South Carolina vs. Arkansas: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Gamecocks were outplayed by the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, and while South Carolina had their moments it was a rough outing.
South Carolina put together some positive moments, but Arkansas's offensive attack and style ultimately proved too much for them. The outcome wasn't surprising, as head coach Sam Pittman routinely has his teams ready to play in big games.
Both programs played hard until the final whistle, and it's clear that head coach Shane Beamer has the Gamecocks ready for action. Arkansas simply out-executed them, and we dive into the good, bad, and ugly from the Gamecocks' performance.
The Good: Tempo Passing
Quarterback Spencer Rattler had an up and down day to say the least. His final stat line reads 24-39 for 379 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. There were major inconsistencies with his downfield passing, and his lone interception was a poor decision.
Despite all that, he found comfort in the second half when the Gamecocks transitioned to a fast tempo. There was an increased sense of urgency, which helped Rattler play free and loose.
He found wideout Antwane Wells Jr. several times downfield on timing routes, leading multiple touchdown drives in the second half. Spencer has a dynamic arm but is clearly more comfortable when he can play instinctually.
The Bad: Offensive Line
South Carolina's offensive line continues to struggle. Their run game never had a consistent rhythm, as the Arkansas front routinely found their way into the backfield. Furthermore, Rattler ended up on the dirt multiple times over the course of the game.
The Gamecocks were unable to establish any real monumentum in their passing game until they developed a quick-strike plan in the second half. This is the second consecutive week that Rattler hasn't had any supporting run game or pocket support.
That makes an already inconsistent passer that much more volatile. There was a spark in the second half where the offensive line started creating some holes outside the tackle, but South Carolina fell too far behind to stick with that plan.
The Ugly: Run Defense
Ugly, no-good, very bad, however you want to slice it the run defense wasn't pretty. Arkansas ran the ball at will from a variety of looks; quarterback KJ Jefferson was successful on keepers and sneaks, and the Razorbacks ran the ball out of shotgun and under center.
Furthermore, Arkansas bullied South Carolina up and down the field. They pushed the Gamecocks around and created extra yardage out of sheer effort. While an impressive performance from a Pittman offensive line is expected, things got ugly.
While South Carolina did play hard through the final whistle, Arkansas managed to out-scheme them in the run game. They leaned on that all day, which commanded the clock and kept the ball away from South Carolina's offense.
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