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College Football continued Sunday, August 31st with the Gamecocks and Hokies meeting in Atlanta. We have seen tons of great football this weekend, and this game was no different. There were explosive plays, turnovers, drama, and solid defense. If you’re a college football fan, you absolutely had to enjoy this weekend so let’s discuss the Gamecocks and Hokies.
Opening Drive: New offensive coordinator, Mike Shula, wasted no time trying to get Sellers in a rhythm early. The first drive of the game included several TE slip screens that were completed for good yardage. There were a few other high percentage throws mixed in there as well. The offensive line did struggle a bit only gaining one yard on two different rushes on the first drive. The offensive line is one of the largest remaining question marks after game 1. After marching down the field, Sellers took a QB draw 15 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Fred Johnson is a Dude With the Gamecocks losing six NFL draft picks on defense last year, someone was going to have to step up. I believe Fred Johnson announced that he is on site and ready to step up. He played extremely well and was flying from sideline to sideline. Johnson was a sure handed tackler while also being sure handed enough to secure an interception. The interception did put the offense in a bad position resulting in a safety, but they were going to get 3 points or maybe even 7, so it was a fair trade all things considered. From what I witnessed, Fred Johnson has the potential to grow into the next great Gamecock linebacker. After the first quarter, Gamecocks lead 7-2.
Offensive Line Questions Remain As I mentioned earlier, the Gamecocks offensive line struggled on the first drive with a few runs only gaining one yard. This seemed to be a trend throughout the entire game as the run game never really got going. Sellers had some rush yardage, but some of that was because the offensive line didn’t hold up in pass protection. It seems as though offensive line is a struggle every year for the Gamecocks. We will see if they can improve over the next few games.
Williams, Swain, and Harbor Step Up A new season presents an opportunity for new players to step up and be recognized. Williams, Swain and Harbor all made their presence felt today with excellent game changing plays. Peyton Williams had a late interception returned for 23 yards. It came at a pivotal point of the game to get the ball back in the Gamecocks’ hands. Harbor still had a couple of drops and unfortunately one of them would have been a touchdown. However, he came through later with a 64-yard reception for a touchdown from Sellers. Swain may have had the most pivotal play of all. With the gamecocks up 10-8 they forced a Virginia Tech punt. Vicari Swain hauled in the punt taking it 80 yards for a touchdown.
Final Thoughts First games are typically sloppy and unorganized. Game 1 between Virginia Tech and South Carolina was exactly what I expected. Both teams played very solid defense, with some flashes of explosive plays on offense. South Carolina’s offensive line will need to continue to improve going forward. There were too many plays that Sellers had very little time to sit in the pocket. Special teams was a huge factor in the game as well. Vicari Swain 80-yard punt return touchdown came at a crucial point in the game. Fred Johnson is going to be a great linebacker for the Gamecocks. I look forward to seeing him continue to grow and evolve. Dylan Stewart had a couple of offsides penalties during the game but was disruptive a bit from his end position as well. There are plenty of teaching and coaching moments to take from this game as I’m sure Beamer will do. Gamecocks get the win 24-11, which is the most important thing.
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