South Carolina took care of business Saturday night and not only beat Kentucky, but beat a nationally ranked team on the road. Many of the improvements that were seen against Charlotte and SC State were also exhibited against an SEC program.

42 to 19. That was the ratio of run to pass plays ran against Kentucky. Granted a few of those runs were attributed to Rattler scrambling, but for this offense to have success, running the football and working in play-action is clearly the key. The total yardage collected against a stout Kentucky defense was 356 yards. If Carolina can put up those kind of numbers on a weekly basis, it will allow Carolina to be competitive in every game left on the schedule.

As strong as the final numbers were, there is still room for improvement. The first half was not smooth for Carolina’s offense, but they were able to string together success in the second half.

(Above) The first play of the night for the offense was a touchdown by Marshawn Lloyd. This run set the standard for the rest of the game.

Lloyd picked his spot and made it look like he was running a drill in practice. The double tight end set created a hole on the right side with Adkins collapsing the DE and Campbell driving the LB.

Progress was made from top to bottom. Play-calling was hit or miss in the first half, but had a rhythm in the second half. The offensive line created holes for Marshawn Lloyd and was solid in pass protection for Spencer Rattler. Rattler continued to adjust in the pocket and made strong decisions in the second half.

(Above) Rattler climbed the pocket and threw a catchable ball to Josh Vann, in stride, for the first down.

There seemed to be a concerted effort in getting the playmakers involved. Not only did Lloyd have a large part to play, but Josh Vann, Juice Wells, Jaheim Bell, Juju McDowell, Jalen Brooks, and Ahmarean Brown all had opportunities. There is only one ball to go around, but having combinations of those players on the field together increases explosive play opportunities.

(Above) Rattler did a nice job of stepping up in the pocket and allowing his LT to direct the block around him. Brooks made an impressive catch and turn as the ball was slightly behind him. Not many players have the speed to keep up with Brooks.

Carolina has an off week to get healthy and start scheming for Texas A&M. This staff continues to show their competence when they have extra time to prepare and fans should expect another strong showing against the Aggies in two weeks.