Michigan v. South Carolina in the Outback Bowl

I feel like Chicken tonight, Chichen tonight!

Wife's employer has an office there.  If they get comp tickets (and they just might, they're a MNC health insurance provider) and she can score a pair and get assigned there over New Year's, attending Denard's send-off on the cheap might very well be manageable.

I'm going to be there.  Who else is going?

this matchup will determine, probably clearly, if Lewan is ready for the NFL.  Clowney is a beast with some sick moves.  A great day from Taylor and he could be leaving.

Most of my coworkers are Carolina grads. Work will be intolerable if we lose. Please, Al, don't fuck this up!"

Wisconsin's OC?

Holtz and May indidicate the USC vs UM matchup will end up like the Alabama game... I hope Hoke can use this to motivate the troops....it's good to be the underdog here. I can't wait to see  if our O can adapt. We have a month.

Fergodakes, Borges, keep Denard and Devin on the field at the same time. Having to account for two elite playmakers, and USC having to respect our passing game, could make for a very good game.



A lot of how this game will be on the back of Lewan and is ability to contain Clowney. It will also say a lot about his draft status as well.

Our OL is going to get beasted. That DL is about the worst possible matchup.

I am actually liking this match up. I think Connor shaw is average at best. We should be able to stop them it's just whether or not we can score. They have a defense better then anyone we have seen save Bama.



Please AL Borges no 3rd and short runs with Vincent Smith or any 3rd and short runs at all by RB's. I think we can win this game if our offensive game plan is somewhat risky and unpredictable. I've always been a firm believer in showing a ton of looks in the first drive. Does anyone know if Borges scripts a certain amount of plays in the beginning of games or after halftime? I ask because I'm a huge believer in such a tactic.



Start the game off with a quick hitch of slant from a run look, then run out of a pass look. Perhaps we throw some up tempo, no huddle at them. Use Denard as a decoy, then being him in for several QB runs before you hit then with the Tebow play action tons wide open 'threat'. Show misdirection, screen, draw, and a deep ball if you can all within the first 15-20 plays. I think this will be a 20-17 type game that is very winnable if we approach the game with a ballsy approach. I'm talking similar to the game plan we used against the gators in carrs last game.

Too bad SCar didn't play Bama this year. RDT could have written up a nice little scouting report for us

In order to beat SC I am of the opinion DR has to take the majority of snaps at QB.  This of course presumes his hand is fully healed.  Gardner has proven he can be the starting QB the next two years.  However, I do not believe his throwing advantages will be enough to offset losing a bit of QB runnning.   Here is my logic.  Even against very poor run defenses we struggled to generate any kind of a runnning game from a RB.  If you consistantly position DR as a RB, he is up against an extra defender thus negating is advantage. 

Gardner did pretty good throwing up for grabs bombs against awful Big10 teams.  However, this tactic failed against a better team like OSU.  SC is going to have a more complete defense.  Recall that OSU's best defender did not even play and they were forced to start a FB at MLB.  OSU was true to form in that they busted a few plays.  Depending on those kinds of big plays against a more complete defense that WILL have their best defender is unrealistic.

I agree with one of the other posters we would have to move down the field similiar to what we attempted to do against ND.  DR would have to play his best game of the year as we can not afforda any TO's.  My hope would be these long drives would eat up clock and shorten the game.  If our defense gets gassed it will be game over.

I think to win we would still need maybe a +2 on the big plays.  I am including TO's in that mix.  Mattison is good enough I think he can come up with a scheme to keep SC off balance at least for a little while.  Thus the importance of shortening the game.

I will say I am very happy that Wisc beat Nebraska as a matchup with Georgia would not have been fun as we would most certainly have been face planted.

Totally OT(But I am too much of a watcher and never post, so I cannot create a topic)

But my brother is an FSU alum and super fan(we live in Tampa area), and he has friends who are big boosters for FSU. He just told me that he has heard that Georgia Tech is 100% going to join the Big 10 this week and that BC or VIrginia is going to come with them as the 16th team. He says the ACC is basically done.

If someone wants to creat a thread about this, I would move this post.

Sorry, not threadjacking

I don't believe any of these rumors about GT (or don't want to), but it won't be BC, unless the Big Ten is going to dump their historical standard of admitting only AAU members to the conference

Hi ya'll. Looking forward to a fun and exciting game in Tampa.  And wanted to give you a little friendly 411 on some gamecock players to keep your eyes on come January. We did this with the huskers before the C1b and it made watching the game much better. 

Clowney, Lattimore and Shaw are names of our players that you might have heard. I’ve compiled a list that you most likely haven’t heard of but are considered some of our "playmakers."  

