SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

The week South Carolina fans had circled ever since the 2019 schedule came out is here.

The Gamecocks are set to welcome Alabama to Williams-Brice Stadium this week, the first time playing the Tide since upsetting top-ranked Alabama in 2010. There are a few storylines here after that with Will Muschamp facing his mentor Nick Saban as well.

On his Sunday teleconference, Muschamp was asked a few questions about preparing for the Tide and this is what he had to say.

What about their passing game makes it difficult to defend?

Their quarterback is extremely accurate with the football especially on the vertical balls down the field. The talent level between (Jaylen) Waddle and (Jerry) Jeudy, both guys in the slot and outside stretch the field vertically. (Henry) Ruggs and (Devonta) Smith are extremely talented guys that can stretch the field. They all have good ball skills. When you mix that with a very good quarterback and them doing a nice job in play action, they really stretch you vertically and horizontally…They get the ball in playmaker’s hands. You get a block and a missed tackle and normally it’s resulting in a big play. They present a lot of issues.”

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On what he learned under Nick Saban:

“From a learning standpoint I think the biggest thing you have to be philosophically on the same page as what Coach Saban wants. That’s something that was easy for me because I believe in the same thing…More than anything it’s about understanding how everything is tied together from the front to the back, from the linebacker play, from the run fit standpoint to a coverage standpoint. You have to have a good understanding of coverage. You have to have a good understanding of the back-end play. Then it’s understanding the way Nick sees the game and administers that defensively and being able to interject that in the moment and what you want to do. The more you’re with nick, the more he allows you to do as far as those things are concerned, as far as being able to call the game as you see it and add your own personal way you might see a game and see how it’s played. Nick’s great on game day as far as the communication of what he sees. That’s always great to have as far as, ‘These are the things I’m seeing. You’ve been in too much middle field, you’ve been in too much split safety, what about pressure here?’ he always gives good ideas on game day of different ways to look at it from a guy that’s very experienced in calling a game. It’s an awesome experience for me and I learned a lot of football under Nick.”

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On Nick Saban being tough on assistants:

“At the end of the day Nick’s demanding. That’s what makes him very successful. He does a really good job of hiring coaches and teaching coaches how he wants his system and program administered. That’s a huge strength of his in anticipating issues before they arise. I think Nick was demanding but never asked me to do something he wasn’t doing from a work standpoint. That’s what impressed me from that standpoint. He wants to play at a high level. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

On what jumps out to him about Tua Tagovailoa:

“They thing that jumps out at you are the off rhythm plays. The off rhythm plays he makes out of the pocket and the ad-lib plays where you’re seeing a lot of explosive plays. You have a lot good guys around him and he’s very accurate with the football. He’s completing this year I believe in the 80 percent with his completions and they’re not all bubbles and quick; they’re vertical down the field. Those are the things that jump out at me.”

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On why he thinks New Mexico and Duke stunted so much defensively?

“Well, I don’t know. I know they’re inexperience and the guard and center spots. I can’t speak for New Mexico or duke and what they do schematically. Maybe it’s just what they did defensively and who the yare. Watching Duke in the past they have been a movement team and they move a lot. Maybe that’s what they do as a defense. That’s how we approach things as well.”

On thinking if he could exploit an inexperienced interior line?

“We’re going to do what we do. Like both of those teams did. I think both of those teams are movement teams and that’s what they are defensively. We’ll continue to do what we need to do to be successful.”