Spurrier bets Texas A&M coach that USC defense will be more improved

Their defenses can’t get much worse.

South Carolina ranked 13th in the SEC this past season in total defense, allowing 432.7 yards a game. Texas A&M ranked last by allowing 450.7 yards per game.

So which defense looks to be the most improved in 2015?

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is betting that the Gamecocks defense under new co-coordinator Jon Hoke will be.

Spurrier has wagered $10 with A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, who hired John Chavis away from LSU to be his new defensive coordinator.

Visiting ESPN headquarters on Tuesday, Spurrier was asked how much impact a new defensive coordinator can have.

“Can they make that big of a difference? They did at Arkansas (last season),” Spurrier said. Arkansas was second in the SEC in total defense.

The Gamecocks finished 12th in the SEC in scoring defense last season, with opponents scoring over 30 points per game. The Aggies’ defense allowed teams to score over 28 points per game.