Five storylines to watch from USC's Gamecocks 12/10/2009 11:59 PM By TRAVIS HANEY The (Charleston) Post and Courier
COLUMBIA -- December wasn't a pleasant month for South Carolina's football team a year ago. There weren't even really any wheels left to fall off the wagon in the weeks leading up to the Outback Bowl.
This December has an entirely different feel, in large part because of the 34-17 victory against Clemson. Here are five storylines for the 7-5 Gamecocks as they prepare for Connecticut and the Jan. 2 Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.
1. Sustaining momentum
Momentum is absolutely the word of the month (or two) for South Carolina.
Coach Steve Spurrier wants to bottle the good energy stemming from the Clemson win and carry it through the bowl season to Signing Day. He knows if he can sign a freshman class similar to the one from 2009, the 2010 Gamecocks will be in really, really good shape.
How do you sustain momentum in December?
Well, for starters, talk players who are considering the NFL draft into staying. Chris Culliver, Clifton Geathers and Weslye Saunders all might have a bit of an eye for a leap. Cautioning them against a premature jump (a la Emanuel Cook) would be wise.
Secondly, work on keeping this group of assistant coaches in tact. Shane Beamer, Jay Graham and Eric Wolford are already surfacing as potential candidates for jobs elsewhere. But those guys can all sense that the Gamecocks could be on the verge of something special in 2010. They might want to finish what they started.
2. Shore up the offensive line
If December's bowl preparation is really akin to spring practice, then it's a great time for teaching.
It's clear Wolford needs more time to get the line performing, consistently, at the level that he wants. During the season, he was frustrated but dogged in his desire to get things straightened out.
One sore spot: The Gamecocks gave up 34 sacks, which was 11th in the SEC and one ahead of last place LSU. But they only gave up one in the Clemson game. That's a solid goal for the bowl, give up one sack. (Or none.)
Rushing for more than 175 yards would also be a healthy goal.
More than anything else, the offensive line is what will determine the immediate future of this program.
3. Get Jarvis Giles involved
Wasn't Giles supposed to have an impact similar to that of the early enrollees on the defensive side of the ball, corner Stephon Gilmore and safety DeVonte Holloman?
It just hasn't worked out that way.
Giles has 52 carries for 277 yards. That's about half the number of carries that Kenny Miles and Brian Maddox received. He was involved in very few meaningful moments of SEC games. Safely said, it didn't go as planned for his freshman season.
But there's no reason why the coaching staff can't somehow get him involved in the game plan for the bowl since this is all about looking toward 2010 and the future.
4. Find a way to play Gurley and Jeffery at the same time
We all figured out midway through the season that there was no real plan to have 6-5 Tori Gurley and 6-4 Alshon Jeffery on the field at the same time. The freshmen played the same receiver position, we were told.
With a month to prepare, there's no reason for it not to happen at some point during the Papajohns.com Bowl.
No, it's not as if it has to happen all the time or even on every series. But the Gamecocks have been trying all season to take advantage of smaller defensive backs with lobbed deep throws. What better way to do it than provide multiple big targets? It's something that certainly needs to happen next season. Why not get a head start in Birmingham?
5. Give Norwood a rest
Going to have to play without him soon enough, why not let Norwood catch a breather (for the most part) during December?
Let Josh Dickerson, Tony Straughter and Shaq Wilson take a whole bunch of reps at the two linebacker spots. (Same for Darian Stewart at boundary safety.) See who can do what.
Yes, Rodney Paulk is expected back next year, but this won't hurt anything as far as the future is concerned.
Postseason honors
The Gamecocks placed four players on the SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team: OG T.J. Johnson, DE Devin Taylor, Jeffery and Gilmore. Jeffery was one of two unanimous selections among the offensive and
defensive players. Norwood has been a consensus All-SEC first-team selection. Cliff Matthews (coaches) and Chris Culliver (AP) were second-team picks.
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