USC-NORTH CAROLINA PREVIEW
What: No. 7 South Carolina (5-1) at North Carolina (2-4)
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.
When: Sat., Oct. 13, 3:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: ABC Regional (Dave Lamont, play-by-play; Jesse Palmer, analyst, Vince Welch, sideline reporter); USC Radio Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs).
Will Saturday's game between South Carolina and North Carolina finally decide which state is the real "Carolina"? Probably not, because that's a debate that will surely continue for the next millennia. But it's still good to see the two border states finally meet on the gridiron for the first time in 16 years. Hopefully, this game, and the one in Columbia in 2010, will not be the only times the Gamecocks and Tar Heels play over the course of the next decade. But, it might be. If so, that would be too bad. Both teams come into this game coming off impressive victories – USC over then eighth-ranked Kentucky and UNC over Miami.
Here's how the two teams matchup on both sides of the ball:
USC OFFENSE v. NORTH CAROLINA DEFENSE:
Redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Smelley, the SEC's Freshman of the Week the last two weeks, will make the first road start of his career for the Gamecocks after leading USC to consecutive home victories over Mississippi State and Kentucky. The most encouraging part is Smelley's best moments came in the fourth quarter of both games.
He led USC on a pair of late touchdown scoring drives against UK last Thursday in the third start of his career. Each drive was a response to a score by UK.
In the previous game, Smelley led the offense to three touchdowns in the final 18:43 of the game in the 38-23 win over the Bulldogs, continuing his streak of excellent play that began with the second half of the LSU game when he replaced fifth-year senior Blake Mitchell.
Smelley completed 17-of-30 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Wildcats. For the season, Smelley has completed 58-of-107 passes (54.2 percent) for 810 yards with six TDs and three interceptions.
Smelley could have his way with a UNC secondary that's expected to start three freshmen on Saturday. The Tar Heels are surrendering 211.8 passing yards per game, an average of 11.7 yards per completion. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 61.6 percent of their passes.
While his completion percentage needs to increase, Smelley's presence has allowed the Gamecocks to improve their vertical passing game. Kenny McKinley (nine receptions for 175 yards and two TD's in last two games) has certainly benefited from Smelley throwing him the ball.
We say this every week, but USC is still searching for a second reliable wide receiver behind McKinley, who has caught a pass in 27 straight games. Freddie Brown has nine receptions, while freshman Dion Lecorn has three while starting the last two games. It looks like Jason Barnes and Mark Barnes are headed for redshirt seasons.
While USC is looking for another wide receiver to emerge, the tight ends and running backs already have. Mike Davis (17 receptions) and Cory Boyd (16) are second and third on the receivers list. Jared Cook (12 catches), Weslye Saunders (7) and Andy Boyd (5) have combined for 24 receptions.
Saunders nearly had the first touchdown of his career last Thursday but the ball was stripped as he neared the end zone. Since he grew up just minutes from the UNC campus, he'd like nothing better than to score his first career TD against the Tar Heels.
Most of the blame for the running game's inability to get untracked the last three games has been placed squarely at the feet of the offensive line. While the number for Cory Boyd (387 yards) and Mike Davis (383) are respectable, neither one has broken 70 yards the last two games. They combined for 119 yards in the win over Kentucky. USC is ranked 11th in the SEC in rushing defense, so it has to improve.
Things are unsettled as ever for USC's offensive line as the second half of the regular season is about to begin. The guard spot remains a puzzle, with Gurminder Thind now healthy and possibly ready to see significant snaps Saturday. Freshman Seaver Brown and senior James Thompson have started the last two games, but who starts against the Tar Heels is really anybody's guess. Garrett Anderson and Lemuel Jeanpierre are also in the mix, giving USC five players to battle for two spots.
The UNC defense is allowing 358.3 yards per game, including 146.5 on the ground. Outside linebacker Durell Mapp leads the Tar Heels in tackles by a wide margin. He has 62 tackles, 26 more than the second-highest tackler. He's third in the ACC in tackles, averaging 10.3 stops per game. Mapp arrived at UNC as a walk-on in 2004 before earning a scholarship the following season.
Defensive tackle Marvin Austin, the nation's top defensive recruit in 2006, has solidified a starting role opposite Kentwar Balmer. He has seven tackles and 2.5 sacks in the last two weeks, and 15 tackles for the year.
