Kentucky Looking for Complete Game on Defense Against South Carolina
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Kentucky's defense is looking to put together its first complete game of the season on Saturday night against South Carolina.
The Gamecocks offense presents an interesting mix of speed, length and athleticism, which on paper, points toward some potentially different matchups for the Wildcat front seven and secondary.
Stats wise, Carolina hasn't been exactly efficient through five games. Here's where they rank in the SEC in some top offensive categories:
- Passing Yards: 6th (1287)
- Passing Touchdowns: 11th (6)
- Yards-Per-Reception: 11th (11.81)
- Rushing Yards: 11th (691)
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5th (15)
- Yards-Per-Carry: 11th (4.27)
When you look at the Gamecocks' three non-conference matchups against Georgia State, Charlotte and SC State, the numbers look quite a bit better than what they do against their pair of SEC opponents, Arkansas and Georgia.
Regardless, UK defensive coordinator Brad White see's plenty of positives in what SC head coach Shane Beamer does with his offense, specifically with his weapons at running back, MarShawn Lloyd and JuJu McDowell.
"The running back has been really good. Really, both of them, they're sort of different styles, obviously. Lloyd is really talented, he's athletic, he's got great balance, he runs behind his pads. Physical runner, shows some juice, does a nice job in the pass game as well," White said. "Then McDowell can come in, sort of a change of pace and he's got some pretty significant juice to be able to turn an edge. We've got a challenge in that regard."
Lloyd leads the team in rushing yards with 324 and is also fourth in receiving yards at 118, leading to a grand total of eight touchdowns so far this season. McDowell adds 118 yards on the ground and 97 more through the air, making the sophomore a dynamic addition to the backfield.
The pass-catching ability of both backs is something that catches White's eye. As someone who's watched Chris Rodriguez do that same thing to opposing teams for many years, White understands how important that extra layer can be in an offense, while being just as frustrating for a defense.
"That takes an extra body that maybe you could add to the quarterback or you could add to coverage, which you have to account for all," White said. "Then how they use them as well is really smart, within their scheme and how to get them open. Almost like designing a run, they can design throws that get those guys open. We're going to have to go a good job of open-field tackling and we gotta understand where they are at all times. It does provide sort of an extra challenge, when they get out."
At quarterback for the Gamecocks, it's been a bit of a struggle for Oklahoma transfer Spencer Rattler this season:
- 4 Touchdowns (second worst in SEC)
- 7 Interceptions (worst in SEC)
- 125.73 Quarterback Rating (worst in SEC)
While the numbers are far from outstanding, White acknowledges the positives that come from Rattler when he's on the move outside of the pocket:
"I think the quarterback is a really good player, he can make the throws, especially on the move," he said. "I think he's one of the better Q's you'll see once he moves out of the pocket, his arm talent, he'll be able to throw on the run, he's thrown some really pretty balls on the move, so we've gotta do a good job there."
Then at wide receiver, it's a one-two punch of Antwane Wells Jr and Jalen Brooks for the Gamecocks, while tight end Jaheim Bell also enters the fray every once in while.
"The wide receivers have done a nice job getting open, making contested catches," White said. "They're big bodies, they've got big catch radius', so we're gonna have to do a good job with that, and they've got a good mix of tight ends obviously."
Wells leads the team with 24 receptions for 309 yards and, while Brooks adds 298 yards through the air on 17 catches. Redzone execution rears its head in the stat sheet, however, as the pair combine for just one touchdown this season, showcasing the struggle that it's been for Rattler connecting with his top WR's when it matters most.
Georgia laid the blueprint on how to attack the SC offense, as the Bulldogs held the Gamecocks to just seven points, 214 passing yards and less than 100 rushing yards.
Rattler threw a pair of interceptions, failing to lead the team to a scoring drive all game. Carolina didn't score until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of hand, A.K.A garbage time.
Now it's easier said than done to just do what Georgia's defenses do to teams, but the Wildcats posses the next best defense in the SEC East, according to Football Outsiders.
Coming off a loss to Ole Miss, the Kentucky defense should be eager to put on a clinic against an offense that's sputtered at times against in-conference competition.
Kickoff between the Wildcats and Gamecocks is set for 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will air on the SEC Network.
