1. Bryson Allen-Williams earns more playing time
Two years ago, four-star recruit Bryson Allen-Williams snubbed two of the top college football programs, Alabama and Georgia, and committed to playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The linebacker was ranked 162nd best player in the class of 2014 by ESPN and garnered recruitment from over a dozen schools. However, he chose South Carolina, where star linebackers T.J. Holloman and Skai Moore would emerge.
The loaded linebacker position forced Allen-Williams to bounce around, playing multiple positions for much of the 2014 season. His inexperience was exposed as he struggled to live up to the massive expectations bestowed upon him.
For most of the 2015 season, Allen-Williams has backed up Holloman, who has largely performed exceptionally well. But Holloman was ejected after being called for targeting against Vanderbilt, which paved the way for Allen-Williams. The sophomore responded with three tackles of his own, in addition to his first career interception.
Though Holloman is due back on Saturday against Texas A&M, Allen-Williams certainly turned some heads when his number was called, likely earning himself more playing time. His experience at multiple positions during his two-year career at South Carolina might prompt head coach Shawn Elliott to use Allen-Williams as a utility player. Either way, he needs to see the field more often.
2. Winner of rushing game wins the game
Neither team has a defense to marvel at. In fact, South Carolina and Texas A&M rank in the bottom third of the country, tied total rushing yards allowed at 1401 yards. The Aggies boast the slight edge over the Gamecocks in terms of attempts, but the edge is minuscule in the grand scheme of things.
When the Gamecocks move the ball via the ground game, the offense is at least formidable. When the rushing game is stagnant, like it has been for the majority of the season, the offense collapses into a catastrophic disaster. Thus, the pressure on David Williams and Brandon Wilds, specifically, is that much more intense.
South Carolina’s backfield has been a train wreck this season. It struggles to muster even 100 yards rushing week-to-week, which has directly led to the Gamecocks mediocre season.
Last game against Vanderbilt, Wilds broke out of the shackles with a season-best 119 yards on 24 carries en route to a victory. Obviously, other factors played into the victory, but Wilds’ performance allowed Perry Orth some breathing room in the passing game.
Facing a weak rushing defense, Wilds must prove that his most recent performance was more than an aberration. If so, the Gamecocks have a shot at upsetting Texas A&M.
3. Gamecocks red zone woes improve slightly
Out of the 128 schools that participate in Division 1 football, 127 of those schools convert red zone touchdowns at a higher percentage than South Carolina. That's right, the Gamecocks are dead last in red zone touchdown efficiency, scoring a touchdown on less than a third of their attempts.
It’s not like South Carolina’s offense can’t advance the ball, because it often does. But, once the offense comes within 20 yards of the end zone, it collectively panics. Countless balls are dropped, the quarterbacks become indecisive, the offensive line botches its blocks, the rushing game is non-existent and Elliott Fry’s leg is curiously less accurate. There’s no particular facet of the offense that shudders in the red zone, it’s just everything in combination.
Luckily, coach Elliott had a bye week to fine tune the red zone offense and take a cold, hard look at film. Such a pitiful effort in the red zone will not earn the Gamecocks many more wins, so it's essential that they solve these problems immediately. Coming off a two-week break, I’d expect to see fewer miscues in the red zone.