The University of South Carolina’s defensive effort against the Georgia Bulldogs last weekend in Athens was beyond humiliating. The Gamecock “D” – one of the elite units in the country a year ago – was torched for 538 yards and 41 points.
By comparison, Florida put up just 183 yards when it beat USC 44-11 last year in Gainesville.
But the worst part wasn’t the gaudy numbers – it was the weak effort and total lack of execution put forth by Lorenzo Ward’s players. Seriously … South Carolina had more blown coverages against Georgia than a Janet Jackson Super Bowl outfit, and as a result a team that could have left Athens with national championship aspirations is instead limping back to Columbia, S.C.
Meanwhile one-time Heisman Trophy frontrunner Jadeveon Clowney was held largely in check … likely putting an end to his bid to become the first defensive player in more than a decade to capture the award.
Prior to Saturday’s game Ward said his players were “focused.” Really? On what, we wonder? Because it certainly wasn’t preparing for Georgia’s offense.
“I totally expect us to play well,” Ward added.
Well they didn’t …
For those seeking to ascertain why South Carolina’s defense was so abysmal against Georgia, one place to start looking might be the Gamecock sideline – where second year linebackers’ coach Kirk Botkin nearly came to blows with first-year defensive line coach Deke Adams. In fact Ward had to help separate his two assistants to prevent a melee from breaking out.
Take a look …
(Click to play)
Wow …
The most bizarre thing about this confrontation? It occurred after South Carolina stopped Georgia on its opening drive of the second half – one of the only times the Gamecocks were able to shut down a Bulldog offense led by Heisman Trophy candidates Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley.
What the hell right?
After the sideline scuffle, South Carolina’s defense fell apart – giving up scores on Georgia’s next three drives. The dagger in the heart? An 85-yard touchdown pass from Murray to wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley – who was wide open after the Gamecock secondary blew a coverage assignment. After that play, the will of the Gamecock “Stormtroopers” was completely broken – and when Georgia got the ball back with more than eight minutes left on the clock they ran it down USC’s throat.
And ran every last second off the clock …
So what happens next?
“We have to be a little more creative on defense,” USC head coach Steve Spurrier said after the game.
More creative? Hmmmm. We’d start with keeping your assistant coaches from trying to strangle one another on the sidelines …
45 comments
After the Clemson-Georgia game, Gamecock fans stated that Top 10 defenses don’t give up 35 points and 550 yards. Well at least USC Jr’s defense was 12 yards better than Clemson’s.
TBG is sure glad that Clemson’s defense held Georgia to 6 fewer points than did Sakerlina’s big, bad, fast, SEC, Clowney led defense.
Excellent.
*Rubs hands together in anticipation of November [30] 2013.*
Agreed, an absolute embarrassment, what with that sideline scuffle. And frankly, our defense looks mainly weak (and particularly, the secondary)……. kind of looks like what we had 3-5 years ago, when we were mainly winning 8 or so games. It looks like we’re regressing on D.
Spurrier has worn out his welcome. Over rated and over paid. Let’s move on.
Damn straight!
WWJD
What Will Junior Do?
The only part of Jadeveon Clowney that showed up to play Georgia was the “Clown” part
With the Three Stooges+8 on Defense, the Clown huffing and puffing and Uga taking a piss on the sideline the only thing missing from this three ring circus were the elephants
Oops, sorry about that, I do remember seeing the Georgia Cheerleaders on the sidelines
Snarky 3rd paragraph, but I totally agree….
Hey Clown(ey) hurt his foot, give the guy a break… next week he’ll be playing with inflamed hemorrhoids. The week after that a migraine, the week after that a stubbed toe…
The shoving match would be a footnote covered up by a “they’re just two competitive guys” if they had won. After a loss, it gets more attention and does not bode well for their continued employment.
Let’s not get so overboard here. We just lost to a better team.
At this point in the season, Clemson has a better defense than us. We can only hope to improve. Also, let’s hope someone steps up on our schedule (as in rankings). It is beginning to look pretty weak. Maybe UCF or UT>>???
You can’t spell “steps up” without “UT”.
A good place to begin repairing the damage from the weekend would be a joint public apology to the State of South Carolina by Coach Adams & Botkin. Their irresponsible behavior, on national television, confirms what much of the nation already believes about our state. We’ve come to expect very little from our elected leaders, but not from people charged with providing a positive example for the state university’s student-athletes. What an embarrassment – again!!!
