Three Gamecocks that have to improve in South Carolina’s home matchup with Troy
South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC) has a losing streak on its hands.
And while — as Shane Beamer preached this week — the sky isn’t falling, USC needs an improved performance against Troy (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) Saturday to start things in the right direction amid a crucial three-game set that includes Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
With that, here are three Gamecocks that need to get going against Troy:
RB Kevin Harris
It’s hard to completely fault Kevin Harris for his efforts so far this season.
Harris underwent a back procedure late this offseason and it forced him to miss the season opener against Eastern Illinois. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield added Wednesday that Harris’ injury is a difficult one to get over and he’s continuing to get back to full football shape.
Injury caveat aside, Harris still hasn’t been as effective as he was a season ago when he led the Southeastern Conference in rushing.
The Georgia native has recorded a team-leading 35 carries through three games. His 92 yards and 2.63 yards per carry rate, though, rank fourth on the squad behind ZaQuandre White, Juju McDowell and MarShawn Lloyd — who received just one touch against Kentucky last week.
Troy heads into this week’s matchup ranked No. 26 nationally in rush yards allowed per game. Harris, by contrast, averaged 143.8 yards per game in six contests against SEC teams with .500 or worse records a season ago.
The onus isn’t all on Harris. South Carolina’s offensive line hasn’t been as consistent as initially predicted over the offseason. Yet for a guy that dominated SEC competition last season, the Gamecocks need more out of their star running back to spark what’s been a struggling offense.
WR Dakereon Joyner
While Harris can be the motor that makes South Carolina’s offense go, Joyner can be a sparkplug to the equation.
Joyner has been praised all offseason for his leadership abilities and how he’d finally grasped the wide receiver position. The returns through four games have been, well, OK.
The former four-star quarterback recruit has recorded 10 catches for 58 yards and notched another 11 yards on five rushes. Satterfield has also gotten creative with Joyner, lining him up in the slot, running him across formations and even installing a subpackage with him at quarterback.
South Carolina has found largely steady presences in Josh Vann and Jalen Brooks at receiver. If Joyner can find a semblance of more consistency after not recording a single touch — rushing, receiving or otherwise — against Kentucky last week, the Gamecocks might be able to flush a pair of lowly offensive performances.
South Carolina’s defensive line vs. the rush
OK, I’m cheating here a little bit given this isn’t a specific player, but this feels like an under-addressed issue over the past couple weeks.
Before I jump in, South Carolina’s defense has been absolutely spectacular over the first four weeks of the season. This is a group that most thought would rank toward the bottom, if not at the bottom of the SEC this fall. While it’s still early, defensive coordinator Clayton White has certainly earned his paycheck as the Gamecocks sit seventh in the SEC in total defense and tied for sixth nationally in turnovers forced.
That said, USC has been particularly leaky against the run game over the last two weeks.
The Gamecocks currently sit 11th in the conference, allowing 140.25 rush yards per game. In losses to Georgia and Kentucky, South Carolina surrendered 184 and 210 yards, respectively, to a pair of offenses that haven’t exactly been world beaters through the season’s first month.
Saturday should be a chance for USC to bolster its numbers against a Troy ground attack that currently sits dead last in the Sun Belt and fourth to last in the country in rushing offense at just 75.25 yards per game.
The Gamecocks ought to have a physical advantage over the Trojans’ offensive line this weekend — that will happen when your defensive front includes a projected first-round pick in Kingsley Enagbare, recent revelation Aaron Sterling and former five-star recruits Zacch Pickens and Jordan Burch, among others.
White said during his Wednesday press conference that South Carolina can improve against the run. If the defensive line gets off its blocks a bit quicker and smoother, USC should be able to smother Troy’s rushing attack on Saturday.
