The numbers were pretty clear cut, and they weren’t pretty. 184 yards at Georgia. 230 against Kentucky. 247 at Tennessee. 290 at Texas A&M. 258 against Missouri. 265 against Clemson.

South Carolina allowed 200+ rushing yards in nearly half of its regular season games last season, and at least five yards per carry in six of them. It is an area the Gamecocks absolutely need to improve on in order to have any success in 2022.

And they know it.

“I would say just with the plays we’re putting in, there’s an emphasis in practice, especially during our indy (independent) periods,” senior defensive end M.J. Webb said. “The whole entire defense is just making an emphasis on that, just stopping the run.”

If the defense is going to take strides in the department, it is going to have to be a team effort. Having Zacch Pickens back to anchor a talented group of defensive tackles is a huge boost, but he alone will not be able to patch up the issue.

A group of young defensive linemen who did not previously receive a lot of playing time are eager to step into more prominent roles. Redshirt freshman Gilber Edmond and true freshman T.J. Sanders both made sporadic appearances for the Gamecocks last season as freshmen — nine combined — and will potentially be soaking up more snaps this time around.

“I just feel like we’re more locked in,” Sanders said. “We’re really emphasizing our run defense this year. If we can get guys to third down, we can really get our pass rushers going, and that’s our strong suit.”

Sanders is entering his second season with the program, the same as defending coordinator Clayton White. Year one for him was an up-and-down experience for the defense, but he might have planted some seeds for success. Linebacker Debo Williams praised White saying he knows the coaching staff will “put us in the right place” with his scheme.

It’s a scheme many South Carolina players have expressed their joy playing in, one geared around player success and trying to maximize playmaking ability. White’s defense forced 24 turnovers in 13 games last season, good enough to lead the SEC in the department and check in 14th nationally.

“Our guys learned a little piece of that last year, how much fun it can be once we get rolling,” White said. “So this year, they were locked in from January to learn multiple positions, because they know that in the system they’re in, once you learn it, you can use your own flavor and have fun with it.”

Year one of any new scheme involves a learning curve, both in terms of installing the new playbook and actually translating those plays onto the practice field and into games. But with White’s fingerprints now all over the defense and the players taking to the concepts, next comes the task of shoring up the run game.

What has to happen? It starts with applying the mental studies from the film room onto the field at game speed.

“Just making sure everybody is in their gaps, no mental errors,” Williams said. “As long as everybody is in their gaps, everybody is athletic enough to hold it down and stop it. We’re in the SEC, you’re not just going to brutally run through anybody. That’s all we’ve got to do, be in our gaps.”

Jordan Burch is another player who will be crucial in this effort. Even though his job will primarily be to rush the passer in those aforementioned third down situations, he figures to be on the field early in series, too. Burch totaled up 26 tackles last season, although only 2.5 of those were credited as tackles for loss.

Standing 6’6” and 275 pounds with quick agility off the edge, the former five-star recruit is ideally positioned to win one-on-one battles on the outside to make more plays in the backfield. The attention Pickens should draw in the middle will only stand to benefit him in those match-ups.

And according to him, the point of attack was where the defense faltered in 2021.

“I guess defeat the guy in front of you,” Burch said is the key to stopping the run. “I think when they [opponents] do get a long run, that’s usually the problem. We’re worried about other stuff instead of what’s in front of us. I feel like right now that’s the main focus, and we’re doing pretty good on that.”

And although ultimately the bulk of the responsibility will fall on the defensive linemen and linebackers, a more holistic approach to run defense has been a focus. The ground game gashes came from all over the field, and White’s defense is working to become more of a team operation against the run.

“Stopping the run is not only for the D-linemen and the linebackers, it’s also for us,” starting cornerback Marcellas Dial said. “That’s been our big emphasis and a place we’re trying to improve. Just hitting our gaps and being there whenever the D-line messes up or a linebacker messes up because we have to help stop the run too.”

Front to back, there is a heightened intensity on cleaning up one of last season’s biggest flaws. The success of the defense might depend on it, and the Gamecocks are ready for the challenge.

“It’s all about the team defense and obviously how the game is going,” White said. “But right now we’re working on it every single day and trying to improve. But I think the most important thing is we have to understand it takes all 11 to do those kinds of things.”