5 things we learned about South Carolina from the loss to Tennessee
It didn’t go well for South Carolina — “it” being just about everything.
Tennessee defeated the Gamecocks 41-20 on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Now, sitting at a losing record once again, the Gamecocks (2-3) enter their bye week with a few issues to address.
Here are five takeaways about the Gamecocks from their latest game:
Xavier Legette can’t be only option
It might seem obvious, but after having four straight games of explosive plays from wide receiver Xavier Legette, seeing Tennessee find ways to cover him was a change for South Carolina. Quarterback Spencer Rattler wasn’t always able to throw it deep in hopes of Legette being available — Tennessee’s secondary was all over him.
“We knew eventually teams, because of what Legette has done, they were going to try and double him,” coach Shane Beamer said. “They did what they do: Try to take Xavier away.“
Legette finished with five catches for 50 yards against the Vols. Meanwhile, USC’s tight ends combined for nine catches for 72 yards. Five other receivers had nine receptions for 81 yards.
“We’ve got to get better at wide receiver in a hurry,” Beamer said. “That means these young freshmen ... we have to play them.”
Third- and fourth-down conversions have to improve
Rattler’s pick-six before halftime was bad, and so were the six sacks allowed. Among the biggest reason for South Carolina’s struggles were the inability to convert on third and fourth down.
By midway through the third quarter, USC was 1-for-6 on third downs. The Gamecocks finished 2-for-14 in third-down tries and 2-for-5 in fourth-down conversions.
“We’re gonna look back to see a lot of missed opportunities from our standpoint,” Beamer said. “When you go 2-for-14 on third down and 2-for-5 on fourth-down conversions, you make it hard on yourself.”
Not getting the fresh set of downs extinguished any chances of building momentum, even after Mario Anderson ran 75 yards on the first offensive play of the second half to keep it a two-score game. South Carolina followed that explosive touchdown with a drive that concluded with three rushing attempts that resulted in 1 total yard and a turnover on downs.
USC has converted 25 of 69 third downs on the season (or 36%), compared with 31 of 71 for its opponents (44%).
Rattler thrown around once again
After a physical game against Mississippi State in Week 4, it was clear Rattler’s efforts to scramble out of the pocket could lead to some big hits. Rattler took more of those hits Saturday — both when rushing and with the six sacks from Tennessee’s defense.
“Those are good players up front,” Rattler said. “They make good plays. We’ve just got to clean up.”
The Vols’ defensive front put pressure on Rattler early and often, and it led to the Tennessee pick-six just before halftime. Rattler said there were plays that were his fault, not the offensive line’s. He can rest up this week, and reevaluate what went wrong.
Jalen Kilgore making an impact
Jalen Kilgore, a true freshman defensive back, was thrown into the fire Week 1 after Nick Emmanwori went down with an an injury just minutes after kickoff. Against Tennessee, he had his first career interception to go with a team-high 15 tackles, eight solo.
“I feel very confident in my game right now,” Kilgore said. “So I just keep that confidence here.”
Beamer said he needs all the freshmen to get older faster, and Kilgore’s performance could be a good sign for the defense moving forward.
Back to the drawing board
South Carolina is 2-3 overall (1-2 SEC) and has yet to hold a winning record this season.
The good news: They can take a breather of sorts.
There’s no game next week, so Beamer and the coaching staff can regroup and evaluate what’s to come. The open week gives injured players time to heal, and it gives coaches a chance to adjust the depth chart before Florida comes to town.
USC 2023 schedule
- Sept. 2: North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17
- Sept. 9: South Carolina 47, Furman 21
- Sept. 16: Georgia 24, South Carolina 14
- Sept. 23: South Carolina 37, Mississippi State 30
- Sept. 30: Tennessee 41, South Carolina 20
- Oct. 7: Open week
- Oct. 14 – vs Florida – TBA
- Oct. 21 – at Missouri – TBA
- Oct. 28 – at Texas A&M – TBA
- Nov. 4 – Jacksonville State – TBA
- Nov. 11 – vs Vanderbilt – TBA
- Nov. 18 – vs Kentucky – TBA
- Nov. 25 – vs Clemson – TBA
