2011 South Carolina Football Predictions


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The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off one of their best seasons in school history. While they went just 9-5 overall, they won the SEC East which landed them their first ever trip to the SEC Championship game.  They ended up getting crushed by the Auburn Tigers 56-17, and then later went on to lose to Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. While the season might not have ended they way they wanted, they head into the 2011 season with the best team yet under head coach Steve Spurrier. Not only could this team fight for an SEC title, but they also have an outside shot at the National Championship.

To get a better idea of just what the Gamecocks will look like this year, here is a look at who they are expected to start on both sides of the ball, plus my predictions on where they will finish the season in the SEC East.

Offense:

While the Gamecocks had expected senior quarterback Stephen Garcia to be the guy leading the offense this season, there’s a a chance he could lose his job. Garcia was suspended twice during spring practices which and its unclear whether or not he will be the starter in the fall. Garcia threw for 3,059 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Losing an experienced quarterback could really hurt South Carolina, but with the talent they have at the skill positions, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if either sophomore Connor Shaw or true freshman Tanner McEvoy stepped in and played well.

A lot of the pressure will be taken off the quarterback situation by sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore, who was named the National Freshman of the Year in 2010. Lattimore led the Gamecocks with 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns, and was also a threat in the passing game with 29 catches for 412 yards and two additional scores. If Lattimore can stay healthy the Gamecocks should have no trouble moving the football.

Not only does South Carolina have one of the best running backs in the country, but they also have one of the top receivers in the nation in junior Alshon Jeffery. In 2010 Jefferey caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. With all the attention that defenses have to give to Lattimore, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeffery top the 100 catch mark this season. Also back is junior DL Moore, but the guy that has got fans really excited about this unit is sophomore DeAngelo “DD” Smith, who really shined in spring practices.

Up front the Gamecocks bring back a couple of senior starting tackles in Rokevious Watkins and Kyle Nunn, along with junior starting center TJ Johnson. They lost both starting guards, which should open the door for senior Terrance Campbell and redshirt freshman AJ Cann. This unit has 70 career starts between them and should be just as good if not better than it was in 2010.

Defense:

South Carolina is really excited about the defensive front they will feature in 2011. They bring back one of the top defensive ends in the country in junior Devin Taylor, who led the Gamecocks with 7.5 sacks as a sophomore. Also back is senior defensive tackle Travian Robertson, who is one of the best at his position in the SEC. They also add one of the top defensive end prospects in the country in freshman Jadeveon Clowney, who had 29.5 sacks as a senior in high school. Fellow freshman, Kecly Quarles is expected to start at the other defensive tackle spot. With the addition of Clowney, the Gamecocks will have the advantage of rotating in a very talented senior defensive end in Melvin Ingram to keep consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback.

A couple of changes will have to be made at linebacker, as the only starter back from last year is junior DeVonte Holloman, who finished third on the team with 69 tackles and second with two interceptions. Added to the mix will be junior middle linebacker Shaq Wilson and senior outside linebacker Rodney Paulk.

The biggest concern for the defense comes in the secondary. This unit was torched for 242 yards a game in 2010. The plus is they return three of the four starters from a year ago. Junior corner Stephon Gilmore is one of the best in the conference. He not only led the Gamecocks with three interceptions, but was also the leading tackler with 79. There will be added pressure on junior strong safety D.J. Swearinger to pick up his game, as he will be joined by inexperienced sophomore free safety Jimmy Legree.

SEC Prediction: 1st SEC East – It might have taken a little longer than expected, but Spurrier finally has the talent around him to be a big time threat in the SEC again. The combo of Lattimore and Jeffery is one of the best RB/WR combos in the country, and the defense should be even better than it was a year ago. While nothing is set in stone, if the Gamecocks can go on the road and beat Georgia in their second game of the season, they have a pretty easy path to the SEC title game, as they get Florida at home and avoid playing both Alabama and LSU out of the SEC West.

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