My prediction for this game was far from correct, except that Brandon Wilds would handle the starting job, and handle it well. This, he accomplished in the first half in my opinion, but through the course of the game he went 137 yards on 28 attempts. He did have a fumble, but he stayed composed and came out on the next drive and kept pounding it in there.
Connor Shaw had an okay game, I predicted he'd throw for 195 yards on 22 completions / 32 attempts, he didn't even throw the ball 22 times. He went 10 of 18 for 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int. He also had 16 rushes for 64 yards. He did okay running, but would have had better stats if he had thrown the ball away on a few attempt where he ran out of bounds well behind the line of scrimmage.
Alshon Jeffery was held to 3 catches for 17 yards. To be fair he was double and triple covered until they realized they had to stop Connor and Brandon from running wild (get it?).
As for Tennessee they should have high hopes for the future. Their young team will improve, and they'll be back Gamecocks, be sure of it, and next time we may have a much bigger fight on our hands. Worley went 10 of 26 for 105 yards, no TD's, 2 Int. Not incredible, not even fair, but for a freshman making his first collegiate start, he showed promise. He needs to learn to put more touch on his throws and not rifle it in everywhere. He certainly has a cannon for an arm.
Tauren Poole had 18 attempts for 38 yards. We successfully held a runningback, and that is where our success started. If Tauren Poole was allowed to run rampant like Michael Dyer did, this game would be a little different now.
Overall, defense won this game for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The question remains though, can we continue to rely on our stout defense?
Winners and Losers - Week 9
Winners
Stephon Gilmore-
He hasn't shown his ability to play at the level he has been expected to in quite some time. He HAS played okay, but he showed yesterday his ability to get on the ball and get interceptions as well as shut down the coverage on his assignment. I like Stephon Gilmore, and if he keeps playing the way he did last night, I expect a first or second round draft pick for him, but his performance last night shows that we as fans, still have something to be happy about for him.
Brandon Wilds-
He came in and performed better than expected, 28 carries for 137 yards. Those are Marcus Lattimore stats. Another positive is that he did this at an opposing stadium. He is ready to fill the shoes of Lattimore, but he'll still be #2 or #3 on the depth chart next season. Since he is only a freshman though, being behind Lattimore another year or two (I predict Lattimore will stay his senior season now that he hurt his knee) can only help him, and expect him to have a huge season when it's finally his turn.
Andrew Luck-
When isn't this guy a winner? Oh yeah, Oregon last season.... Oh well, he is still the #1 QB in the league this season. Trailing closely to him would be Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III. Last night though, it was the Andrew Luck show, a show in which he threw 29 of 40 for 330 yards, 3 TD's, and 1 Int. Right now he is 174 of 242 for 2218 yards, 23 TD's, 4 Int's, on the year. Let's go ahead and give him the Heisman.
Sammy Watkins-
*GASP!* CockyJ how could you do this? You are saying Sammy Watkins is a WINNER? BUT HE'S A TIGGER!!! Sorry Gamecocks, but he is a baller, and this week he is a winner. While his team lost (we'll get to that later), Sammy Watkins had 10 catches for 159 yards, and a touchdown. Yes, I know, he's a Clemson Tiger, but if we can't appreciate our competition and rivals, then what good is the rivalry?
Justin Worley-
Yes yes, I know, his team lost, too. The simple fact is, that while he had a poor game, it was his first collegiate start and he showed a lot of promise as a QB of the future, they should have kept him on redshirt status, but they didn't. He'll still be a great QB when Bray leaves.
Losers
Clemson Tigers-
You knew it was coming, even if I claimed Sammy Watkins as a winner for this week. Clemson got its first loss of the season last night against Georgia Tech in a stunning 31-17 outcome. Tajh Boyd had a good game, despite only having 1 TD and 2 INT's. Oh well, it was bound to happen, I suppose the sting when they lose to USC in Williams Brice on November 26th won't be quite as bad now.
Matt Simms-
Matt Simms had a chance to lead his Volunteers to a win late in the game, but he could not get it done against the outstanding South Carolina defense. Had he won this game, he would have been a hero in a new verse of Rocky Top. Sorry Matt, but not this year.
USC Offensive Line-
The offensive line for USC has always been our Achilles Heel. If you can't give our quarterback a decent amount of time to get Alshon Jeffery or one of our other receivers the ball, we WILL NOT WIN. I would suggest a short passing game with quick routes instead of trying to go for a first down every single play. Alas, I am not a coach, nor am I in good enough with Steve Spurrier to suggest it. Although the play calling from him was borderline genius last night.
Sure there are plenty more that can make these lists, but come on folks, I need to be able to open and close my hands.
Until next time.
Thanks for reading, check back soon!
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