Breaking down the keys: South Carolina football vs. UNC
In this feature, GamecockCentral.com goes in-depth on what South Carolina football will need to accomplish on Saturday to emerge victorious in the 2023 season opener against UNC.
Go ahead and throw all your cliches directly at this first game: litmus test, measuring stick, toss-up, on and on. Both of these programs enter game one with some questions to answer, and both seem to have some strengths on which they can rely in trying to gain an advantage.
And yes, you can add “run the ball and stop the run” to the list of platitudes that will be important to South Carolina’s chances of winning this contest.
Let’s go deeper than that, though. What’s most important for Shane Beamer’s squad in looking to gain his second win over Mack Brown since taking over in Columbia.
For a Gamecocks defense looking to take a big step forward in 2023, facing North Carolina right off the bat represents a significant early test. I’m particularly focused on the play of the linebacker room for South Carolina football.
[Win a Spencer Rattler-autographed football]
This is a group that has upgraded athletically and also has more depth this year. Stone Blanton and Debo Williams don’t have the experience of the two sixth-year seniors that departed from last year’s team, but the upside is higher. Both had good offseasons in Columbia.
Bam Martin-Scott is out for this game, which does leave the Gamecocks without a player who would have pulled down some key reserve snaps as well as some on special teams. That puts freshman Pup Howard under the microscope a bit more. Of course, Mo Kaba, who was on his way to a potentially big season last year, is back healthy and is essentially a “third starter” at the position, too.
In my mind, there are a couple reasons that this position is magnified for the purposes of this game. First, this unit will be key to overcoming the run defense struggles that South Carolina football has faced over the last couple seasons. UNC does have a stable of talented backs, and quarterback Drake Maye is likewise a big threat to run the ball himself.
UNC OC Chip Lindsey’s system will also feature some RPO concepts, which means it’s going to sometimes put USC’s linebackers into conflict and into quick decision-making mode. The more disciplined this group plays, the better.
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Since this is a new season, I’d feel like I’m leaving a significant storyline out if I didn’t harp on one of Shane Beamer’s offseason crusades, and that is for South Carolina football to not turn the ball over so much.
With two teams that appear pretty evenly matched, the margin for error is low. And that means the turnovers also needs to be low for the Gamecocks. In the Gamecocks’ losses last season during the regular season, the turnover margin was completely unbalanced. We could really pick this for every game (just like running the ball/run defense), but it’s especially important to win this game and set the tone for the rest of the year.
UNC’s defense has not been as good as recruiting rankings would indicate. Linebackers Cedric Gray and Power Echols have been tackling machines, however. USC would be well-suited to make sure those two do not have the freedom to roam around and make plays on Saturday night.
Thus, another key in this one is USC’s tight ends: Trey Knox and Josh Simon. This transfer duo has impressed since arriving in the spring. Their blocking work will be welcomed, but they are also threats in the passing game. That could not only create some big plays for this USC offense, but could also loosen up the Tar Heels’ linebackers.
That brings us to the final key, which happens to be the man who will touch the ball on every play for the Gamecocks.
Since the spring, we have been asking players and other sources about players that were going to take a big step forward in 2023. Spencer Rattler’s name was consistently mentioned. Offensive coordiantor Dowell Loggains has spoken plenty about how much freedom Rattler is going to have at the line.
Rattler’s play will be crucial in this game, because he is going to be counted on to get USC in the right looks, to make good decisions, and to make some of the special throws that he is capable of making.
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