Defensive end Hilee Taylor, know for his speed off the edge, leads the ACC in tackles for loss with 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He's also third in sacks with 6.0.
All of USC's volatility on the offensive line has led to a predictable outcome – the Gamecocks have allowed a SEC-high 16 sacks in six games, so UNC will certainly try to put some pressure on Smelly by playing aggressively.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Our scoring defense has been excellent. Our pass defense has been excellent. We get pressure on the quarterback. We're stopping them. Our third-down defense has been super. So, we need to continue hopefully doing those things and the, offensively, we didn't play very well last week but we did have some drives to score touchdowns. Like I said, our offense outscored Norwood by one touchdown. So that was pretty good for us, I guess. But other than that, we're trying to get better this week. North Carolina is a good team that's lost some close games. They're 2-4 but they could be 4-2 just as easily" - USC head coach Steve Spurrier.
NORTH CAROLINA OFFENSE v. USC DEFENSE:
Redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates has been steady in his first year directing the UNC offense. He's connected on 100 of 163 passes (61.3 percent) for 1,386 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He currently ranks third in the SCC in pass efficiency and fourth in passing yards.
Yates, the fourth different UNC QB to start the season opener in the last four years, completed 15 of 23 passes for 218 yards against Miami. He hasn't thrown a TD pass in the last three games since tossing three in a 22-20 to Virginia Sept. 15.
But Yates will certainly be tested by a solid USC secondary that features three sophomores – cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and safeties Darian Stewart and Emanuel Cook. USC has the nation's top pass defense (126.6 yards) for the second consecutive week. Munnerlyn has two interceptions to lead USC, including a key pick against Kentucky last week.
You can bet UNC will test Addison Williams early and often to find out what the freshman from Atlanta is all about. Williams, making his first career start, replaces Carlos Thomas, who suffered a neck injury Tuesday night in practice.
Thomas was improving in his pass coverage skills but, as Spurrier joked this week, his absence will likely save the Gamecocks a couple of penalties in Saturday's game.
UNC enjoyed its most productive day of the season running the ball against Miami, gaining 183 yards. Running back Anthony Elzy rushed for a career-high 95 yards in the convincing win over the Hurricanes. Elzy is tied with Johnny White for the overall team lead with 223 net yards.
The USC defense has been susceptible to the run this year, giving up an average of 193.8 yards per game. Spurrier has cited rushing defense as one of biggest areas needing improvement.
UNC has a trio of weapons at wide receiver in Brandon Tate, who has 955 all-purpose yards halfway through the 2007 season and is on pace for the second-highest single-season all-purpose total at UNC, Brooks Foster and Hakeem Nicks.
The threesome has combined for 61 receptions and 993 yards with eight touchdowns this season. Nicks leads the Tar Heels with 31 receptions for 413 yards. Foster has 16 receptions, while Tate has caught 14 passes. Tate is averaging 13.7 yards on six rushes in 2007.
Tate is also a dangerous kickoff and punt returner. He's averaging 25.4 yards on 18 kickoff returns.
Defensive end Eric Norwood has been a terror on defense the last several weeks, including last Thursday's sensational effort against Kentucky when he returned a pair of fumbles for touchdowns and was honored as the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week.
Marvin Sapp and Melvin Ingram have done a respectable job filling in at middle linebacker for the injured Jasper Brinkley. Last week, Ingram had a career-high five tackles in the win over UK, while Sapp had a team-high eight stops in the previous week's win over Mississippi State.
In addition to playing solid pass defense, the Gamecocks have also been excelling on third downs. USC is first in the SEC and fourth in the nation in third down defense (25.9 percent). Opponents have converted just 22 of 85 opportunities on third down.
Beginning with the Georgia game, opponents are making just 23.9 percent of third downs (17 of 71). The highest percentage in any game has been 28.6 percent by LSU on Sept. 22.
One of the products of playing excellent third down defense is opponents aren't scoring many points. USC is surrendering just 16.8 points per game. Kentucky was limited to one-half (23 points) their season average.
COACH'S COMMENT: "South Carolina is really good. I mean, they are as physically gifted as anybody that we'll probably play all year long. They are certainly a good football team, but it's a great way to kind of measure yourself. You get a chance to find out about yourself and your program, and matchups and everything. We've said that every week, from Virginia Tech, South Florida, and Miami; I mean, they've all been very good football teams" - North Carolina head coach Butch Davis.
