South Carolina offensive coordinator Kendal Briles spent Wednesday afternoon unpacking a messy Week 3 showing against Mississippi State, and the conversation kept circling back to LaNorris Sellers.
Briles said the Gamecocks need to be cleaner in the finishing moments, especially after drives stalled short of touchdowns. When asked what kept South Carolina from turning more of those chances into points, he pointed to execution on both sides of the sideline.
“Yeah, just need to do a better job of finishing hem, like you said, so there are obviously things that I can do better and the players can execute at a higher level. But we have to be able to go finish.”
The third quarter drew the sharpest criticism from Briles. He said the offense, along with special teams and defense, failed to start the second half the way it needed to, and he traced part of that to a holding penalty on first down that put South Carolina behind the chains.
“We did some good things on offense. Third quarter, obviously, was not our best football as a team, special teams, offense, defense.
We didn't come out of the locker room and play well, and it started with the holding call on first-down. And so those are things we've got to eliminate, so we're not in bad situations and put those guys in those situations.”
The two interceptions by Sellers came up next, and Briles made clear he viewed them as separate plays rather than one broader problem. On the first, he said Sellers should have trusted the throw to Nyck Harbor downfield and let it go. On the second, Briles said the quarterback needed to get rid of the ball sooner and avoid the double-clutch.
“No, those were completely separate plays and situations, offensively. The first one, you'd like for LaNorris to take his first read with Nyck down the field and he just needs to let the ball go and let it rip.
He obviously had the over route. The guy made a good play, got underneath it and it got tipped by the d-lineman.
He tipped it and it got to his guy. The second one, we've got to keep him out of those situations.
He needs to let it go on the first time he sees it. He double-clutched it and the guy made a play.
All things we're talking about and just being very intentional and trusting himself.”
Briles was also asked whether Sellers is pressing or trying to force throws. He said that is not what he sees, and he also rejected the idea that the quarterback is trying to guide the ball too much.
“No, he hasn't shown to not do that.”
“I do not, no.”
The goal-line sequence was another sore spot, and Briles did not soften the explanation. He said one snap was fumbled from the 6-inch line, and the next play was affected by that mistake.
“It wasn't anything that I felt - I know what went wrong. He fumbled the snap on a short-yardage situation from the 6-inch line. And I think that affected he next one we he's trying to get the ball too early on a play that we've repped a whole lot, so very unfortunate, so two things we've done a whole lot of and we didn't execute down there.”
Briles said the staff is still confident in Sellers, even with outside noise building around the quarterback position. He said he has not been following social media and added that Sellers has the experience to handle the job.
“No, I haven't. I haven't been on social media.
But we feel very confident in our quarterback. LaNorris has played a lot of snaps.
One thing you can't bide is experience and I can't wait to see him go play this week. He'll play his butt off.”
Briles also addressed the possibility of Cutter Woods seeing the field, but he made it clear he is sticking with Sellers.
The wide receiver conversation included Nyck Harbor, whose production has lagged. Briles said that is part of how the position works and pointed to a strong Wednesday practice as a reason to believe the ball will eventually come Harbor’s way.
“That's kind of the world of playing receiver. The ball's not going to always find you, then they come in bunches.
Just keeping his head down and working. (Nyck Harbor has) had a really good Wednesday practice today, so I think the ball will end up finding him and he'll be very productive at some point.
Just got to continue to work and we've got to continue to find ways to get him the football.”
Jacarrius Peak drew praise from Briles, who said his energy and effort were as noticeable as his actual play. Briles described Peak as contagious in the huddle and around the offense.
“(Jacarrius Peak) played really well. More so than his play on the field, his level of excitement and playing the game was contagious to the offense.
Everybody around him - he's got a high sprit. He loves football.
He encourages others. He brings people along with him.
You watch the practice film yesterday and he's 40 yards down the field chasing a running back. Like he loves playing football and it's contagious for the rest of the guys.
He's a dang good player and makes us better.”
