Dowdle: 'I think we could have run the ball on them all game'

After one quarter, it looked like the Tavien Feaster experiment was going to be one of the best decisions made by Will Muschamp over the last four years.

Not only was Feaster excelling—he ripped a 34-yard touchdown run in the first 15 minutes—but his success was helping Rico Dowdle as well, who was off to a stellar start as the Gamecocks put up 90 yards on the ground in the first quarter.

But, as the game went on, the Gamecocks steadily went away from the run and struggled to get in a rhythm on the ground in the final three quarters.

“I’m not sure what wasn’t working,” Dowdle said. "I think we could have run the ball on them all game, if you ask me. I wouldn’t say they shut us down, I just don’t think we ran it as much as we did in the first half. Everything was working.”

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The Gamecocks rushed for 90 yards in the first quarter, helped in part by a 21-yard rush by Dowdle and Feaster’s 34-yard touchdown scamper. They’d rush the ball nine times the first 15 minutes of the game, averaging 10 yards per carry.

In the final three quarters, however, the Gamecocks only rushed 19 times — six carries in the second quarter, six more in the third and seven in the fourth —for just 57 yards, an average of three yards per carry.

Those yards do not include minus-19 sack yards, which are credited to the running game.

By comparison, quarterback Jake Bentley threw the ball 13 total times in the first half for 75 yards (5.8 yards per attempt) but threw it 16 times after halftime for 5.3 yards per attempt and a touchdown. He’d go 2-for-9 for 15 yards with two interceptions in the fourth quarter.

A little of the discrepancy has to do with RPOs being called—there aren’t many straight run plays in the Gamecocks’ playbook—which means a run could be called but if there’s a stacked box, Bentley could opt to throw the ball instead.

Including the three sacks taken after the first quarter, Bentley dropped back to pass eight more times (27) than the Gamecocks ran the ball (19 carries).

So, did the Gamecocks go away from the run after the first quarter?

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“Maybe a little bit,” Dowdle said. “(Offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon) went with what he felt was right.”

The Gamecocks did have a really good first quarter with both Dowdle and Feaster finishing with respectable final lines.

Dowdle started the game and finished with 62 yards on 11 carries (5.6 yards per attempt) while Feaster led the team with 72 yards on 13 carries (5.5 yards per attempt).

While the Gamecocks lost and didn’t put up as potent numbers after the first quarter, Dowdle still leaves encouraged about where the run game is right now with 11 regular season games left.

“I think we have the ability to be one of the top backfields in the country,” he said. “If we can both come in and make plays like the coaches want us to do, I think we have the chance to be very good.”

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The Gamecocks are hoping to get a boost up front as well, shuffling a few things around on the offensive line.

Donell Stanley is set to take over at center while Jordan Rhodes slides over to left guard. Eric Douglas and Jovaughn Gwyn are still battling for the right guard spot and Douglas started there against North Carolina.

According to Pro Football Focus’s grades, the Gamecocks finished with a 74.7 grade in run blocking and a 42.8 pass block mark.

“We’re looking at some new things up front,” Dowdle said. “In the run game Saturday, the O-line did a great job.”