Gamecocks searching for answers with rush defense

Even though the Gamecocks won both games, there was a talking point during those media availabilities each week the run defense wasn’t performing at a high level.

Saturday that came to a head.

The Gamecocks were porous in the front seven as they watched LSU run roughshod, putting up close to 300 yards on the ground and exposing one of the biggest problems needing fixing during the bye week.

“To be quite honest I was having a hard time in game of why the runs were hitting so much. It’s going to take me watching the film,” Ernest Jones said. “Sometimes we were getting out of our gaps, we weren’t running the right stuff and everyone wasn’t on the same page. Stuff like that happens.”

Also see: More analysis from Saturday's blowout loss

Dating back to the Vanderbilt game the Gamecocks have struggled stopping the run; taking out sack yardage, Auburn, Vanderbilt and LSU have combined for 598 yards over the last three weeks and are averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

The issue was exposed against LSU with the Tigers rattling off 276 yards on 54 carries, the latest in a long line of concerning rushing performances.

“We knew they were going to go to that and we didn’t get off blocks and we didn’t tackle. We just did not play the run very well at all. That created things in the pass game because we had to bring an extra guy in the box to stop the run. They hit some things in the pass game.”

This now prompts the question of how South Carolina goes about fixing it, and the Gamecocks have the bye week to figure it out.

Some of it goes to personnel and needing better play from the main defensive tackles Rick Sandidge—who Muschamp said on his teleconference needs to play with more consistent effort—Zacch Pickens, Jabari Ellis, Keir Thomas and MJ Webb.

But, the Gamecocks also have to find ways schematically put players in position to make a play.

Right now they are playing a four-man front typically and are shifting and stunting a lot, which Muschamp mentions can be “feast or famine.”

Muschamp said the Gamecocks could try during the bye week on seeing what kind of movement works best and how to avoid giving up those explosive plays.

Also see: Evaluating Collin Hill's start at LSU

“Sometimes when you have some good backs—and they have some good backs—they hit some creases on us in the run game. We have to be better tied together with our secondary and our linebackers in our run fits,” Muschamp said. “We might look at some different front adjustments to help our guys a little bit.”

The Gamecocks (2-3) have a little less than two weeks to really figure things out before their next game, and what a test it will be.

They’ll host No. 8 Texas A&M team that’s been one of the better rush offenses in the SEC. This year the Aggies are leading the SEC in yards per carry (5.3) and are third in the SEC in rush yards per game (172.3).

If South Carolina doesn’t correct some of the run game issues, it could be another big day on the group.

“We’re giving up too many offensive wins up front. We’re not disengaging, getting off or making single tackles as a defensive line,” Muschamp said. “I think Keir has been the most effective as far as disengaging and getting off blocks and making plays. Hell, they’re going to block you. You have to get off a block and make a play.”