Briles was asked whether Sellers has a pattern of missing the first read in practice. He said that has not been an issue, and later added that the decision-making can be corrected quickly.
“No, he hasn't shown to not do that.”
“No, that's something that can be corrected right away. It's something that you're working on and that's why these guys go and practice each and every day.
They're human and they played against a defense that's really good. Those guys are good at what they do, schematically.
They throw a lot of pictures at you. when you're in a bad (down and distance) situation, there's things that are going to change, so just continue to work, get better and allow him to have a ton of confidence in the scheme and he players that are around him.”
Briles also touched on Jabree Coleman, saying the back has taken a significant step since preseason. He said Coleman was limited last week with an ankle issue but is now full-go, and he pointed to his body transformation, vision, balance, and receiving ability as reasons for optimism.
“He's made a big jump. I'm incredibly proud of Jabree and the work that he's put in with coach Drayton.
Not just him, but a lot of the backs. He got a little bit banged up and was limited last week with an ankle, but he's full-go now.
He's continually gotten better. He's changed his body from the time I've been here.
He's got a lot of natural running ability. He sees things well.
He's got great contact balance. He accelerates, catches the ball well, he's smart and he's young, so he's got a big future.”
Looking ahead to Alabama, Briles said the challenge is obvious. He credited defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and said the Crimson Tide are difficult everywhere: on the perimeter, up front, and in the secondary. He also noted how disruptive Alabama’s front can be and how difficult it is to establish the run.
“They've got great players. Coach (Kane) Wommack does a great job defensively.
The guys play really, really hard. They fly to the ball.
They're great on the perimeter. The d-line is very disruptive.
Their secondary is incredibly experience. No. 1, with the way they move him around, to defensive end, tackle - he at times can be a problem, so there's a ton of challenges that they present.
Nobody's run the ball on them with any consistency at all, so present challenges and put teams in third-and-long situations that they're able to tee off on and disguise a lot of coverages and dictate protections.”
In Other News...
South Carolina May Have Found A Weapon Right Before Alabama
South Carolina got a much-needed boost on special teams in its win over Mississippi State, and freshman kicker Malik Orsan was at the center of it. The Missouri native, a transfer from Southeastern Missouri State University, drilled four field goals in his college debut, including two from beyond 50 yards, giving the Gamecocks a reliable leg at a time when every point mattered.
Orsans poise stood out as much as the distance on his kicks, with coaches and teammates praising the way he handled pressure in his first game at this level. The performance earned him one of the three Lou Groza Stars of the Week, and it leaves South Carolina with a real weapon heading into a matchup with Alabama. [Read more 🡒]
Dawn Staleys Outdoor Game Comes With One Clear Concern
South Carolina womens basketball is set to do something it has never done before when it meets College of Charleston in an outdoor setting Sept. 27 as part of the LinkU Invitational at Credit One Stadium in Charleston. The matchup will be the third game of the day in a showcase that also features other mens games, giving Dawn Staleys program a rare chance to be part of a broader basketball event in a venue better known for a different kind of stage.
For Staley, though, the novelty of the setting comes with one clear concern: player safety. An outdoor game brings weather into the equation in a way indoor basketball never does, and that makes the conditions at Credit One Stadium a much bigger story than the backdrop itself. South Carolina gets a first-of-its-kind platform, but the real test may be how well the event handles everything that comes with leaving the comfort of a regular arena. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Garcias Latest Cancer Update Brings Relief And A Long Wait
Stephen Garcias latest update brought the kind of relief that has been hard to come by since the former South Carolina quarterback revealed his Stage 4 colorectal cancer diagnosis in April. After six rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the tumors, Garcia underwent successful surgery to remove the cancer, a major step in a fight that has carried far beyond the football field and into the lives of his family and supporters.
Garcia and his family have already turned part of that fight into something larger by launching a foundation aimed at supporting cancer patients and promoting early detection. The surgery marks a meaningful milestone, but it also leaves the next stretch of recovery and follow-up in front of him, with the long wait now shifting from treatment to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]