A Texas A&M strength vs. a USC weakness? Will Muschamp challenges his defensive line
Will Muschamp hasn’t been shy about identifying one of the biggest areas of concern for South Carolina football as of late — the run defense hasn’t been anywhere close to where he wants it to be.
“We’ve got to be able to stop the run. I was not pleased (against Auburn) with not stopping the run. I wasn’t pleased with Vanderbilt and how we stopped the run,” Muschamp said after the Gamecocks’ loss to LSU on Oct. 24. “And it’s been a common theme now for three weeks.”
In those three games, USC has given up an average of 187 yards per contest, including two in a row of more than 200 yards. Vandy, Auburn and LSU also combined to average 4.6 yards per attempt. Those numbers have driven up the Gamecock defense’s season numbers: The unit ranks 10th in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per attempt, at 154.8 and 4.3, respectively.
Now, as South Carolina returns from a bye week, those figures have to improve. Specifically, the defensive line has taken to heart Muschamp’s comments about standing up better against the rush.
“We took that as a challenge for us to stop the run. And it starts with us. So we did everything on the bye week, snagging off, getting off blocks, stuff like that,” sophomore defensive lineman Zacch Pickens said.
Muschamp added that the coaching staff has looked at changing up things schematically to help the run defense. But he also pointed to players’ execution in the trenches, specifically “snagging off” blocks.
“That’s when you lock on, make sure nobody’s coming through your gap, and you break off the block,” Pickens explained.
Both Muschamp and his players expressed confidence that the Gamecocks will improve their run defense. But they’ll face a tough challenge to that immediately coming off the bye — Texas A&M leads the SEC and ranks in the top 20 nationally in yards per rushing attempt with 5.3 yards per touch.
“It’s an itch. We got to stop the run. And that’s a great opportunity. We got a great opportunity to go out Saturday and prove we can stop the run,” senior defensive lineman Keir Thomas said.
Leading the way for the Aggies, sophomore Isaiah Spiller has emerged as one of the top backs in the SEC and the country, ranking third in yards per game in the conference and 19th in the nation. Behind him, sophomore Ainias Smith has proven himself as a threat on the ground and through the air, with 476 total yards from scrimmage, six touchdowns and an average of 5.6 yards per rushing attempt. On top of that, A&M has a coach in Jimbo Fisher who is dedicated to establishing the run, Muschamp said.
“Spiller has really come on for them as a running back,” Muschamp said. “Smith, they use in a lot of different ways. A really good playmaker for them in the punt return game, as a running back, as a receiver in the slot and does some different things there. Jimbo does a nice job of utilizing him.”
All of it adds up to an offense that’s averaging more rushing yards per game than each of South Carolina’s first five opponents. And as the Gamecocks open up the second half of its schedule, the run defense will likely only become more important — four of USC’s last five opponents are averaging 174 rushing yards per game, a mark higher than the Gamecocks’ first five opponents.
“Of course (it hurts the defensive line’s pride),” Thomas said of how opposing teams have run the ball so far. “It bothers me, it bothers the rest of the guys up front. I mean, like I said, we got a good opportunity to prove that we can do it on this level.”
South Carolina (2-3) vs No. 7 Texas A&M (4-1)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia
TV: ESPN
Line: Texas A&M by 7.5
