After months of building up the Jadeveon-Clowney-is-unstoppable hype, the junior star finally hit the field for a new season last Thursday against North Carolina. Because of the constant replay of Clowney’s hit on Michigan’s Vincent Smith in January, it appears that fans and critics around the nation expected that highlight to be a given every week this season.
With lone goal, Gamecocks top East Tennessee State
Sophomore running back Mike Davis took advantage of his new opportunity as a starter with 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the Gamecocks’ Thursday night win over North Carolina.
The South Carolina defense started the season about as hot as the 90-plus-degree weather at kickoff, posting a shutout in the first quarter of play.
Quarterbacks Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson picked up right where they left off last season as the Gamecocks opened their highly anticipated 2013 campaign with Thursday night’s battle against North Carolina.
Senior Connor Shaw is the winningest quarterback in South Carolina history, with 17 wins to 3 losses as a starter, but that does not mean his starting job is safe from junior Dylan Thompson.
The offensive and defensive lines are often overlooked and underappreciated, but this year, the battles in the trenches could determine South Carolina’s fate. With other position groups scrambling to replace departed starters and much of the weight of the team on his unit’s shoulders, offensive line coach Shawn Elliott is confident that his group can deliver come gameday.
Last season, the South Carolina defense was full of names. Safety D.J. Swearinger made a name for himself by making big hits and intimidating players on the field. DeVonte Holloman was a consistent presence at the spur and linebacker positions, as were Shaq Wilson, Quin Smith and Reginald Bowens.
There are a few familiar wide receivers from last season that will return this year for South Carolina, but some new names are expected to contribute, too. The big story involving the receivers for the game against North Carolina is the status of junior Bruce Ellington, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury. He would normally start as an outside receiver, but is not listed as a starter in the depth chart USC released before this week’s game.
When the Gamecocks take the field against North Carolina in the 2013 season opener, the team will have a slightly different look than fans are used to. Earlier this month, Under Armour rolled out a brand-new uniform set for South Carolina football. In terms of looks, the threads are not too much of a departure from the uniform the Gamecocks have worn for the past two years; the name and number fonts remain the same, and the stripes have been moved from the front of the jersey to the shoulders.
The hot topic on the defensive side of the ball for the Gamecocks has been whether they will be able to slow down North Carolina coach Larry Fedora’s fast-paced offense.
South Carolina is once again gearing up for a season full of high expectations. After finishing last year in the top 10, there is nothing to suggest that the team can’t do the same this season. Sure, they lost tailback Marcus Lattimore for good, but the Gamecocks have had to make do without him for portions of the last two seasons. In addition, the defense took a hit with the loss of Devin Taylor, DeVonte Holloman and Shaq Wilson, but coach Steve Spurrier and company have done a good job over the last few years developing depth in all of the defensive positions. With that said, here are some “strengths” of the 2013 team and five “weaknesses.”
It is always tough in the first game of a season to plan for the opponent’s defense. Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott admitted it will be a challenge for the Gamecock offense at first if North Carolina comes out with a defense that they have not seen before.
The big story among the Gamecocks’ safeties is the loss of last year’s second team All-SEC free safety D.J. Swearinger, who was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
For the majority of spring practice and the preseason, it seemed the kicking competition was strictly between sophomore Landon Ard and redshirt freshman Nick St. Germain.
For most of the summer, South Carolina fans did not know which tailback would be walking out onto the field first when the season started. Finally, at the end of fall camp, they learned that sophomore Mike Davis would start against North Carolina.
Daily Gamecock Sports Editor Kyle Heck had five questions about the upcoming matchup for Daily Tar Heel Sports Editor Brooke Pryor. Here are her answers.