‘Do your job’: What has become of South Carolina’s defense?

When Will Muschamp arrived in Columbia, he didn’t have much but cobbled together a defense that was at least ahead of an anemic offense.

The next year, there was promise of a better offense and a less proven defense. Instead, the run defense improved a lot, and USC cobbled together a surprisingly solid outfit.

So now we reach Year 3 ... and Saturday night.

South Carolina’s defense played like one that wasn’t going to let its team stay in the game (the offense didn’t help). Across one stretch, USC gave up drives of 75, 80 and 61 yards, usually by getting run over by the Wildcats in a 24-10 loss.

By halftime, UK had seven runs of 10 yards or more, plus three passes of 17 or more.

They’d allowed 6.8 yards per play and 6.5 per carry.

“We talked all week in terms of, keep your head in your gap, gap control defense,” Muschamp said. “The guy (Benny Snell) is a very patient runner. He takes the ball multiple places. Do your job.

“And we’ve got guys jumping out of gaps trying to make plays. Not lack of effort. Not lack of want-to. But not very smart and disciplined, doing what you’re supposed to do.”

In the second half, USC locked in, but by then, it was too late against a Wildcats defense that’s strong in its own right.

This is the side of the ball Muschamp has always specialized in. It’s the side of the ball USC has arguably recruited better to. Muschamp’s first three classes included seven blue-chip players who are still on the team. Six are playing some kind of role.

And they couldn’t corral the Wildcats.

Kentucky’s offense isn’t exactly an easy solve. It relies on a variety of blocking schemes with an under-recruited great back and a mobile quarterback as fast as some SEC receivers.

But for stretches, USC just got trampled. Tackles were broken, edges were lost. Two backs and quarterback Terry Wilson raced through gaping holes and around defenders.

This was the same unit that got torched coming out of halftime against Georgia, effectively ending that game and earning Muschamp’s ire.

“Self-inflicted wounds and not starting fast,” linebacker/defensive end Bryson Allen-Williams said of the nagging issues against the Wildcats. “We just didn’t do our job on defense in the first half.

“With a good running back, you’ve got to stay in your gaps. We talked about it all week. We just didn’t do our job.”

After Saturday’s loss, the Gamecocks are going to have to turn things around in a big way to post the kind of season they and their fans had hoped to have.

And there’s no way around it. They’ll need the defense the relied upon the past two seasons to return to the form of a unit coached by Muschamp.