If the South Carolina defense isn't careful this week, it could find itself up against another buzzsaw-like run offense in Auburn.

So far this season South Carolina is giving up 168.9 rushing yards per game, putting it at No. 88 nationally and No. 11 in the SEC for rushing defense.

Under head coach Brian Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Auburn has turned into a ground and pound threat offensively, something Beamer said will be a big test this weekend.

"It starts with the run," Beamer said. "They're really, really, really good and really, really physical. They mix up the run game, it's not like it's just one scheme that you see over and over, you've got to be ready for a lot of it."

The play style isn't a necessarily a surprise though; Bobo was the offensive coordinator at South Carolina last year and did the same thing with Kevin Harris and defensive lineman JJ Enagbare described Bobo's play calling as "pound the ball" football.

"We know Mike Bobo is going to try to run the ball over 20-30 times. He's just going to try to play hard-nosed football," Enagbare said. "Our goal I guess obviously is to put them in third and long and put them in pass situations and put them in a situation they don't want to be in."

The Gamecocks, with the big exception of the Florida game, have struggled with the run game as of late. Through the 10 games played so far this season it has given up four games of over 200 rush yards.

Most of this is due to the sheer talent of the SEC competition that South Carolina is going up against though. In its last four games, the Gamecocks have faced a team that has a running back that currently ranks in the top 10 in the SEC for rushing yards per game.

Defensive coordinator Clayton White acknowledged the fact that almost every team it's played this year has a talented running back room.

"Auburn has talented running backs, just like every single team that we've played and obviously these guys have a little more juice so we've gotta do a great job of who we're going against and how we're going to defend it," White said.

To counter this, Enagbare and fellow defensive linemen Zacch Pickens said the defense has been working on its physicality in practice this week.

"Right now we're just practicing physical. We really slowing stuff down so we know what we doing and know what gaps we supposed to hit," Pickens said. "Linebackers, d-line, we're all trying to be on the same page."

Enagbare said he's struggled against the run game recently and that this week he's been working to make his play against the rush one of his strong suits.

"I've had a little ups and downs, I feel like I've done a better job striking, just the initial contact and just being able to set the edge and stuff like that," Enagbare said. "I definitely got a lot of work to improve on these last couple games."

This week, the defense will have to attempt to contain former Gamecock recruiting target Tank Bigsby, who comes to Columbia with 776 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the season, averaging 4.97 yards per carry and 77.60 yards per game.

Enagbare spoke highly of Bigsby this week, saying he's one of the better backs that the team has faced this season.

"He's just a good player," Enagbare said. "Pound for pound he's probably one of the strongest backs we've faced. He's only 210, 208 something like that but he runs like he's 240."

Pickens echoed Enagbare's praise of Bigsby.

"He's doing amazing. His footwork, he's shifty he's got great speed, his vision is amazing," Pickens said.

While Bigsby may receive most of the spot light, Beamer said he won't be the only one the Gamecock defense will have to worry about.

"They play physical offensively, they're explosive," he said. "We all know about Bigsby the running back, but they've got a group of running backs that can run the football, they've got a big physical offensive line."

South Carolina will need to stop the run game on Saturday night to position itself to win, clinching the coveted sixth win and bowl eligibility.

"Our guys have shown they can stop the run," Beamer said. "We've got to be more consistent doing it than what were were against Missouri."

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