SYNOPSIS: Once the emotion of the first meeting between USC and UNC wears off midway through the first quarter, the game will be decided by the best players on the field. With that revelation, USC has a decided advantage when it comes to talent. UNC is still experiencing growing pains under Butch Davis. The Tar Heels may become competitive again in the ACC within the next few years, but right now, the bottom line is UNC is not a very good football team. Yes, they've suffered some close losses, but none have been to a powerhouse program except for No. 5 South Florida, and that was a 37-10 blowout. Their two wins are over Div. I-AA James Madison and a lethargic and disinterested Miami team that put on an embarrassing first half performance in last week's game. It reminded me of the USC-Clemson debacle at Williams-Brice in 2003 in terms of lack of effort. Steve Spurrier rarely loses to teams he should beat, and this week should be no exception. UNC has lost eight straight games to team in the SOP Top 25. Its last win over a Top 10 team came in 2004 with a 31-18 win over Miami. UNC has proven they can beat the 'Canes. They just don't beat many other teams.
PREDICTION: Between UNC starting three freshmen in the secondary and its porous run defense, the USC offense, just now clicking into gear behind Smelley, should have their way for most of the afternoon. Yates is a young, decent quarterback for the Tar Heels but, as Butch Davis said earlier week, the USC defense will be the best the Tar Heels have faced all season. Look for USC defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix to call plenty of blitzes and try to put as much pressure on Yates as he can. Don't be surprised if the USC defense scores at least one touchdown as a sequel to its two-touchdown performance against Kentucky. USC has scored 38 points in consecutive games. I smell a trend. Smelley will pick apart UNC's youthful secondary as USC rolls into Chapel Hill and shows the Tar Heels who the real 'Carolina' is, at least in football.
USC 38, NORTH CAROLINA 17.
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CAROLINA BLUE GAME DAY</CENTER></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=6><CENTER>
October 13, 2007 @ 3:30 PM (TV: ABC)
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Kenan Stadium
Tar Heel Sports Network | Live Stats | Scoreboard | Weather |
Daily Line | USC Official Site | USC Rivals Site</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgColor=#5fb1e0><TD colSpan=6><CENTER>
SOUTH CAROLINA vs. NORTH CAROLINA</CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=45>
Entering the game, how are the teams shaping up at running back? Who are the keys players to watch?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
UNC head coach Butch Davis said on Thursday evening that Anthony Elzy had "clearly" established himself as the No. 1 tailback heading into this week's game. Coming off successive strong outings against Virginia Tech and South Carolina, Elzy will look to once again produce tough yardage and keep the chains moving for the Tar Heels. I expect Ryan Houston to get some touches, but Elzy is the main running back for UNC at this point.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
For South Carolina, senior Cory Boyd and junior Mike Davis will share the load at tailback. Boyd is the more elusive of the two and more likely to break a long run, while Davis is more of the power back who will consistently gain positive yardage. Deep in the red zone, Davis typically gets the nod due to his ability to find the right hole in closed quarters. Both catch the ball well out of backfield and excel in pass protection. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=45>
Describe the quarterback situation heading into this game. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the starting QBs?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=20>
T.J. Yates had another strong outing last week against Miami, completing 15 of 23 passes for 218 yards without an interception. With every passing week, Yates is getting more and more familiar with this offense. If the UNC offensive line gives him time to throw, he has the potential to have a solid outing against the Gamecocks. USC is going to miss starting cornerback Carlos Thomas, who injured his neck this week in practice, but they still have one of the top secondaries in the SEC. Yates will have to continue making good decisions and avoid risky passes across the middle into coverage because of pressure, which often lead to interceptions against good teams.<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O
> </O></TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=20>
Redshirt freshman Chris Smelley will be making his fourth career start, and his first start on the road, on Saturday. He has performed very well since taking over for Blake Mitchell, and the Gamecock offense has improved as a result. He has displayed a strong presence in the pocket and knack for buying time with his feet. He also is getting rid of the ball quickly and throwing to a spot, both of which are required in Steve Spurrier's offense.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=25>
Who is the offensive "X-Factor" to the game, and why?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
