Three and out: What we learned from the Vandy game
After an offseason of unknowns, there are finally answers to at least some of the questions many have about South Carolina. It would be dangerous to put too much stock into one game, but here are some things we did learn during Carolina's 13-10 victory over Vanderbilt.
A.J. Turner and Bryan Edwards are ballers - No matter how many practice reps a player gets, coaches can never be entirely sure how he's going to perform in his first live game college football action. But Turner showed why the staff felt so comfortable in making him the starter and Edwards showed why he was a four-star prospect in high school and had so many early offers in each player's collegiate debut Thursday night.
The first touch of Turners career couldn't have gone much worse, but he recovered quickly and was one of the brightest spots in an offense that was looking for sparks. I've talked plenty this offseason about Turner's work ethic, vision and quickness, but I undersold his ability to break tackles. Against a solid Vanderbilt defense, Turner kept his legs churning and ran behind his pads. He showed no hesitation and brought energy to the offense. He's going to very quickly become a fan favorite
I'm always iffy about projecting too much from one game, but, man, Edwards seems to have "star" written all of him. Showing no signs of nervousness, Edwards made catch after catch including a leaping grab over a defender that will surely be the first highlight reel grab of many in his career. Edwards also showed an ability to make defenders miss and drag tacklers.
And best of all, after his 100-yard debut, Edwards has managed to remain grounded...
ALSO SEE: Bonus observations on South Carolina's win over Vandy | Day after game insights from Chris Clark
Carolina's defense is already taking on the personality of its creator - Yes, it was Vanderbilt. Yes, Carolina's defense held Vanderbilt to 10 points last year, too. And, yes, Carolina will face exponentially better offenses this year. But South Carolina's defense on Thursday just looked ... different.
Gone was the soft cover 2 mindset. And gone was the oversimplified playcalling. This was a defense that played aggressive, played physically, and like all Muschamp defenses, played to stop the run first and then figure out the rest later. Against a Vanderbilt offense that already wanted to run the football -- and went into uber conservative mode with a 10-point lead (rookie mistake Derek Mason) -- the Gamecocks loaded the box all night and dared Vanderbilt to beat them over the top. They could not.
I'll go ahead and warn you. There will probably be a time that a really good offense humbles this defense. But I saw a defense that swarmed to the football and was physical when it arrived at it. And a group that's already starting to take on the qualities of Will Muschamp and Travaris Robinson.
Perry Orth won't go lightly - Brandon McIlwain may have dominated much of the conversation from the fan base in the offseason, but with the game on the line late in the game, it was Orth who had the reins of the team.
Orth will never have the physical ability that McIlwain or Jake Bentley possess, but what he does have is leadership, moxie and grit -- and he's a way better passer than he's given credit for too. At some point those guys will have a chance to take over, but Orth showed he's not going to just hand over the position. Many questioned this offeason why, if McIlwain or Bentley were the future, the staff would potentially go with Orth as the starter?
Orth answered those questions Thursday with a gutsy performance and showed that it's not the future yet.
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