Why South Carolina is cutting back, and not adding to, its passing schemes
When a passing game is running into some issues as the South Carolina football team’s is, the answer from folks outside the program usually rings clear.
Do something different.
Many a fan posts online some variation of an inaccurately attributed Albert Einstein quote about the definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results). But as Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp explained, big changes aren’t easy to put in place.
Instead of adding more, coaches usually pare things down.
“It’s hard to install a whole new concept, especially with some youth we have in some very important areas on the offensive line and the skill positions,” Muschamp said. “So (we) just continue to try and narrow down things that we feel comfortable with as far as what the quarterback feels comfortable with and what we can do to be successful.”
The Gamecocks are coming off an upset loss to Tennessee that left them with long odds to make a bowl. The passing game has been a topic Muschamp hit on the past few weeks, needing more from a variety of players to create more explosive plays and efficiency.
USC is 122nd in the country in yards per pass attempt with a young line and freshman quarterback in Ryan Hilinski.
But adding a big new concept is a tricky proposition. Teams tend to install a lot in the offseason, but only use a fraction of what’s available in a given game. Working in new concepts takes time and reps, and there’s a bit of a crunch for those during games weeks.
Teams generally get about six to eight hours of real practice during a game week. There’s not as much time to dig in and install something really new and get it fine tuned.
Instead, a staff looks at what it does well and tries to hone that, tries to make it work.
They’ll have a chance to bounce back against a bad Vanderbilt team this week, aiming to wash away some of the residue from the loss to Tennessee.
“I thought we did some good things the other night,” Muschamp said. “I thought we’ve made some improvements. It’s not what we want, exactly where we’re getting, but we have made some strides, and we’ve got to continue to do so.”
Next
Who: Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-3) at South Carolina (3-5, 2-4 SEC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium
TV: SEC Network
Line: South Carolina by 15
This story was originally published October 31, 2019 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Why South Carolina is cutting back, and not adding to, its passing schemes."
