COLUMBIA - South Carolina’s defense didn’t need a wholesale makeover at halftime. It needed a reset, and it got one.
The Gamecocks were leaking yards before the break against Tennessee. DeSean Bishop was getting more comfortable.
George MacIntyre had time to operate. Receivers kept finding the soft spots in South Carolina’s secondary, and the Vols were cashing in on the 14-point lead USC had built - and then some.
By halftime, Tennessee had piled up 179 yards and 21 points, with all of those scores coming in the second quarter. Whatever was happening before the break was not sustainable.
The second half looked completely different. South Carolina gave up just 141 more yards and only three points the rest of the way.
Defensive tackle Kelby Collins said the response started inside the locker room.
“We didn’t do anything different. I wasn’t really pleased with how we were stopping the run early in the game, so I came into the locker room, brought the team up,” Collins said.
“‘It starts up front, with the D-line, we got to do a better job stopping the run.’ Everybody bought in and fell in line, and we did what we knew we were supposed to do the whole game.'”
That doesn’t erase what Tennessee got wiped off the board. Three touchdowns were called back, though the penalties were correct. The Vols still managed to turn one of those drives into a touchdown anyway, and another into a field goal.
Still, the stops mattered for South Carolina’s mindset, especially with the game tightening up. Noah Clark was part of the group that delivered a fourth-and-1 stop and a strip-sack that helped fuel USC’s comeback.
“I knew we were going to end the game, I felt it coming. Just seeing that moment happen, what can you do but get excited?
I didn’t have a doubt in my mind,” Clark said. “We just played with a next-play mentality.
You can’t dwell on a bad quarter in the SEC. Every team you play is a good team.
Just got to let it go and play football.”
Shane Beamer said there wasn’t any dramatic switch at halftime, just a little more heat on the quarterback and a tougher edge across the board.
“We ran a little bit more five-man pressures and playing some man coverage behind it, but I thought in the second half, those guys played with more physicality and more effort,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing, and really the only thing from a coverage standpoint or defensive scheme standpoint was just a little bit more five-man pressure.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma Is Bracing For South Carolina At Full Strength
South Carolina heads to Norman on Saturday afternoon for just the second meeting in program history, and the Gamecocks arrive with some momentum after beating Tennessee last week. Oklahoma is coming off a win at Mississippi State, but Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle made it clear this is the kind of matchup that gets their attention, especially with South Carolina showing it can stress opponents on both sides of the ball.
The Sooners are preparing for a complete challenge, from the Gamecocks offense to a defense that has been tough to sort out. With playmakers on both sides of the line of scrimmage, South Carolina gives Oklahoma a chance to find out how it handles a physical SEC opponent that has plenty working in its favor right now. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A Brutal Test To Keep Its SEC Push Alive
South Carolina heads to Norman on Saturday for a tricky SEC road test against Oklahoma, with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. The Gamecocks are carrying the momentum of a win over Tennessee, while the Sooners come in off a victory against Mississippi State, setting up a matchup that carries plenty of weight for both teams as the conference race tightens.
There is still plenty around the game to monitor beyond the matchup itself, including South Carolinas injury situation, the betting market that has installed Oklahoma as the favorite, and the weather outlook for game day. For a Gamecocks team trying to keep its SEC push on track, this trip feels like the kind that can say a lot about where things are headed next. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A Prove-It Road Test As McElroy Weighs In
South Carolina heads into Week 9 with a chance to show its recent momentum is more than a short burst, and Greg McElroy sees the matchup at Oklahoma as a tight one between two unranked teams coming off wins. His game preview points to a contest where the margin should be slim and the scoring should stay modest, which fits the kind of road test that can tell you a lot about where a team really stands in the middle of a season.
The broader market around the game appears to be treating it much the same way, with opinions leaning toward a close finish rather than a clear separation. For the Gamecocks, that makes this trip about more than just a result on paper. It is the sort of game that can either reinforce a rising feel or leave a team still searching for proof it belongs in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]