North Carolina's wide receivers have been making plays all season, and they will have to play especially well this week if the Tar Heels are going to have a chance to win this game. Brandon Tate is an explosive playmaker that has seen a dramatically expanded role in the offense this fall, and he will need to get open and make catches for the Tar Heels against this opponent. The same goes for Hakeem Nicks, who is arguably the biggest weapon UNC has. Junior WR Brooks Foster is going to be a game time decision, and true freshman Greg Little and senior Joe Dailey could get some balls thrown their way if he can't play. The Tar Heels will be unable to beat South Carolina unless they can make something happen through the air. </TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
For the Gamecocks, it's their offensive line. In their last game against Kentucky, they looked very good at times but sub-par at others. Spurrier really wants to re-ignite his running game, but that can only happen if the offensive line is performing adequately. His line must also show more consistency in pass protection. When Smelley has time, he has shown he can be highly productive, but needs the time in the pocket to really be effective. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=22>
Who is the defensive "X-Factor" to the game, and why?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
Middle linebacker Wesley Flagg is going to really have to play well this week against South Carolina's versatile offense. The Gamecocks like to line up in several different formations and run or pass out of the varying looks, and for Flagg, the challenge will be to stay in the right place and help guide the UNC defense in working to stop both the run and the pass. While the secondary figures to get tested early and often by Steve Spurrier, Flagg will play a critical role this week in the middle, because UNC has to respect South Carolina's ability to run the football.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
I'd have to go with defensive end Eric Norwood. He was named the SEC and national player of the week following his great performance against Kentucky. He became the fourth player in NCAA history to return two fumbles for touchdowns in one game. Since middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley was lost for the season with a knee injury, Norwood has become the heart and soul and leader of the South Carolina defense. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=11>
From a coaching standpoint, what do the teams have to do to win this game?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
UNC has done much better in the time of possession battle the last two weeks, and once again this week the Tar Heel coaches will be looking to control the football and sustain drives. The inside running game will once again be crucial, as it was against Miami, and UNC's chances of prevailing hinges largely on whether or not they can get things going on the ground. Defensively, the Tar Heels are going to be looking to smack the Gamecocks in the mouth from the outset with a physical, aggressive surge off the ball. They will be looking to dictate the flow of the game by putting USC on its heels and making it difficult for them to get into an offensive rhythm. From a coaching standpoint, I expect the Tar Heels to come right at the Gamecocks early in the game, hopeful to set a tone and get the home crowd involved.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
Defensively, coordinator Tyrone Nix needs his players to do a better job of stopping the run, which will require the first man making more plays and his players taking better angles on the backs. They've had players in position to make plays for the most part, but they haven't come up with the tackle often enough. Offensively, Spurrier is having more fun calling plays since Smelley took over the starting quarterback role, primarily because he's getting more opportunities. The Gamecocks have run close to 70 plays or more pretty consistently, and the more chances Spurrier gets to call plays, the better chance his team has to win. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=1>
Can the run defenses hold up?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=17>
South Carolina enters this particular contest ranked 11<SUP>th</SUP> in the Southeastern Conference in rushing yardage, averaging 130.7 yards per game. None of their backs are among the SEC's top 10 rushers. The Tar Heels have gotten significantly better against the run in recent weeks, moving up to 8<SUP>th</SUP> in the ACC in rush defense (146.5 ypg). This is definitely an area that can help the Tar Heels keep this game close, because if they can find a way to slow down South Carolina's running game, they can control time of possession and therefore dictate the pace. However, if USC is able to make some big plays on the ground and rush for 150 or more yards, it's difficult to see the Tar Heels having a chance in the fourth quarter.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=17>
That's the burning question for the Gamecocks. It's been their one big weakness this year on that side of the ball. North Carolina found their running game last week against Miami, and that could spell trouble for South Carolina if they don't tackle better and get a stronger performance from their front four. Worst case, they have to continue to stiffen in the red zone and getting off the field on third down, both of which they've done a nice job of this year. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=1>
Special teams; how critical will it be in this particular game? </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
Butch Davis has a big-time safety valve in Connor Barth, who has been automatic the last two-plus seasons from practically anywhere he's kicked. From 45 yards and closer, the Tar Heels should feel very confident about Barth's ability to convert, and he will likely get a couple of chances in this game. South Carolina has the best kickoff coverage in the SEC, so the Tar Heels will be working to avoid bad field position against a solid unit. Both teams have been solid in the punting game this season. </TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
