Allen-Williams, Lammons rising to the occasion
To call South Carolina's 2015 defense anything other than bad would be a lie. The unit, a key contributor to the team's worst season since 2000, returned most of its same personnel to pair with a new coaching staff. As it turns out, all it took to turn everything around was a new scheme and a conversation between two of the squad's leaders.
Juniors Chris Lammons and Bryson Allen-Williams came in as part of South Carolina's highly anticipated 2014 recruiting class, a class that ranked 17th nationally, but has been, up to this point, quite disappointing.
Allen-Williams and Lammons were gems, with the former ranked as the 103rd-best prospect and the latter as the 14th-best athlete in the country. However, despite seeing extended playing time for the majority of their college careers, Lammons and Allen-Williams were both known for their mistakes more than their successes.
While Allen-Williams struggled to find a true position in Steve Spurrier's defense, Lammons was often targeted by opposing quarterbacks and had a reputation for soft coverage and tackling issues.
Flash forward two years and the two are leaders on and off the field. After Will Muschamp called out Lammons for a lack of physicality in a loss to Mississippi State, the corner responded with a strong performance — including a touchdown saving interception — in a win against East Carolina.
Since losing to the Bulldogs, Lammons has been stellar, notching 14 tackles and two interceptions, as well as a sack and a forced fumble. Matched against the much taller Josh Reynolds for much of the game, Lammons held his own, allowing Reynolds only three catches for 29 yards on seven targets.
Allen-Williams has been a microcosm of South Carolina's defensive turnaround. The unit as a whole has allowed just 18.6 points per game, good for fifth in the SEC and a vast improvement over the 27.5 points allowed by last year's squad. Allen-Williams has been a big part of that, registering 28 tackles in five games, one more than his career high.
Allen-Williams' talent has always been evident, but until now his impact has been minimal, largely because he never really found a home under Spurrier and defensive coordinators Lorenzo Ward and Jon Hoke.
It's not uncommon for players to make tremendous strides during their college careers, but when it's multiple players in the same season, it becomes more of a trend. So what changed?
"Me and Bryson (Allen-Williams) made a commitment to each other," Lammons said. "We've been here, we know what the coaches expect out of us. We try to go harder, bring that same energy and urgency to the team and make them go to try to match it."
Just one cursory glance will show that this year's defense is more active than the defenses late in the Spurrier era. More guys are flying to the ball and the unit as a whole looks more aggressive and cohesive. Lammons and Allen-Williams have taken on roles as more vocal leaders and the group has responded.
"I feel like we've just developed more," Allen-Williams said. "[Coach Travaris Robertson], Coach Muschamp, and Coach Hutzler, especially, do a great job pulling out the key traits in us. They make us want to play hard. Coach Muschamp is definitely a coach you want to and give your all for."
At least through five games, South Carolina's defense is giving their all. If that trend continues, the unit could be a force for years to come. A good scheme helps, but it all starts with the players buying in. Allen-Williams and Lammons have seemed to do just that.