mistake, as this kid is waaaayyy overrated).

His draft projection was for the 1st round last year if he had come out. Most sites I have seen with projections have him going between 15 and 25, and most have 4 or 5 MLB going in the first round.

[blues_cap]

His draft projection was for the 1st round last year if he had come out. Most sites I have seen with projections have him going between 15 and 25, and most have 4 or 5 MLB going in the first round.

he may go first round, but that is a lot of mlb's to be taken in the first round. i havent seen many sites that have him ranked any higher than end of the first round(usually around the 30-40 best prospect), but it really depends on what a team needs. if chicago falls to the 15-25 picks, he has a decent shot as they will have to replace lance briggs.

for him to be a top 15 pick, there will likely have to be 4 mlb's taken in the top 15, which is rare.

hpoefully he can fully recover and be a force next year, except for one game(i like to watch him play, he is extremely physical).

[GTmorris1970]

To all Carolina fans. The practice report from yesterday was VERY positive. The offense is playing faster and much more crisp with Smelley behind center, and the offensive line held their own against the defense. Culliver also showed signs of greatness yesterday at WR. A breakout game by the special teams was also predicted.

Sapp also had a very good practice at MLB yesterday. Just wanted to pass some good news along to you all.

[OffThePorch]

If USC can stop the run they win. We have our best offensive line in years, plus 3 or 4 good running backs. Ducre has run the ball great lately. If we can run, eat up clock then it will be a close game. If USC stops the run and forces the pass they should win easily. If we pass well i will be shocked, in a good way. A win would be a win i didnt expect which means we're (probably) going bowling later this season for the first time in a long time. A loss & we're 3-2 with 2 winnable home games coming up next.
Should be a fun game. Hope both teams play hard & dont suffer any injuries.
GO DOGS!

[GTmorris1970]

Should be a fun game. Hope both teams play hard & dont suffer any injuries.


I agree!!!! No more injuries.

[OffThePorch]

I agree!!!! No more injuries.

We lost Henig, our starting QB.
but he wasnt very good imo. though im not glad he's hurt i am glad we're playing Carroll & Riddell. i think the freshman Carroll is our future. He kicked butt in 5A & 6A HS ball down in Florida. He's not overly impressive yet, just finds ways to win & not lose.

[GTmorris1970]

We lost Henig, our starting QB.
but he wasnt very good imo. though im not glad he's hurt i am glad we're playing Carroll & Riddell. i think the freshman Carroll is our future. He kicked butt in 5A & 6A HS ball down in Florida. He's not overly impressive yet, just finds ways to win & not lose.

I think Smelley will be a good one for us as well. More accurate and makes better reads than Mitchell. The Miss. State offense vs. our defense should be interesting. Miss. States loves to run, and Carolina hates to stop the run!! LOL And, if no other receivers step up for Carolina, it could get real interesting. Spurrier said yesterday he expects Carolina to play it's best game of the year, but we will see. Apparently they have changed their defensive scheme somewhat due to the loss of Jasper, but no one is saying how.

[lacene]

According to reports, we will get through this week with Sapp in at MLB, and Melvin Ingram backing him up. A 5-foot-11, 222-pound junior, Sapp was 2nd behind Jasper in tackles last season, and has the experience to play the position. Ingram is the "heir apparent" as Jasper's successor at MLB: he's the bigger player at 6-foot-2, 250-pounds, but doesn't have the game experience yet to be an effective leader game-to-game. But between those two, we should be fine as long as the rest of the defensive front and LB's put effort into playing their best.

Starting next week against UK, we'll have Dustin Lindsey back at the MLB position. Dustin, at 6-foot-3, 239-pounds, is a heavy-hitting bruiser that was 3rd on the team in tackles in 2005, before sitting out last season due to academics. I remember the vicious hit he put on either Moreno or Brown in the Georgia game that stopped the RB DEAD COLD in his tracks! Unfortunately, it wasn't too long after that he tweaked his knee and hasn't played in a game since. But the reports are saying that he'll be 100% for Kentucky....