USC football struggled to stop Missouri’s run. Kentucky brings another challenge
South Carolina has had struggles on defense all season, particularly when it comes to tackling. According to Pro Football Focus, the Gamecocks have the SEC’s worst defensive grade at 80.2, which is paired with 62.8 tackling grade sitting at 11th.
USC’s tackling issues were exposed by Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy and the Tigers’ ground attack, which finished with 285 rushing yards on the way to a 29-20 win versus the Gamecocks Sept. 20. Hardy was able to force 16 missed tackles by himself against USC’s defense. Head coach Shane Beamer cited the missed tackles as one of the main reasons his team is 2-2 this season.
“I think there were too many examples the other night of guys just assuming that somebody was on the ground and didn’t finish the play like they needed to play,” he said. “It wasn’t a lack of want-to or lack of effort. ... You can’t assume that somebody’s got it.”
Gamecocks defensive coordinator Clayton White said his unit has put a focus back on tackling fundamentals this week, but acknowledged there’s frustration that comes with having to do so.
“I feel like we was in some spots in the game, the past couple games, where we’ve just been there, but we haven’t been able to wrap and squeeze, and wrap cloth and run our feet like you should,” White said. “It’s frustrating, because you feel like you work all week to try to take care of the players throughout the week, and you really want them to make those plays.”
Preparing for Kentucky’s run game
South Carolina will need to remedy its tackling troubles quickly if it wants to pick up the first SEC win this season at home Saturday (7:45 p.m., SEC Network) against Kentucky. The Wildcats also possess a powerful rushing attack which could cause problems for the USC defense. Spearheaded by upperclassmen Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell, Kentucky averages 214.7 yards on the ground per game.
Through week four of the season, McGowen is the eighth-leading rusher in the SEC with 275 yards. That’s with each running back ahead of him playing an extra game, as the Wildcats had an early bye last week. The sixth-year senior, who made previous stops at New Mexico State and Butler Community College in Kansas, started his college career in 2020 at Oklahoma, where Beamer was the assistant head coach at the time.
“He runs with violence,” Beamer said. “We better get 11 heads to the ball on this guy, or it’s gonna be another long night.”
White said he recognizes the newest challenge his defense will face and knows stopping the rushing duo will be crucial for a win Saturday.
“It’s definitely the most important thing we have to get down, for sure,” White said. “They have two nice-sized backs that a physical, run very hard and understand their schemes.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM.
