It took three quarters of the 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒, but the Gamecocks have finally seen some consistency from their defense.
Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward鈥檚 bunch has played its best two-game stretch of the year after allowing just 278 yards against Florida and then 289 yards against South Alabama.
Ward said he鈥檚 proud of how his unit has played of late, but still thinks his players can do better.
He mentioned senior Brison Williams as someone who has been a leader. The defensive back had two interceptions against South Alabama, including one that went for a touchdown . The senior leads the team in both interceptions (four) and pass breakups (six), which is fairly impressive considering opposing teams rarely throw his way.
鈥淏rison has been a good football player since he鈥檚 been here,鈥� Ward said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a real, real smart and talented guy. He understands the game, so it鈥檚 very important we keep him on the field.鈥�
Williams will regularly switch from cornerback to safety, and his versatility has helped the Gamecocks when other players at either position are struggling.
He will likely be called upon to play both positions again as South Carolina is short-handed in the secondary. Head coach Steve Spurrier said redshirt sophomore corner Rico McWilliams will miss the Clemson game because of a 鈥渟evere鈥� concussion. Senior safety Kadetrix Marcus is battling a wrist injury and may not make the rotation on Saturday.
The Gamecocks will be preparing to face two quarterbacks, according to Spurrier. The Tigers鈥� freshman signal-caller Deshaun Watson is battling an LCL sprain in his left knee that he sustained against Georgia Tech two weeks ago.
Senior Cole Stoudt stepped back into the starting QB role after initially beginning the 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 as starter. A couple of underwhelming performances led to the senior being yanked in favor of Watson.
Stoudt had a quiet day in Clemson鈥檚 most recent game against Georgia State, which resulted in an easy Tiger win, but when he entered for Watson against Georgia Tech, things went horribly. Stoudt completed three of 11 passes for 19 yards and threw two crucial interceptions that got returned for touchdowns.
It is unknown who will start on Saturday, but even though the Gamecocks would like to beat the best, Stoudt is a much better matchup for them. Watson is a dual-threat quarterback, which has posed problems for the South Carolina defense for most of the 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒.
Additionally, Clemson lost one of its best tailbacks in freshman Adam Choice earlier in the year, but fellow freshman Wayne Gallman and junior C.J. Davidson have combined for 768 yards and six touchdowns in his absence.
The Gamecocks have improved in stopping the run recently, in part because sophomore Skai Moore moved to the 鈥淢ike鈥� linebacker position. In that middle spot, Moore is around the ball more and can use his athleticism to make more plays.
He has 21 total tackles in the past two contests, but credited the defensive line for that success.
鈥淚鈥檝e noticed the past two games we鈥檙e getting a lot of penetration in the backfield,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭hose guys are staying in their gaps and just making it easier for linebackers to run around and make plays.鈥�
The defensive coaches should definitely be thankful that former Tiger receiver Sammy Watkins left school early to play in the NFL because it would be a nightmare matchup for some of the young Gamecock cornerbacks.
Still, Clemson possesses weapons in the passing attack with sophomore Mike Williams (45 catches, 859 yards, five touchdowns) and freshman Artavis Scott (61 catches, 666 yards, five touchdowns) putting up some solid numbers.
Yet, this South Carolina defense has grown up significantly after the loss against Tennessee and doesn鈥檛 seem to be afraid of any playmakers on opposing teams.
鈥淚 think since the Florida game, we鈥檝e been boosting up how we play,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a lot of confidence together and we鈥檙e trying to finish this 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 strong.鈥