 
Since it's our strong suit, I'll start with the defense. FWIW, we run a 4-2-5 defense with one our DB's playing a safety/MLB position we call "the spur". 
  
#7 Jadevon Clowney.  6’6” 265 lbs.  Don't really need to say much about him.  Already projected as the #1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft.  We are VERY lucky to have him... 

Clowney Sack Arky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTmCQ_dIRmw 
Clowney Sack Fumble UGA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg3_iccMYHw 

#98 Devon Taylor. Plays DE opposite of Jadevon Clowney. 6'8" 270 lbs.  He cleans up alot of what Clowney flushes his way. He’s got a HUGE wingspan and a when he doesn’t get a sack he often can bat down passes. 
DT Arky Pick 6
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXHwP7tpOgM 

#70 Byron Jerideau Defense tackle. 6'1 320 lbs. Holds down the middle of our D-line. Big time run stopper. He doesn't always get that many tackles, but he takes up a lot of space in the middle of the D-line. Remarkably fast for a big guy.  
Jerideau Sack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6orsBDLfd4 
 

Our other DT is #99 Kelcy Quarles. 6’4”  286 lbs.  Kelcy’s a sophomore and has started all year for us. 

#54 Shaq Wilson 5’11” 224 lbs (Sr) middle linebaker excellent pass rusher. 
Shaq Wilson INT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICK6Ktb8v0 
  

#21 Devonte Holloman  6’2” 241 (Sr) Plays the “Spur” a hybrid LB/DB. A "disrupter". A lot of our defense depends on Holloman making a read off the QB (run or pass). Passing he drops to coverage (unless it's a blitz). On running play he plugs the last gap. 
HOlloman Int's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFk8kR9SNY 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWNne92UlO8

Our best DB, safety is DJ Swearinger (6’ 0” 210 lbs).  He's Senior and the heart of our defense.   He's been called a "headhunter" and is the hardest hitter on our team.  DJ is not afraid to talk smack and can back it up. He had the distinction this year of having 3 personal fouls in a row, with a pic 6 thrown in for good measure.  
DJ 3 Personal Fouls in a row.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LEi_-C9IVo 

DJ HUGE hit.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMGtpHoLu2I 
 

It's been said that our DB's are our weakest link.   

Other than Swearinger, in the defensive secondary we have Akeem Auguste 5’9” 188lbs at CB who’s a senior and a good player, but seen limited playing time due to injury (both this year and in years past).

Auguste pick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLIk9f2IBPc

We also have CB Vic(tor) Hampton 5’10” 197 lbs (RS SO). 

On offense you've heard of Shaw and Lattimore. As I'm sure you've all heard, Lattimore's out for the year, so you don't have to worry about him.  I love the guy, but honestly I hope he makes the jump to the pro's.  I couldn't stand the thought of him suffering another injury while playing for us.  

On top of that, Shaw (6’1” 207 lbs JR) has been fighting nagging injuries all year (shoulder/foot).  He was hurt (shoulder) vs Vandy (our first game of the year). Shaw is the son of a coach, and a “gamer” in every since of the word.  He spends lots of time watching film and in the weight room (The coaches had to tell him to STOP lifting so much in last year’s off season (he was getting TOO big.))  Honestly, his performance in that game was one of the toughest I've ever seen in a football game. When he’s healthy, he’s a better runner than a thrower and played WR in high school. He’s got a decent arm, but at times has been hesitant to pull the trigger on passing plays (at least that’s what ½ our fanbase says…).  His backup is Dylan Thompson, who's looked REALLY good vs lesser opponents this season and was on fire vs Clemson (310 yards, 3TD 1 INT), but he was abysmal during the Vandy game.  They say Shaw’s been nursing a “broken foot”, for the last 3-4 games which is why DT go the start vs Clemson.  I wouldn’t put him on the same “dual threat” category as Denard, but he’s got some wheels…

Shaw 80 yard TD run vs Missou (called back).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_5lBDkMp58

Shaw Passing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yJuUTAmq6I

With Lattimore out, our go to back in Kenny Miles.  Kenny is a 5^th year senior that almost didn’t come back this year (before the injury bug hit, we were STACKED at RB, now, not so much).  Kenny’s a good, solid back that carried a good deal of the load LAST YEAR when Lattimore went down. 
Kenny Miles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARZYB1P7_Os&

A couple of receivers to watch out for: 

