Three Takeaways: Rattler’s progressions, Judge’s emergence, Punters from down under
South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer as well as all three coordinators met with the media this week to give their thoughts on the Gamecocks matchup this weekend with Tennessee
As always, Three Takeaways is designed to focus the spotlight on something interesting we learned this week or to provide some additional context to something that was said.
[Win a custom wooden Gamecock flag]
Spencer Rattler’s progressions
Through four games, South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler has put up the big numbers and has passed the eye test with flying colors too.
When you pull back the curtain, he’s apparently done even more than that.
When watching a game from home or in the stands, it’s not always easy to tell what all a coach is asking from a player.
To what extent is he being asked to change plays at the line of scrimmage? How much is he being asked to read defenses vs. just a simple one-read-and-go offense? And how much is he involved in setting the protections?
For Rattler this season, it’s sort of been all of the above.
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said all preseason that he was going to put a lot of responsibility on Rattler’s shoulders because he’s earned it. And with a deeper understanding of all the off-the-field elements of playing QB, Rattler has become a more dangerous player on it.
Loggains used the example of Rattler getting all the way to his third progression multiple times this year, such as when he did so on one of the TD throws to Xavier Legette.
The former Oklahoma QB came to South Carolina, in part, so that he could show NFL teams what he could do in a more NFL-based scheme. And this year he’s doing just that.
“All of us can watch him throw,” Loggains said. “My wife can go out there and watch him throw one-on-one. He’s got every club in his bag. He’s got every nab throw, he knows when to back shoulder and knows when to throw it over a top. But when you watch get to three and four in the progression, scramble up and find the check down?
“The throw to Mario (Anderson), he’s going through a progression and gets hit on his right shoulder and checks the ball down to Mario on the right side. That’s a huge play no one is talking about. That leads to points. Some quarterbacks their eyes go down, collapse in the pocket and they panic. When you see that, that builds trust.”
It’s time to talk about Judge
Is it time we start talking a little more about what Judge Collier is doing for South Carolina as a freshman?
The lowest-ranked signee in the Gamecocks’ 2023 class has already vastly exceeded those expectations, quickly moving up to the third cornerback spot behind Marcellas Dial and O’Donnell Fortune and gradually seeing his playing time increase.
For a South Carolina team that entered the year with no experienced depth at corner, Collier’s emergence has been important.
“He’s improving taking the coaching from Coach (Torrian) Gray) and getting used to that, one, which I think that’s always a big step, just understanding how to get coached at this level,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said. “Watching him just go out there and use technique on plays, the majority of his technique has been correct. Haven’t had a lot of balls thrown his way as far as getting a chance to see his length and his speed. But we’re watching him every day get better, his details, his focus, he’s kind of a pro. Meaning he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be for the most part and do the right things and stay off the list. Great kid.”
Punters from Down Under
I’m late to the party on this trend.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew that it has become popular to recruit punters from Australia to play college ball, but I was amazed to learn during ESPN’s broadcast of Tennessee and Florida that 12 of the SEC’s 14 punters are from Down Under.
Many Aussie punters start off playing Australian rules football, where the ball is advanced primarily by kicking, or rugby.
Those kickers grow up learning to put various spins and angles on the football — and in the case of Tennessee punter Jackson Ross, a Melbourne, Australia native, it also means being able to successfully punt with either foot.
According to South Carolina special teams coordinator Pete Lembo, it presents a unique challenge for the Gamecocks on Saturday.
“So this guy, he’s like the eighth wonder of the world,” Lembo said. “He can roll in both directions and punt equally well with either leg, in both directions. Normally, you know you’re playing against a right-footed punter, and if he’s a rugby guy as well, you have your angle launch points, and then you know he’s going to roll in one direction. If he’s in a rugby ball, this guy can go in either direction, and they do it about 50-50.
“So this is like, if any of you are old enough to remember when Emeril Lagasse had his show, it’s like kicking it up a notch in terms of what you have to prepare for just to be sound to start. And then you’ve got to figure out, okay, how are we going to apply pressure, how are we going to return, whatever else that we’re doing. So that’s that’s kind of next-level stuff that we’re going to see this week.”
Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!
The post Three Takeaways: Rattler’s progressions, Judge’s emergence, Punters from down under appeared first on On3.