Whoa Whoa!!! Calm down Cocks. You all are so typical! When things get rough you start tearing your team apart. What you all should not be doing is running your mouths! Your coach runs his mouth, Clowney runs his mouth, fans run their mouths. What do you expect? You put a big ol’ target on yourselves. Like Clowney showing up on the field early before the game when Aaron Murray was throwing the ball around, just to “make sure he knew Clowney was there”. Ooooh shaking in his shoes! Not! Your whole program is just pathetic! SCar’s biggest probelm? SCar that’s who! But don’t worry in reviewing the rest of your schedule, about the only team that may beat you is Clemson. SEC, SEC, SEC! Whooo hoooo!
Uh no. That would be Clemson fans who tear their team apart when things get tough. The university had to build a $100 million indoor practice facility to keep crying fans from going over the edge after the loss to South Florida. After West Virginia scored 70, fans declared their team the assclowns of college football. It is only a matter of time before the next collapse.
Sorry, $10 million.
I agree face, you are sorry.
Sorry to offend CNSYD, you Kool-aid-drinking-Barker-ass-kissing simpleton.
Actually,, I regret being a bit harsh there. Believe what you will.
Thank you so much for granting me permission.
Have you ever read a game thread in a forum (cockytalk.com)? I’ve never met so many bipolar people in my life. We score, we’re going to the national championship, the other team scores we’re going to go 6-6, we score we’re going to play for the SEC championship, they score again and we need to start firing coaches.
cockytalk.com does not sound like a football forum. are you sure it is?
funny you mention those 70 points. i don’t particularly care for clemson or sc but i was at that game a few years back when clemson scored 63 on sc in columbia. so i don’t see you making a great statement about those 70 points.
jabber you are not allowed to speak about the 63 point game. That is “ancient history” just like Clemson’s recent victory is classified as history by the gamecocks. Now the 70 points, that is always fresh in the gamecock mind.
70-33=37
63-17=46
So, what’s worse? Getting beat by 37 by a team who is a perennial powerhouse on a neutral field
Taxpayer you are dead on. Also figure up the point differential the ONLY time the cocks have been to the SEC championship game. But we are not supposed to bring up that “ancient history”.
Auburn just scored again!
Clemson just scored again!
Soon they might bring back TBG’s favorite Sakerlina tradition… you know, when the fans leave at halftime and come back in the third quarter dressed as empty seats.
Owwwww…
Look people. You folks just never get it. so let me tell you one last time.
It is the Curse. The Chicken Curse. Sure as shit that Nikki Halley is a slut and Richard Eckstrom is a drunk, that Lee Bright is as least as stupid as Hugh Leatherman is crooked, it is the Curse.
Learn to live with it.
Throw the two bums out, get someone else. Really, it couldn’t be much worse, 538 yards, 41 points, dayum.
BFD…shit happens all the time. Those 2 coaches used to play. It’s a tough game they had it put and its over. Maybe GA is really good…
both fanbases are terrible when they lose.
That said, our best player on defense a year ago hasn’t shown up. And one of the two coaches involved in the scuffle is the new position coach responsible for the defensive line.
They were raving about him at the time of the hire. but I’d never heard of him.
Whammy Ward is going to have to realize going forward that every day that passes, this becomes more his defense and less Ellis Johnson’s, in terms of staff and players.
With Clowney in the game, the defense gave up 8.3 yards per play. With him out of the game, they gave up just 2.8. With him in the game, they gave up 17 plays of ten yards or more. Out of the game? Only 2!
It’s a beautiful day in South Carolina!
The coaches were arguing about whether Clowney was in first place or second place in the Heisman race.
