Film breakdown: The key plays that undid USC vs. UNC were mostly on defense
South Carolina on balance probably didn’t play better than UNC on Saturday. But the Gamecocks were still in great position to win.
Yet a smattering of say six crucial plays have put South Carolina’s season in a bad spot. There were more bad plays — sacks, drops, missed chances — but these three, five on defense and one on offense, were the most crucial.
What happened on the big plays, starting with a punt in a not-great spot.
▪ First and 10 from the UNC 2 — UNC works out of deep hole: The staff turned down a decent fourth-down situation to punt from North Carolina’s 38. The payoff was a drive starting at the Tar Heels 2, something that should be a good spot with a defense as good as the Gamecocks’ was expected to be.
But after the USC line got engaged with North Carolina, one linebacker tried to shoot in and two other second-level defenders stepped up. No one got the B-gap (it might have been Javon Kinlaw’s responsibility, but he was locked up), and suddenly what could have been a chance to put some pressure on the Heels offense was first and 10 at the 20.
▪ First and 10 from the South Carolina 22 — UNC circus TD catch: Six plays after that run, all 7 yards or more, the USC defense was in a bad spot. But it had made a living of walling up in the red zone, so perhaps that could happen again and keep the game at eight points.
Instead UNC QB Sam Howell challenged South Carolina’s tallest defender on a fade ball. It was too far out in front, until suddenly it wasn’t. Dyami Brown, who was giving up 3 inches, tipped it once, twice and then cradled it in. The ensuing 2-point play made it a three-point game.
▪ Third and 4 from the UNC 11 — UNC big gain again deep in own territory: A punt on fourth and less than a yard really caused some angst, but it was the plays right after that made it so problematic.
If USC could get a stop on this play, it gets a punt and the ball, at worst, on the plus side of its own 40. (Were it not for a slipped tackle, it would have been third and longer.)
There’s nothing super special about the play. It’s a run-pass option with a fade/streak to one side of the field and a slot running a corner/fade route over a short hitch. USC is in man coverage, but a 5-foot-11 receiver just worked free, winning a hand fight against Jamyest Williams and hauling in a tough ball.
Instead of a stop, it’s 31 yards and the ball at the UNC 42.
▪ First and 10 from the UNC 42 — Missed opportunity for interception: These things seem to come in bunches. After the fade, Kingsley Enagbare got close enough to get a handful off Howell’s jersey and spin him around. Only Howell stayed up, scrambled and launched a pass toward a pair of receivers.
The ball was all sorts of wobbly, and on replay it’s hard to see how Gamecocks corner Jaycee Horn didn’t get his hands on it. Instead, a UNC receiver caught it with vice grip hands.
Two plays after facing a tough third down, UNC has 54 yards and is at the Gamecocks 25.
▪ Second and 1 from the SC 17 — UNC touchdown: Because fade balls were all the rage, Howell hit another one, this time over freshman corner John Dixon. He had just come in to spell Horn and gave up five inches to a junior receiver.
With that, South Carolina’s double-digit lead was fully blown.
▪ First and 10 from the South Carolina 26 — Bentley can’t miss this throw: If you want to complain about play-calling, this was just about perfect for the Gamecocks. The route combination cleared the middle of the field. It stripped the underneath coverage.
It left Shi Smith running an inside route on a defender, giving him the inside. He looked open on the field, open from the press box, open on TV.
And Bentley put the ball too far out in front.
It’s not an easy toss, especially with a defender at his feet, but it’s a play a senior quarterback needs to make.
In summary
If you flip one, maybe two of those plays, South Carolina has a good chance to walk out of Bank of America Stadium with a win. Instead, it’s a dark feeling coming out of the opener, with Alabama, a trip to Missouri and Kentucky all looming.