Both teams are playing well on special teams coming into this contest. Two of the best kickers in the nation will be squaring off, and each team has some dangerous weapons in the return game. The Gamecocks have been on the verge of some huge games on special teams, but silly penalties have prevented it. I could definitely envision the teams combining for multiple scores on special teams in this game. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=34>
How are the opposing secondaries looking heading into this game, and can either offense get the passing game going?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
UNC has been progressively improving against the pass, as they currently sit fifth in the ACC in yardage allowed (211.8 ypg) and tied for third in interceptions, with seven. Everyone knows that Steve Spurrier likes to throw the ball, and although the Gamecocks have only completed 57.1 percent of their passes (compared to 61.6 percent for UNC), they are averaging 229.3 passing yards per game. Kendric Burney will continue to start at one cornerback position, and the other spot is likely to be held down by multiple players, including sophomore Jermaine Strong and freshmen Tavorris Jolly and Charles Brown. Brown also serves as the team's "nickel back," and given South Carolina's propensity for the pass, he will likely serve as a fifth defensive back in several plays on Saturday. Freshman Deunta Williams is becoming a serious player at safety, while junior Trimane Goddard has shown his versatility by playing both safety and outside linebacker. The unit is going to have to play fast and play hard in order to give UNC its best shot of winning the game.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
Coming into this game, the Gamecocks lead the nation in pass defense. They primarily play man coverage in the secondary, but they will mix in some zone coverage as well. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn is one of the best cover corners in the Southeastern Conference, and safeties Darian Stewart, Emanuel Cook and Brandon Isaac have all three been very productive this season. Cornerback Carlos Thomas is likely out this weekend due to a neck injury he suffered earlier this week in practice. He'll be replaced by a combination of Stoney Woodson Addison Williams and Isaac, who can play multiple spots in the secondary.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=58>
Who are the key players in the trenches (offensive and defensive lines) for the two teams, and how will they affect the outcome of the game?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
South Carolina has given up more sacks (16) than any other team in the SEC, and the Tar Heels have been watching film this week working to figure out some things that other teams have been successful doing against this offense. I expect the Tar Heels to try and put pressure on USC's offensive line with a series of blitz packages and bull rushes up front. The Tar Heels have got a shot of making this game very interesting if they can get some timely sacks and force punts, as they did for much of the game against Miami. Offensively, the Tar Heels have a legitimate chance of running the ball against this opponent if the line can get in gear. South Carolina comes in ranked 11<SUP>th</SUP> in the SEC with an average of 193.8 yards allowed per game, and it will be up to the guys in the middle, particularly guards Aaron Stahl and Calvin Darity, along with center Lowell Dyer, likely to start again in the absence of Scott Lenahan, to create some space for Elzy and the other UNC backs.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
Offensively, left tackle Jamon Meredith is the most talented player, and his matchup with Tar Heel defensive end Hilee Taylor will likely be a key battle to watch in this game. Defensively, I think Marque Hall needs to have one of the best games of the year in order for the Gamecock run defense to play like it's capable. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2 height=36>
Who will win the game, bottom line why (they will win), and what will the final score be?
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=5>
Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=5>
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#5fb1e0 height=19>
From a statistical standpoint, the Gamecocks look susceptible for a major letdown this week, and given North Carolina's impressive improvement the last two weeks against stiff competition in Virginia Tech and Miami, there is some reason for optimism for Tar Heel fans that the game can be competitive. However, these Gamecocks are battle tested after games against nationally-ranked foes Georgia, LSU, and Kentucky. USC defeated the Bulldogs and Wildcats, and played the Tigers, the nation's No. 1 team, very tough. While UNC figures to compete and make a game of it, South Carolina is just too strong this year. I expect the Gamecocks to win by a 24-20 margin.</TD><TD vAlign=top width=306 bgColor=#9d0000 height=19>
My prediction is South Carolina 34, North Carolina 17. I look for a hard fought first half with the Gamecocks pulling away in the second half. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=602 colSpan=2 height=19>
---Tony Morrell is the publisher of GamecockCentral.com of Rivals. ---Adam Powell is the Associate Editor of CarolinaBlue.com and the author of three books, including a history of ACC football and histories of UNC basketball and football.