Carolina ran an uncovered 4/0 defense all day, and ended up like all teams that run that defense in College and half the NFL, with their behinds being kicked all over the field. Clemson ran it a lot too against Ga., and nearly every time had rotten results. Clemson’s only success with the 4 came when they ran a 4/2 with stunting linebackers. You have to run linebackers up on the line stunting in and out of the 3 open holes to be successful. Linebackers are useless when lining up 5 yards off the ball. The best defense by far is the NFL’s covered (means all 7 men up on the line of scrimmage) 4/3, with 3 linebackers stunting up on the line. It confuses the hell out of the offense, and removes the ability for offensive coaches to call in plays from the sidelines. The covered 4/3 can produce a run killing 7 man front. A crushing pass rush, or various linebackers falling back into double pass coverage. You don’t know whose coming, or from what direction. It is by far and away the best defense in football. Clemson ran it only 4 times against Ga. The result was: 2 time outs by Ga. to try and figure out what to do, and all 4 plays going for massive losses. Why Clemson didn’t run it all day? Answer: the same reason they ran an uncovered 4/0, and the much worse 3/0 prevent defense (means prevents winning). That nearly cost them the game at the end of the 4th quarter. Just plain stupid defensive coaching by Clemson.
WAKE UP USC & CLEMSON: RUN THE DAMN 4/3 WITH STUNTING LINEBACKERS ALL THE TIME: YOU IDIOTS!!!
ELCID, so USC & Clemson need to emulate The Citadel?
NOPE. Citadel doesn’t run it either.
Clemson and USC need to emulate NFL teams that are winning by running the covered 4/3 with massive linebacker stunts. And, stop running the uncovered 4.
Next time you watch a good NFL team you will see them with 7 men up on the line. It’s a covered 4/3. It works nearly every time. College teams basically employ over paid high school coaches. They are too busy rah rahing their defensive teams, instead of putting them in defensive sets that give them the chance to win. Note in USC Ga. game: the defensive line and defensive linebackers coaches got into a fight on the side lines during the game. What a bunch of dolts, each blaming the other for failure. When it was actually both of them without a clue. Both should be fired, and Alonso Ward should go too, if he can’t get a better defense with the players he has. A simple change to the covered 4/3 would solve nearly all of USC’s and Clemson’s defensive problems.
Two of Clemson’s defensive coaches have coached in the NFL.
Probably why they are not coaching in the NFL any more: GOT FIRED.
Clemson defensive coach in last part of 4th quarter of Ga. Game, was running around on the side lines slapping guys on the back to try and rally them. While at the same time, putting them in an uncovered 4/0 defense and the awful 3/0 Prevent defense. They never had a chance. Lucky, time ran out on Ga.
He did run the 4/3, 4 times with outstanding results. He also ran a 4/2 wide tackle 6 that did great when his linebackers kept moving around and stunting. Many times when they didn’t, the Ga. running back got massive yardage and several run away touch downs.
Don’t believe it, check the game films. Note: Monday nights NFL game where the Eagles had changed from their past covered 4/3 to a covered 3/4. Either way, it worked, they clobbered the Washington Redskins all night. Until, they moved to a 3/0 & 4/0 with linebackers off the ball and played prevent defensive. Washington almost came back and won the game.
Watch what USC’s Steve Spurrier does this week. He’s gonna change that awful 4/0 defense. I hope he goes 4/3 with stunt linebackers. If he runs the 4/2 USC must stunt their linebackers to cover 3 holes with only 2 linebackers. You can’t freeze and let the offense call in plays from the sidelines. You have to take that option away by moving, stunting and covering your defensive sets.
Typical Shamecock fans – crying, calling for Spurrier’s job, lashing out at Clemson, etc.
Georgia is a good team – they have the best QB and RB in the conference, and a senior ladden O line that is huge. The should have beaten Clemson at Death Valley – but for mistakes, dumb penalties and a mishandled snap, would have won by 10.
Had Shaw covered his fumble, had Carolina made the extra point, and scored from the Georgia 1 yard line, the outcome could have been different. At Georgia.
So don’t jump off the wagon just yet. Georgia will not go through the SEC unscathed – they should lose two games – and Carolina should win the rest of its SEC games – putting them in the same spot Georgia found itself last season.
Clowney is still a bad ass – he had a sack, a tackle for loss, and several hurries, and was held and double teamed.
Davis has turned into a top quality tailback, and the receivers and QB play has been good. The tight ends are a disappointment so far, but they are too good to play bad. Yes, the secondary has been unimpressive, but they have some easy games to get better.
So climb off the ledge. Support your team – don’t panic – be cool, be loyal, be loud, have a little fun.
In other words, act like Clemson fans.
one took the points. the other layed the wood. hence the meltdown. jeez guys figure it out