How exactly can Gamecocks defense pull together with starters walking out the door?
At the start of this week, three members of South Carolina’s starting secondary walked out the door.
Jaycee Horn is a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. Israel Mukuamu was likely done for the season with a groin issue. And R.J. Roderick, though he’s had his issues in coverage, was good enough to play most of the Ole Miss game.
With them, South Carolina allowed 513 passing yards and 59 points. So how do Travaris Robinson and the defensive staff hold things together heading into the Missouri game?
“Right now we’re trying to figure out that,” Gamecocks interim head coach Mike Bobo said, “Coach T-Rob and his staff right now, of what we can do to be aggressive and stop the run because he is committed to the run, but be good in the back end.
“I think you got to mix things up. Anybody, if you play the same thing over and over, they’re going to take advantage of you. So we’re getting a good plan.”
Bobo confirmed Robinson will still call the defense. The Gamecocks staff remains in a bit of flux after firing Will Muschamp on Sunday.
The defense is also in flux after allowing more than 7.2 yards per play and 48 or more points in each of the past three ball games.
The batch of departures in the secondary will affect not only that group, but the linebackers as well, as Roderick has often subbed in as a second linebacker beside Ernest Jones.
It leaves the Gamecocks with the set of John Dixon and Cam Smith as corners, Shilo Sanders, Jaylin Dickerson, Jammie Robinson and former walk-on Jaylan Foster at safety, plus former wide receiver/special teams ace Darius Rush and a trio of freshmen who have played sparingly.
The staff also moved running back Zaquandre White back to safety to help with depth concerns.
Linebacker is down to Damani Staley, Jones and a freshman who has barely played in Mo Kaba.
The defensive line got another option with former starting offensive lineman Jordan Rhodes moving over. That group hasn’t lived up to expectations this season and of late has played top tackle Keir Thomas outside to boost up an end spot that has lost Aaron Sterling for the year.
“Our guys are playing their tails off,” Bobo said. “But they’re planning to play a lot of snaps and we’re a little bit under-sized up front.”
In Missouri, they’re facing a team that has not been very good on offense and is down to, at best, 54 available players. The Tigers play a top-50 pace but still rank outside the top 100 nationally in scoring.
Larry Rountree III is a good playmaker, but he hasn’t been great this season. Quarterback Connor Bazelak is young and has been efficient.
There’s a downside that the best thing the Tigers do is move the ball down the field with shorter passes, because the Gamecocks aim to make Mizzou stay consistent and march.
“We want to be aggressive, but at the same time, not give up the big play,” Bobo said. “Last week we gave up those big, huge explosives, which will kill anybody. You make a team go 14 plays, usually they’re going to self-destruct.
“We need to make the team go the long haul and earn it.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 2:30 PM with the headline "How exactly can Gamecocks defense pull together with starters walking out the door?."
