What went so wrong for South Carolina’s defense in the loss to Tennessee
In the aftermath of South Carolina’s 41-21 loss to SEC rival Tennessee, Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp pointed to a defensive breakdown that one could simply describe as utterly simple and deeply unsubtle.
“We did not cover 15 and 1 pretty much for the entire ballgame,” Muschamp said.
That 15 is Jauan Jennings (seven catches, 174 yards, two touchdowns). And 1 is Marquez Calloway (three catches, 102 yards, one touchdown).
The pair had more than 60 percent of Tennessee’s yards. They combined for seven of the team’s nine catches of 15 yards or longer, averaging 37 yards on those plays. They delivered back-breaker play after back-breaker play as the Vols rallied and pulled away.
All told, Tennessee’s 7.1 yards per play are the second-most for a Gamecocks opponent this season — and the Vols’ best output of the season by a wide margin (it’s the third-best UT total since the start of the 2017 season).
So what broke down in the secondary?
“Often, the offensive coordinator did a good job of running some of our coverage beaters,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “Had a good plan.
“They were calling the perfect calls.”
Coverage beaters are specific concepts to take advantage of a given defensive scheme. Usually they look to attack something specific: Man coverage, one deep safety or two safeties splitting the back end of the defense.
Muschamp mentioned that on a pair of longer plays, the design was probably to hit a player in the middle of the field. But USC had it covered, meaning Tennessee attacked a deep post 1-on-1.
On both plays, South Carolina’s defensive back had fallen out of position.
The one thing that had saved South Carolina in the past was a pass rush that showed more ability to get home than in recent years. At night’s end, the Gamecocks finished with three hurries and no sacks, though they did hit the quarterback a good bit, and that also linked to something schematic.
“In a lot of their shot plays, they’re protecting with seven,” Muschamp said. “It was full slide protection. They didn’t want to give up one-on-ones inside obviously, so they did a good job protecting. They took some shots, they hit the balls and we didn’t.”
With seven in protection, that meant only three players running routes, but with play-action, some scheme tricks, sheer talent and a little more fight, they generated open looks.
The coach also pointed to situational issues. On offense that was getting off the goal line; on defense it was third down. The Gamecocks gave up only five third-down conversions, but three were on third and 11 or longer. USC also gave up long plays on second and 10 and 2nd and 18.
The defense had been a strength of the team coming in, even if big plays had been an issue. There’s not much salve outside doing what they know they can do well and just doing it better as they try to pick up the pieces after Saturday.
“We just need to work on the details of our jobs and sticking together,” linebacker T.J. Brunson said. “Just understand that we need to get off the field.”
