Gamecocks need to ‘mature up’ after Tennessee loss, veteran leader says
After a stunning 41-21 loss to Tennessee on Saturday, in which South Carolina was outscored by 24 points in the second half, senior offensive lineman Donell Stanley saw the same problem his fellow veterans did.
“When you have a four-point lead and winning at halftime, you know that’s not enough, especially in this league,” Stanley said. “They came out, and they were just more excited about playing than us, and it showed. ... We were in every position to do what we needed to do, we just didn’t do it.”
In the second half, the Gamecocks generated just 168 yards of offense, with 86 of those coming when Tennessee was already up by 20 points. While Tennessee rolled with five passes of 19 or more yards over the last two quarters, South Carolina went three-and-out four times and turned the ball over on downs three other times.
Now in his sixth year with the program, Stanley is running out of time with the Gamecocks. He’s seen the lows of a 3-9 season, and the highs of a 9-4 one. And with USC now standing at 3-5 on the year, the team’s bowl hopes are not dead, but they’re certainly in a much worse place than they were entering the game at Neyland Stadium.
“Very frustrating, when, you know, we put together good days of practice and we work on everything and we feel comfortable going in,” Stanley said of his feelings about the team’s struggles, in particular that of the offense. “We just got to mature up as a group and we got to make plays when it counts.”
With only four games left on the schedule, that maturation process has to happen fast. Stanley knows that, but he sees it as his responsibility to guide that process. Not to mention, he still wants to finish his career on a high note.
“You just got to be ready when your number’s called. We have guys go down, you have to be ready to step up, and that’s something I’m trying to push through to our younger offensive linemen,” Stanley said. “It’s their future and I want everything for this program, and I want to finish the season out as strong as I can and hopefully get this bowl game.”
The offensive line in particular is facing a tall order — sophomore Dylan Wonnum and freshman Hank Manos remain sidelined with injuries, and senior starter Sadarius Hutcherson had to leave Saturday’s game early with an ailment, though it’s not expected to linger. But even with mostly underclassmen on the field, there’s no excuse not to be ready, Stanley said.
“I mean, it’s hard but I think that’s what you come to play at schools like this,” Stanley said. “You never know when your number’s called. I mean, we practice all kinds of situations, and guys come in there, and that’s what we expect them to do, just play at a high level.”
