RACE FOR THE EAST: South Carolina Gamecocks
In the eyes of many Tennessee fans and probably most Tennessee coaches, Josh Dobbs solidified his spot as the quarterback of the future for the Vols against South Carolina in 2014. The then-sophomore completed 23 of his 40 pass attempts for 301 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores was a 9-yard completion to Jason Croom that tied the game at 42 and allowed Aaron Medley to seal the win with a 32-yard field goal in overtime. Not to mention the fact that he carried the ball 24 times for 166 yards and two TD’s.
With the defeat of the then-number nine ranked Gamecocks by another field goal in 2013, Vol fans have many fond memories of recent contests against South Carolina. Coach Butch Jones and Team 120 are hoping to make this year’s edition another one to remember.
Offense
In last season’s matchup, Josh Dobbs threw for 255 yards on 20–34 passing for two touchdowns and one interception. A pretty solid game for the then-junior. Not amazing, but a solid performance. With another year under his belt and a passing offense that looks to be improved, Dobbs should produce better numbers this year and have at least a decent game. South Carolina is not renowned for having a tough secondary, so the passing offense should have no problem putting up numbers.
Tennessee’s rushing attack was decently effective in last season’s contest. Jalen Hurd lead the team with 90 yards, Dobbs followed with 35, and Kamara finished with 30 and one TD. Not crazy good numbers, but definitely good enough, and the Vols’ three-headed monster should have no problem against the Gamecock defense this year.
Defense
Tennessee allowed walk-on quarterback Perry Orth to pass for 233 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers in 2015. Granted, Orth was a redshirt-junior and had won the starting job for the Gamecocks, but had the Vol secondary inhibited Orth’s success, the game would not have been near as close. The team certainly had the talent to do so last year, and should be motivated from the close outcome last time around to play their best against the Gamecock offense.
Standout receiver Pharoh Cooper and running back Brandon Wilds, both of whom had very good performances against Tennessee in 2015, have graduated from South Carolina and gone on to the NFL. The Gamecocks will have to find new playmakers on offense to contest with SEC opponents, and the Volunteer defense will be able to find holes against new Gamecock personnel if they play their keys and conduct Bob Shoop’s defense system as he intends.
Special Teams
In losing Cooper, South Carolina not only forfeits a very talented wide receiver, but also one of the best kick returners in the SEC. Cooper was shut down as a returner by the Vols in 2015, with only one attempt for -3 yards, which was surely due to the strategic punting of Trevor Daniel, but the Gamecock return game definitely takes a hit without him. Expect Tennessee to have the upper hand with Daniel, a Preseaso All-SEC Third-Team selection.
South Carolina kicker Elliott Fry was limited to just one field goal on two attempts in last year’s contest. The senior kicker will look to bounce back against the Vols in 2016, but Butch Jones, who has always placed a special importance on special teams, as legendary Tennessee coach Robert Neyland did, will look to see that he doesn’t.
Outlook
The Volunteers may not need Dobbs to have such a performance this year as he did in 2014 in order to win, but the team must still take the matchup seriously. Tennessee defeated South Carolina 27–24 last season, a score-line that I’m sure Butch Jones wished was a little less close, considering that the Gamecocks went 3–9 on the year. South Carolina is projected to continue to stay near the bottom of the SEC East standings, but the Vols must beat them in order to gain traction in the conference and compete for the championship.
