Scouting USC’s next opponent: Arkansas Razorbacks
Game info
Who: South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) vs. Arkansas (2-2, 1-1)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250)
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 FM
Three story lines
1. The Gamecocks continued to show flashes against Texas A&M but didn’t come close to putting it all together. Arkansas lacks the talent or high ceiling of the Aggies, but their strong identity and schematic quirks make them dangerous.
2. Like defending the run? The Gamecocks will have to. Arkansas is as old-school a power-running team as you’ll find in the SEC (Georgia is close). That includes former Gamecocks back David Williams, who has found new life in the Razorbacks’ offense.
3. At the moment, South Carolina could be down three starting offensive linemen and is on the verge of a fourth starting line in five games. The Gamecocks are without their top playmaker (Deebo Samuel), and running back Rico Dowdle has been rendered ineffective by a thigh bruise.
Three players to watch
1. Senior tailback David Williams isn’t starting, but considering he wasn’t able to fulfill his promise at USC, a revenge game could be lurking. He has 207 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries in four games. That’s more scores than he had in any season in Columbia and 96 yards away from his best single-season rushing total.
2. He’s not his brother Brandon, but quarterback Austin Allen has shown flashes at the helm of the Razorback attack. His efficiency dipped since last season, and he’s thrown for 766 yards, seven scores and three picks with a rating of 145.6
3. Defensive back Santos Ramirez has been a bit of a terror for Arkansas. The 6-foot-2 safety has broken up four passes, picked off one, forced a pair of fumbles and ranks fifth on the team with 16 tackles.
Scouting report
▪ It would be a unfair to call this offense purely old school, but if you’re an I-formation aficionado, it’s for you. Dan Enos has built a scheme heavy on some more quirky stuff, such as lead draws and toss plays with guards leading the way, to complement inside zone. The Razorbacks also work in a good number of jet sweeps.
▪ There is some shotgun, mostly in passing spots, and that’s not a bad spot for the pro-style QBs they use.
▪ The depth of running backs is notable. Three have at least 207 yards yards and 41 carries. That includes Williams, who has found new life and spark. His expectations are less than they were in Columbia, but in spots, he’s running better than he ever did with USC.
▪ Allen has been serviceable, but not the play-action dynamo his older brother was. There are some nice plays in a offense that helps a QB, but his efficiency has slipped a lot since last season.
▪ An Arkansas offense fits a certain mold. They’ll move the ball well on the ground but not be explosive. Big plays come through the air, but the down-to-down stuff isn’t as consistent. It’s a departure from 2014 and 2015 teams that were good and then superb on offense.
▪ The Razorbacks will do some Wildcat with the backs, but Cole Kelley is far more interesting. The freshman QB is 6-foot-7, 268 pounds and can be a hammer.
▪ Arkansas switched to a 3-4 defense this season, and it’s been fine in a couple games before getting gutted by explosive plays against Texas A&M.
▪ Unlike a lot of three-down defenses, the Razorbacks haven’t dialed up the most exotic of pressures, and they’ve had a lot of issues getting to the quarterback.
▪ A lot of teams in that scheme will go to a 2-4-5 look for nickel, but Bret Bielema’s squad looks comfortable keeping extra folks in the box and letting safeties work out over slots. They do have some hybrid safeties that can come in for nickel, giving a 3-3 look.
▪ There are not a lot of players that stand out in terms of individual disruptive ability, but there are some solid options. The Arkansas pass defense has been far ahead of the rush defense.
Ben Breiner
This story was originally published October 1, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Scouting USC’s next opponent: Arkansas Razorbacks."