South Carolina DT Taylor Stallworth out vs. Tennessee

South Carolina will go into Saturday’s SEC East showdown missing a starter in the middle of the defense.

Gamecocks interim coach Shawn Elliott said on his weekly call-in show defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth suffered a chest injury against Texas A&M and won’t be available this week.

Stallworth started five games and played in seven, making seven tackles and breaking up one pass. At 6-foot-2, 308 pounds, he’s been part of a rotation at tackle.

“We’re going to be monitoring him for the next few weeks,” Elliott said. “All in all, we’re in pretty good shape.”

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s nagging hamstring issues will continue to keep him out, though he did try to practice. Quarterback Connor Mitch is showing no ill effects from shoulder and hip injuries that have cost him most of the season.

Elliott also said the team tried out Shon Carson at wide receiver early in the season and could use him there.

Smith to start

Co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke confirmed strong safety D.J. Smith will start on Saturday against Tennessee. There was some confusion as he was listed No. 1 on the depth chart but ran with the second unit Tuesday. Incumbent starter Jordan Diggs will also see time.

“They’re both going to play,” Hoke said. “They both know that. We had a good conversation, so they’re all good to go.”

Hoke Explains

Much was made after the Texas A&M game about how the Gamecocks simplified to only a few calls on defense with linebacker Skai Moore leading the charge. Hoke broke down exactly what that means, noting it was less about some big shift and more about players taking ownership of the process and performing better.

“Really, there weren’t a whole lot of changes,” Hoke said. “When Skai came over, he was just frustrated as much as anything. And just said, ‘Put us in this and this and just run the zone pressures on third down.’ Really it was the same calls.”

Hoke said he likes getting feedback from players, as they can see a lot from the field.

Big man

Last week, South Carolina faced a good running quarterback in Texas A&M’s Kyler Murray. Now they get Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs, who has 438 yards and seven scores on 96 carries this season. But defending each is quite different.

Hoke said the Volunteers call more power runs for Dobbs , utilizing counter and power plays usually reserved for big backs.

“Different style of runner,” Hoke said. “Murray was really quick, not as big. This guy is a big man, very powerful runner. He’s something else. He’s quite a guy to watch.”

Giving Aggies

Texas A&M’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee along with two other organizations – Aggie student-athletes and the 12th Man – raised $30,000 for South Carolina flood relief. They raised the money through the sale of commemorative 12th Man towels.

“I am truly proud of the selfless service of our Aggie student-athletes and for the outstanding leadership provided by our Aggie SAAC,” Texas A&M Director of Athletics and former South Carolina AD Eric Hyman said. “The 12th Man is ready to help all of our athletics teams, and yet they really responded to help our local community and the communities affected by the flooding in South Carolina.”

Injury report

Players who were injured or wore yellow jerseys were: WR Javon Charleston (right foot), SS Antoine Wilder (leg), TE Connor Redmond (back), QB Gage Pucci (knee) and C Cody Waldrop (ankle).

David Cloninger contributed to this report

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "South Carolina DT Taylor Stallworth out vs. Tennessee."