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Adam Powell
CarolinaBlue.com Associate Editor
<SCRIPT language=javascript> if ((bIEWindowBrowser) && (navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 6.") != -1)) document.write("<div id=outercontainer style='height:220px;'>"); else document.write("<div id=outercontainer>"); document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in
Blue Heaven
This week has certainly been a unique one for UNC head coach
Butch Davis, as he had to leave Chapel Hill on Tuesday following the death of his brother-in-law in Oklahoma. Davis returned to Chapel Hill after being gone for a full day, and on Thursday, he worked through a half-gear (shoulder pads and helmet) practice session with his team as they continue to prepare for Saturday's game against No. 7 South Carolina in Kenan Stadium.
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Butch Davis missed Wednesday's practice, but was pleased with the film of the workout.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Butch Davis Miami 200x267 Image-->"I appreciate all the patience and stuff. It's a tough situation for our family, and more so certainly for my wife," Davis said immediately after Thursday afternoon's practice. "We've had an enormous amount of unbelievable support, and certainly back there (in Oklahoma) she got a lot, and certainly here with a lot of different people on campus, in the football department and just fans, cards and stuff. It was all very appreciative."
Davis and the Tar Heel coaches had already prepared much of the game plan for the Gamecocks earlier in the week, and he was able to watch the tape of Wednesday afternoon's practice session. He was pleased with the team and coaching staff's effort in his absence.
"I got back yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, so I got a chance to go to all the meetings with the players, and watched all the tape and stuff," he said. "I have the ultimate trust and confidence in our coaching staff. We had talked about probably 85 percent of the game plan (before), because I didn't leave until Tuesday afternoon. I was there all Sunday, Monday, Tuesday for all the game planning, and sat in on all the meetings. I know they (the coaches) did a good job. I talked to them after the practices, and they said the energy was very good. I watched the tape, and yesterday was a very, very good practice, and today (Thursday) was a good, solid practice."
In his typical fashion, Davis didn't give praise to any one individual for holding everything together during his brief absence. He gave marked praise to his coaching staff, which he trusts fully given the extensive amount of time he has spent working with most of the men in assisting coaching positions for the Tar Heels.
"I think certainly everybody is to be complimented; the players, and equally as much the coaches," said Davis. "I wouldn't have expected anything less. I think the world of this coaching staff. They're outstanding coaches. They're good men. They know. That's one of the real unique privileges of having a lot of these guys I've been with before. You just know that they're going to go out and get the job done. I just trust them so much."
The Tar Heels are playing against one of America's most demanding schedules yet again this fall. Along with this week's game against South Carolina, ranked No. 7 in the AP poll, UNC has faced off against other ranked teams in South Florida (No. 5) and Virginia Tech (No. 12). For North Carolina's young squad, there is no greater initiation into what it takes to become an elite program than playing against such quality opposition.
"Anybody that's got a harder schedule than us, I don't want their schedule," said Davis. "All I know is that it seems like everybody we play is rated in the top 10 in defense or whatever, and I would suspect that it will continue to get at least as tough, if not tougher, as the season goes along, because you look down the line, which you don't like to do, but there's certainly a lot of good teams left on the schedule. It's a challenge. The schedule is who we have. Very rarely do you have much control over it, and a lot of times when games are scheduled 10 years in advance, you have no idea how good, how a team is going to be, so I kind of stick with the same adage about scheduling and teams during the season. This is more about our team."
"South Carolina is really good. I mean, they are as physically gifted as anybody that we'll probably play all year long," Davis added. "They are certainly a good football team, but it's a great way to kind of measure yourself. You get a chance to find out about yourself and your program, and matchups and everything. We've said that every week, from Virginia Tech, South Florida, and Miami; I mean, they've all been very good football teams."
Davis gave credit to USC head coach
Steve Spurrier for his aggressiveness on offense, along with his teams' tendencies to confuse opposing defenses by lining up in multiple formations and doing different things out of the varying looks.
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Davis gave credit to USC head coach Steve Spurrier for his aggressiveness as a play caller.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Image-->"Historically, Steve does a great job of play calling. They really are aggressive," he said. "They will push the ball down the field more than some teams that you'll play. I mean, some teams are very content to try with the passing game, in some respects, as kind of an extension of their running game. A lot of teams just throw the ball short, underneath the coverage. He (Spurrier) will take shots. He's going to throw the ball down the field. He's going to challenge our secondary, and they'll mix it up. They'll give you multitudes of formations, and try to give you unusual things. You've got to be very, very prepared, you know, from the standpoint of all the unusual plays that they run, and the unusual formations that they'll do. So, you've got to be very schooled and very disciplined in that respect."
