2-Minute Drill: Final thoughts before South Carolina kicks off against Clemson

Before South Carolina takes on Clemson this evening, here’s a few updates on today’s game plus a reminder what the keys are for the Gamecocks.

INJURY REPORT:

– RB Dakereon Joyner has arrived in a walking boot. According to team sources I’ve been told that he’s available to play tonight after missing the past two games. What’s to be seen though is he used/how much does he play. Nonetheless, 5 will be suited up tonight. Joyner was spotted warming up in pre-game with no walking boot on.

– WR Juice Wells did not take part in the Gamecock Walk, as expected.

– OL Trai Jones remain out

NOTES:

– Something really cool tonight Center Nick Gargiulo, who’ll be walking for senior night, has around 40 family members/friends in town for tonight’s game. That includes a long list of Yale teammates and Yale HC Tony Reno, who is here with his son & Gamecock 4-star QB commit Dante.

One of the toughest challenges South Carolina will face this weekend is the task of slowing down Clemson’s front. It goes without saying but USC needs to find a way to establish the run to slow them down. Throughout the course of the season, but especially in recent weeks, the Gamecocks have really struggled to do that.

In the past three games USC has rushed for 89, 136, and 50 yards. What’s misleading though is that two of those runs, in separate games, went for 40 yards (on the first drive against Jacksonville State) and 72 yards (towards the end of the game against Vanderbilt). The point is, aside from breaking two long runs, when the Gamecocks have wanted to run the football they’ve really struggled to do it consistently.

In the event that USC can’t get the run game going against Clemson, now what? Well, before you pack up and leave there are other ways South Carolina can slowdown that front. That involves the quick game, especially screens, swing passes, and slants. The Gamecocks need to do whatever it takes to slow that front down or else Spencer Rattler will be running for his life if the Tigers know it’s gonna be pass, pass, pass.

Let’s keep saying it. The defense needs to, and I mean NEEDS TO, force some takeaways. Here’s a couple reminders of why creating turnovers will be important this weekend for USC. Through South Carolina’s first eight games of the season, the Gamecocks only forced seven takeaways. In their last three games, they’ve been able to force nine. All three of those games resulted in wins.

In the past two seasons, South Carolina is 10-0 at home when they force at least one takeaway. In that same span, the Gamecocks are 0-3 at home when they fail to force a turnover.

When I think back to last year’s game against Clemson, it’s hard not to think about several key plays on special teams and how much of an impact they made. I’m talking about Clemson fumbling the kickoff return after trying to get too cute. I’m also talking about Nate Adkins forcing a fumble on the team punt team and Mitch Jeter drilling a field goal a few minutes earlier to give South Carolina the lead.

We’ve talked about this before but when it comes to South Carolina special teams, we hold them to a higher standard because of what they’ve done in the past two years. Over the past two games, South Carolina’s special teams has played arguably their best ball all season. They need to be special again this weekend.