The South Carolina Gamecocks’ secondary has emerged this season as a commanding unit causing turnovers while maintaining tight pass coverage.
The Gamecocks defensive unit has allowed 196.4 passing yards per game, putting it fifth in the SEC in that category. The Gamecocks are also tied for first in the SEC and fourth in FBS in interceptions, intercepting the ball 10 times through the season's first seven games.
In the first game of the season, South Carolina took on the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Gamecocks won 23-19 in a game where the defense stepped up to overshadow the team's offensive struggles. The South Carolina offense averaged 3.1 yards per rush and 5.0 yards per pass attempt on the day.
South Carolina's secondary recorded 2 interceptions, the second of which sealed the win and allowed the Gamecocks offense to kneel out the clock.
The Gamecocks then traveled to Lexington, Kentucky the following week to take on the Kentucky Wildcats. The South Carolina secondary showcased its abilities, holding Kentucky junior starter quarterback Brock Vandagriff to his worst statistical performance of the season, only passing for 30 yards on 30 percent completion, one interception, and a 1.7 QBR.
Kentucky junior backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt also threw an interception, which was returned for a touchdown by South Carolina's junior defensive back Nick Emmanwori. After the game, Emmanwori credited South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White for calling a great defensive game.
"I just read the quarterback, turned my head, grabbed the interception and took it for six," Emmanwori said.
South Carolina lost a closely contested game to the LSU Tigers the following week at home, 36-33. The Gamecock secondary allowed 285 passing yards and two touchdowns on the day but had points taken off the board due to untimely penalties.
The Gamecocks had one official interception that day caught by Emmanwori. But two interceptions made by redshirt senior defensive back O'Donnell Fortune and Emmanwori were called back due to penalties, which took two touchdowns off the board.
In its fourth game of the season South Carolina took on the Akron Zips at home, winning the game 50-7. The Gamecock secondary forced an interception and held Akron quarterback Ben Finley to just 110 passing yards on the night.
The Gamecocks played at Tuscaloosa to play the Alabama Crimson Tide, where it lost 27-25, however, the secondary still made its impact felt. The Gamecock secondary caused Alabama redshirt junior starting quarterback Jalen Milroe to throw two interceptions and held true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams to just 32 receiving yards on the day. Williams is 13th in the country in receiving yards and tied-8th for receiving touchdowns with seven.
The South Carolina secondary shined again in Saturday's win over the the Oklahoma Sooners, where it came away with two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six by Emmanwori. Those two takeaways and an early fumble for Oklahoma led to Sooners starting quarterback, freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., being benched midway through the first quarter for sophomore backup quarterback, Jackson Arnold.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer praised the defensive units performance after the game on Saturday.
"This week it was more just all 11 and we got a good group," Beamer said. "People talk about the edge guys but we're really good on the inside at tackle as well and we've got athletic linebackers that can move sideline to sideline and defensive backs that do a great job on the back end."
The turnover battle was the defense's whole emphasis in the week of practice heading into the Oklahoma matchup, Emmanwori said.
"I said before the season confidently on live TV that we're going to have a historic defense," Emmanwori said.
The South Carolina football team will rest a week before it takes on the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies at Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 2. The game will kickoff at either 7:30 or 7:45 p.m., and the network the game will air has not been announced yet.