South Carolina vs. Tennessee: After Further Review
The South Carolina Gamecocks have officially rebooted the rollercoaster aspect of their season. They followed up their worst season performance with their best one last night, knocking off the No. 5 ranked Tennessee Volunteers.
To win a game of this magnitude, there's a multitude of things that both coaches and players must do, so what was it that South Carolina accomplished against the Volunteers?
Substantial Individual Efforts
You don't see an upset of a top 5 ranked team without multiple players having either a season-best or career-best performance, and in South Carolina's case, they got a mixture of both Saturday night.
We have to start this discussion with quarterback Spencer Rattler, who had a performance for the ages against the Volunteers. In this contest, Rattler did all of the little things right that led to a bevy of explosive passing plays for the Gamecocks, going through his progressions, leading receivers, adjusting his throws when necessary, and having fantastic pocket awareness.
It helped to have receivers like wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. consistently creating separation, allowing Rattler to put the ball where only his guy could get it.
Defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway had his way with the Volunteers' offensive line during the early game barrage for South Carolina, and the Gamecocks' secondary held steady against an extremely dangerous Tennessee receiving core.
Schematical Changes
Both coordinators made minor changes heading into the final home game of the season, which put the players in a better position to execute their game plans.
Offensively, Marcus Satterfield used Nate Adkins as a hybrid H-back and called more heavy protection schemes in the passing game. This gave Rattler adequate time to push the ball down the field, as South Carolina wasn't as reliant on passes behind the sticks.
Defensive coordinator Clayton White called for Cam Smith to stay in soft zone coverage all night against star Volunteer wideout Jalin Hyatt, which prevented him from significantly impacting the game. He also called for the linebackers to blitz more often in the middle of the box, which sometimes created more of a mess for quarterback Hendon Hooker to deal with.
Never Underestimate Williams-Brice
The crowd was electric on Saturday night. Between the raucous fans, the LED light show, and the fireworks after each touchdown, Columbia, South Carolina, was the epitome of a hostile environment for the Tennessee Volunteers. On Saturday, they put on a show that the rest of the country undoubtedly took note of.
You Might Also Like:
- Shane Beamer: "It's A New Carolina"
- Spencer Rattler's Championship Level Play Sends Message
- South Carolina Sends Shockwaves Around CFB
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