UNC's 33-27 victory over Miami last Saturday relieved some of the pressure off the Tar Heels, given the team's series of near-misses in September. At 2-4, the Tar Heels have some work to do to make a bowl game, but the team definitely has an extra jump in its step this week.
"Confidence? Maybe so. I think there's certainly a lot more enthusiasm," said Davis. "It's a little bit harder when you're not getting the win. Certainly the win brings a little bit of a spark of enthusiasm, and guys are anxious to get back to practice and those kinds of things. There is no tonic like a win."
The Tar Heels continue on this week despite multiple players being injured. Upperclassmen defenders Kendrick Williams and
Chase Rice have already been lost for the season, while fellow contributors
Scott Lenahan,
Brooks Foster, and
Cam Thomas have all missed game action as well with various ailments.
According to Davis, both Lenahan and Foster will be game time decisions on Saturday afternoon.
"They've already handled a tremendous amount of adversity. I mean, people don't talk a lot about it, but we played a lot of games with some guys who were nicked up," Davis said. "Last week we played without Scott Lenahan and Brooks Foster on offense. We played without some guys, losing Chase Rice and Cam Thomas; we had some guys go down on defense. Our coaches, I think they helped these young players kind of somewhat adjust to the adversity, and the challenges every week. They (Lenahan and Foster) did some practicing today, and in the NFL you would call this a "game day decision." It's not out of mystique or disguise. It's just how truly how much better can they get between now and 3:30 Saturday afternoon."
Due to some of their injuries, the Tar Heels did not play as many players on defense against Miami than Davis would have liked, which resulted in the Tar Heels who were playing getting gassed over the course of last week's contest. Davis is hoping to rectify that situation by getting more guys onto the field this weekend.
"One of the things, and I don't think it was a negative from the standpoint of an indictment on us about conditioning, but I know that one of the things, after looking at the tape a couple of times on Sunday and Monday, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, we didn't play enough guys defensively," he said. "Early in the year, when some of those defensive linemen had been healthier and stuff, we played anywhere from seven to nine guys. I think we only played like six last week, and I think they kind of got gassed and got a little bit tired. You'd like to be able to get some of those guys back into the game.
Aleric Mullins, people didn't realize this, but he had to go back for a funeral, so he missed two days of practice. There was a lot of stuff that he wasn't really 100 percent on, so we were fortunate to get him in on a limited basis. With Cam Thomas's ankle being bad, it kind of put us down a little bit. Hopefully we'll get these guys back sometime soon."
Davis also addressed rumors that he might be considering changing North Carolina's traditional powder blue home uniforms with a new navy blue design. While he admitted that the Tar Heels are working with Nike to make some minor changes to the uniform, he indicated that he has no plans of changing the jersey color, or the helmets.
"There was something on a website or something, talking about that we were going to change the uniform (color), and that's totally erroneous," said Davis. "Next year we are going to change the uniform some. Nike, every three to five years, they give you an opportunity when you're under contract, to kind of tweak, and this year they let us fudge a little bit by doing the pants. We got a chance to kind of tweak the pants and stuff. We're going to always have Carolina Blue jerseys and helmets, and stuff like that. I wouldn't touch that helmet for anything. I think it's the best-looking helmet in college football."
Davis is pleased with the way North Carolina's running game has come on in recent weekends, allowing the Tar Heels to put a scare in Virginia Tech before helping UNC knock off Miami. He indicated that
Anthony Elzy has established himself as the top choice at tailback, and the redshirt freshman figures to be in the starting lineup when the Tar Heels take the field against the Gamecocks.
"I think it (the running game) has gotten better, and it has been a deciding factor in helping us be much more competitive," he said. "It's allowed us to be much more balanced offensively, and there's still of plenty of areas to improve. We're not as good as we need to be. I think that we've definitely made some strides in the right direction. He (Elzy) has played very good. We hated the fact that he had the really bad ankle sprain early in the year, because it really limited him. He is a tough, physical runner, and if you're going to use an adjective to kind of describe him, he really runs strong and tough. Clearly right now (he's the No. 1). I still think it's probably going to be "running back by committee" for a while, but I think there's plenty of opportunities for all of them. Ryan (Houston) came in and had some really good runs last week, and Johnny (White) at the end."
