USC pass defense stats unusually low

COLUMBIA -- Numbers might not ever lie, but that doesn't mean they always make sense.

How about this? South Carolina's pass defense is ranked seventh in the country through 11 games, giving up 163.6 yards a game. But the Gamecocks have snagged only five interceptions, picking off 1.8 percent of passes thrown against them.

"It's kind of crazy, you know?" South Carolina defensive head coach Ellis Johnson said. "It's been kind of a weird year. If you were just lousy in pass defense, then you could say, 'no wonder.' But it's the one thing in our pass defense that hasn't correlated."

This week's opponent, No. 18 Clemson, has had a very different season in pass defense. The Tigers, who won the ACC's Atlantic Division this weekend, are just behind the Gamecocks at No. 12 (169.8). But they've intercepted 20 passes, tied for the second most in the FBS.

Two Tigers defensive backs, DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall, have as many or more interceptions than South Carolina's entire defense has. McDaniel has eight (second in FBS), and Hall has five.

"Well, we probably should have 25, as many as we've dropped," first-year defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said. "Apparently they do a great job of catching the ball and we don't."

As Ward points out, dropped interceptions were a trend earlier in the season for the Gamecocks, whose cornerbacks rotation consists of two freshmen (starter Stephon Gilmore and D.J. Swearinger) and two sophomores (starter Akeem Auguste and C.C. Whitlock). And another freshman, DeVonte Holloman, has seen a lot of time at strong safety.

"We've had our opportunities," Ward said. "For whatever reason, we haven't caught the ball. It's probably a lack of concentration. No one wants to drop an interception, but for some reason we have."

Here's an unconventional theory from Ward. And one he's half-kidding about (but half-serious about). Maybe the takeway-challenged Gamecocks are using up all their picks in practice?

"I've probably done more ball drills this year than any other season I've coached," said Ward, whose best stop was developing several NFL-ready defensive backs at Virginia Tech from 1999-2005. "Next year, I won't let 'em catch them in practice so we can catch them in a game.

"Hopefully in the Clemson game, they'll throw us some and we'll see if we can catch it."

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