Ace Sanders (#1), Bruce Ellington (#23) and Damiere Byrd (#3). The  downside is none of this trio is very tall at 5'8"-5'9" but they all have great speed. Byrd is out of NJ and ran a 4.3 40 yard dash in high school (Nj state record at the time). Bruce is a two sport star playing both football and point guard on the B-ball team.  Ace is an outstanding punt returner.  
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQBIZprUxHc 
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4WWfiKVamE 
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzB2Bt8DAmQ 
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itjzGNaiRYA 
  
Our O-line has played well at times and poorly at times. I consider it a work in progress. Their run blocking needs to improve and their pass blocking is adequate, but could be better.  On the O-line we have 1 Sr (TJ Johnson, C, 6’6” 319), 1 JR (Ronald Patrick 6’2” 305 RG), 2 So (Corey Robinson 6’8” 337lbs LT and AJ Cann 6’4” 309 lbs LG) and 1 Fr (Brandon Shell 6’6” 331lbs RT).  On a side note, TJ Johnson will set a school record for consecutive starts (56, I think?) if he starts in the Outback Bowl.  

We've been running a fair amount of two TE sets as well, with our two big TE's Justice Cunningham (#87) and Rory "Buster" Anderson (#81). I think this is in response to teams trying to stack the box trying to stop lattimore, forcing us to beat them deep (ask ECU how that worked out for them). With Lattimore gone from the game, the play book has been open considerable.  
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liB3l1drVTk 
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OID-7SM8IKc 

Two freshman that might see playing time are running back Mike Davis (#25) and Shaq Roland (#4). Mike is a little faster than lattimore but not as powerful. He had 85 yds and scored his first TD on 4 carries vs UAB. Davis is now our #2 back with Lattimore out.

Shaq was "Mr. Football" in SC last year. At 6'1" he's a bit taller than our other WR's. He's still learning the routes and the system but he's looked good (but not great) when's he's been in.  
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQRgcs9_jmk 
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO4TVCA2-eo 

That's about it. As I said earlier, I think this game comes down to our D-line & Db's vs your QB and receivers and if our Offense can move the ball with the stacking the box to stop the run (everyone else has done it, so I anticipate you'll do it to).  

Good luck and may the best team win come January.   

Edit: If someone will give me the youtube embedding protocol here, I'll embed all the vids.... 

We Gamecock fans are really looking forward to playing the Big Blue down in Tampa, and believe we have at least equal talent across the board as UM.  We're not quite as big in some positions, but we have good size in the trenches.  One thing that has separated us from most of the SEC pack is our coaching staff, starting with our OL and DL coaches.  Both are gritty, neck-vein-popping, in-your-face kinds of guys.  Those of you who get in early enough to see pre-game warm ups will be wondering why our OL coach (Shawn Elliott, a former player and then a coach at App St when they beat you guys a few years back) isn't wearing pads. The guy's freakin nuts, but pretty effective at waking our guys up and getting them ready to play. He's also our run-game coordinator on offense, and has taken some flack this year because, like you guys have said about UM, we can't seem to get a decent push up the middle to help our run game.  If your D is stout on the interior line, you will likely stuff whatever we run up in there.  Even so, we'll run it up in there anyway just to keep you guys honest.

Our QB position is a 2 headed monster.  Connor Shaw is our starter and is simply a winner.  The funny thing about Shaw is that he can be very frustrating for Gamecock fans to watch because his play is so unorthodox from what most fans' minds are programmed to seeing out of the QB position.  Most of our opponents absolutely hate him for the same reasons that frustrate Gamecock fans.  When he drops back in the pocket and holds onto it, we're yelling "throw it!" while opponents are yelling "sack him!", then he'll just take off at the last second and run with it, usually very well.  The thing that Shaw taught UGA's Jarvis Jones and other teams was that, for a white boy ;), you just don't expect to see legit 4.5 speed outrunning you to the edge and then turning it up field for nice gain's. Shaw has been somewhat inconsistent in the downfield passing dept overall, but is really good at the dink and dunk game. Above all, Shaw is really smart, and I promise you this, even though he's not that big, he's as tough or tougher than any player he's ever faced. 

Our back up QB, Dylan Thompson has played really well in the 2 games this season that he played significant snaps in, albeit against weak teams, East Carolina and Clemson. Dylan is your prototypical QB that you'd expect to see out of a Spurrier offense.  He's excellent in the pocket, and won't take off unless a defender practically has a hand on him.  Unlike Shaw, Thompson is a pure passer in that he sees the route unfolding downfield and delivers the ball where it's supposed to be. To me, he's much more entertaining to watch than Shaw, but like I said, Shaw's our starter and a winner.

Long story short, we have 2 QB's that can win.  If we have one advantage in this game it's that your D-Coordinator is going to have to prepare for 2 entirely different offenses.  The one that Shaw Qb's, and the one that Thompson QB's.