Three Up, Three Down

We take a look at the good and the bad from South Carolina’s season-opening loss to North Carolina. Needless to say, there was a lot more bad than good.

Three Up

1. The running backs

Tavien Feaster was as good as advertised, rushing 13 times for 72 yards, with a 34-yard touchdown run. He was impressive after contact, consistently leaning forward for extra yards. Rico Dowdle rushed 11 times for 62 yards, and had a 16-yard reception.

2. Zacch Pickens

On Pickens’ first career play he combined with R.J. Roderick to stuff North Carolina running back Michael Carter at the line of scrimmage for a minimal gain. Pickens finished with six tackles and looked like he can live up to the hype.

3. Ernest Jones

Jones led the Gamecocks with 12 tackles and two pass breakups. He had just 16 tackles all of last season, with a high of five against Chattanooga. It was an impressive showing, especially given how South Carolina has struggled to develop linebackers alongside T.J. Brunson.

Three Down

1. Playcalling

The playcalling was too predictable and too conservative.

For three quarters, it was run, run, pass. It was enough to build a lead, but as it became obvious that South Carolina would not make any attempt to stretch the field, North Carolina stacked the line. The runs that were picking up six or eight yards in the first half, were getting stuffed for two or four yards. South Carolina averaged 6.4 yards per rush in the first half, but just 3.2 yards per rush in the second half (sack adjusted).

After surrendering the lead by refusing to throw the ball, South Carolina did a 180, abandoning the run. South Carolina called just one rush on its final four possessions. On the next to last possession, after Bryan Edwards’ brilliant 38-yard punt return to the North Carolina 37, South Carolina had a timeout in its pocket and knew it was four-down territory. But instead of mixing in a run to catch North Carolina off guard or throwing short to pick up the first down, it took three consecutive shots at the end zone.

Watching the game, especially the second half, North Carolina called the game like it had a senior quarterback and receiver, letting freshman Sam Howell make plays, while South Carolina looked like the team with a true freshman quarterback. As North Carolina opened things up, South Carolina shut it down, gaining just 23 yards in the fourth quarter.

2. Game management

Clock management, especially at the end of the half, has been something of a problem for the Gamecocks for a while now, but Saturday was the first time you could really make a compelling argument that it cost them a game. At the end of the first half, South Carolina got the ball back with 1:50 left and three timeouts. South Carolina didn’t try to rush things, and didn’t try to bleed the clock, punting the ball with 52 seconds left. Fortunately, North Carolina couldn’t capitalize, that time.

In the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks played like they didn’t understand the clock, first trying to run out the clock far too early, and then turning to a one-minute drill with four minutes left. The Gamecocks ran every play like it had to be the game-winner. That includes the final play, after the Tar Heels messed up taking a knee and gave the ball back with 11 seconds left. That is plenty of time for two plays, but the Gamecocks went right to the Hail Mary and it ended in a sack.

We haven’t even gotten to the two punts. South Carolina punted from the North Carolina 38. It was downed at the 2, but punting from your opponent’s 38 is something FCS programs do when they are just trying to get to the end of the game without any injuries so they can cash their check. The next possession, after giving up a 98-yard drive, South Carolina punted on fourth and inches from midfield. There was no reason to think your defense would get a stop, and your running backs were averaging over 5.5 yards per carry. The game was over when the punt team came on.

3. Capitalizing on opportunities

Will Muschamp mentioned it post game, saying the offense moved the ball in the first half, but failed to capitalize on opportunities. He undersold how bad it was.

South Carolina had five drives that started in North Carolina territory. It got one touchdown off of those five possessions. A drive that started on the North Carolina 42 ended in a punt. That’s almost impossible in football math.

As porous as the defense was, it made enough plays to give South Carolina a chance to win, forcing a fumble after a big pass, and three straight three-and-outs to end the game, but South Carolina got nothing out of those chances.