Ward hopes for more improvement with Georgia on the horizon
The Gamecocks’ defense answered the bell against East Carolina regarding whether they could make a key play to help win a game.
A pair of third quarter interceptions, courtesy of redshirt senior Sharrod Golightly and junior T.J. Gurley, helped swing the game in South Carolina’s favor on its way to a 33-23 victory.
After giving up 680 yards of total offense and 52 points against Texas A&M, it’s a more positive feeling to have over the weekend for defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward’s bunch.
“Any time you play better, you have some satisfaction,” Ward said. “But I still feel like we left a lot of plays out there we could have made.”
The first couple of drives for the East Carolina offense made the Gamecock defense bend but not break, as the Pirates were held to two field goals, which Ward said was key because it kept South Carolina’s offense in the game.
“Spread offenses are going to get yards — that’s just the way they spread the field,” he added. “[We’ve] got to try and hold them to field goals and not touchdowns. When you play spread teams, you got to really tighten up in the red zone.”
On the Pirates’ third drive, they finally earned a touchdown after senior quarterback Shane Carden got in a rhythm leading to a 10-yard Chris Hairston touchdown run.
The biggest defensive play of the first half came in the second quarter with the score at 17-13 in favor of the Gamecocks. East Carolina set up for a 42-yard field goal, but redshirt junior Gerald Dixon Jr. burst through the line to block the kick, allowing South Carolina’s offense to operate in good field position.
The first two Pirate drives of the second half finished nicely for the Gamecocks. East Carolina was pursuing a lead, but Golightly put the idea to a halt with a skillful sideline interception that led to a South Carolina touchdown.
It was Golightly’s play that Gamecock quarterback Dylan Thompson said set the tone for the second half.
The following possession saw T.J. Gurley step in front of a Pirate receiver to pick off a pass, giving the safety his second career interception. Gurley credited Ward and secondary coach Grady Brown for the play.
“After last game, that was the most film we’ve ever watched,” Gurley said. “After that loss, we prepared real well.”
Gurley said he saw a route that East Carolina uses often called a “snag.” He saw that the running back did not run out wide, so he decided to sink back and undercut the receiver, taking advantage of an underthrown pass.
The Gamecocks allowed a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to let the lead slip to 30-23, but turnovers from Golightly and Gurley were enough to keep the Pirates at bay.
East Carolina did put up 453 yards of total offense on the night with 321 of them coming through the air but settled for a few too many field goals to come out on top.
Overall, it was a better performance from a South Carolina defense that desperately needed it.
If it’s a defense good enough to keep the team on the winning side, however, remains in question.
A different style of offense in Georgia awaits the Gamecocks next week, with all eyes on the Bulldogs’ junior running back Todd Gurley.
While Ward expressed some satisfaction with Saturday’s defensive result, others felt differently.
“I’m not satisfied at all. I feel like we made a good stride forward and got the W. But we still have a long way to go. We have a big game next week. We have to buckle up because it’s an SEC East game,” Golightly said. “And it’s all on the line so we have to tighten up for next week.”