Three Matchups To Monitor
The nation's attention will be in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday for South Carolina's affair against the Wildcats. Kentucky comes into play as the No. 13 team in college football, while the Gamecocks are trending up.
Kentucky seems to be the public favorite; they have several high-profile NFL prospects on roster, and have compiled national success the past few years. South Carolina has been embarrassed on national television twice this year, souring the public opinion of the garnet and black.
However, there is reason to think that South Carolina could pull off an upset. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis will be questionable, which enhances the Gamecocks' chances. However, even if Levis suits up, several matchups could swing momentum.
South Carolina's Defensive Front vs. Kentucky Offensive Line
The Wildcats' offensive line is one of the worst units in the SEC. They have serviceable tackles, but the interior drastically hinders their play. Kentucky struggles with eye discipline, messing up basic pass protection concepts.
Many assume that because South Carolina has low sack numbers that means they have a poor defensive front. In reality, the Gamecocks' defensive line has gotten pressure with four down linemen at a reasonable rate, enough to force Georgia to abandon their drop-back passing game plan.
There's reason to believe that the Gamecocks will have a field day against the Wildcat offensive line. Levis has been sacked nineteen times this season, which contributed to his injury status.
Gamecock Linebackers vs. Rick Scangarello
Kentucky offensive coordinator Rick Scangarello is one of the key reasons why the Wildcats have fielded a serviceable offense this season. His unique play design helps his personnel outperform their abilities, something he picked up in San Francisco working under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Scangarello understands his offensive line limits what they can do offensively. There aren't many designed shot plays implemented into the gameplay; instead, Kentucky works the boundary to force linebackers to cheat outside.
He then calls some variation of a play-action pass with an intermittent run concept, drawing the eyes of the linebackers. When they inevitably cheat down, tight ends break open across the middle for chunk gains.
South Carolina has a young core at linebacker; Sherrod Greene, Stone Blanton, and Brad Johnson are all inexperienced players that get a majority of the reps. They need to elevate their play on Saturday to counteract Scangarello's scheme.
Spencer Rattler vs. Presnap Alignments
Quarterback Spencer Rattler has always had trouble trusting his eyes. Defensive coordinators constantly rotate safeties against him, which can give him fits at times.
However, Saturday should be easy for his eyes. The Wildcats rarely disguise what they are attempting to do; if you see something pre-snap, they are probably running it post-snap. Florida isn't an explosive passing offense by any stretch, but schemed up some explosive plays by running simply coverage beaters.
Trust has plagued Rattler since he entered college. Trusting his offensive line, trusting his receivers, trusting the call, even trusting himself. He's rebuilding that trust this season, and Saturday should aid his development in that regard.
You Might Also Like:
- Game Prep: Will Levis Is A One-Man Wrecking Crew
- Kentucky's Offensive Line Has Major Deficiencies
- Players Enjoyed The Extra Time Off
Join the community:
Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell
Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @GamecocksDigest & follow us on Twitter at @GamecocksDigest.