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Just checking in to see how everyone is handling being 3-0

  • and ranked around the top 10....Seems to be a mixed bag around here. Couple of comments:

    1. Nothing new (at least to me) in the NCAA investigation, and while every investigation is a big deal by definition, I am not worried at all.

    2. NO ONE knows what our football team really is capable of this year. Not yet. We've played 3 good teams and may have faced the most diverse offensive opponents of any team in the country. We've essentially utilized 3 different D schemes in 3 weeks. Tough on college kids. I don't look at the margin of victory or the way we've won. I focus on the aforementioned and also think we have managed to win 3 games despite ourselves. A positive, for sure.

    3. I'm not worried about Garcia. We know what we have with him, and I believe he will play better in the future. If not, then feed Lattimore and give Shaw a shot. We have two capable QB's and Garcia's spreading the ball around last Saturday was a thing of beauty.

    4. DB's. We have to improve, and I don't think anyone knows the answer how we get there. This group worries me, but I think they will be vastly improved given the ability to practice defending against more traditional O, and a few weeks to defend against more "traditional" offenses. I am VERY glad we have Vandy, Auburn and Kentucky the next three games. Hopefully, we can imrpove.

    5. We are 3-0 and while most all of us are "nervous" in the least, or focusing on the negatives and claiming it is the end of the season because of (insert your poison here), I think it is important to remember that ALL teams are doing the same when discussing their match-up with the Gamecocks. We are no push-over anymore and we are capable of winning EVERY game on our schedule. Kind of a great feeling considering our history. Also a different kind of approach for us, as fans, to take into the game. I have to admit that I am more nervous when we are favored than when we are underdogs. More to loose, but this is what we have been waiting on.

    This post was edited by Cockjudicata on 9/20/2011 at 9:35 AM

    Cockjudicata

  • Cockjudicata said...

    and ranked around the top 10....Seems to be a mixed bag around here. Couple of comments:

    1. Nothing new (at least to me) in the NCAA investigation, and while every investigation is a big deal by definition, I am not worried at all.

    2. NO ONE knows what our football team really is capable of this year. Not yet. We've played 3 good teams and may have faced the most diverse offensive opponents of any team in the country. We've essentially utilized 3 different D schemes in 3 weeks. Tough on college kids. I don't look at the margin of victory or the way we've won. I focus on the aforementioned and also think we have managed to win 3 games despite ourselves. A positive, for sure.

    3. I'm not worried about Garcia. We know what we have with him, and I believe he will play better in the future. If not, then feed Lattimore and give Shaw a shot. We have two capable QB's and Garcia's spreading the ball around last Saturday was a thing of beauty.

    4. DB's. We have to improve, and I don't think anyone knows the answer how we get there. This group worries me, but I think they will be vastly improved given the ability to practice defending against more traditional O, and a few weeks to defend against more "traditional" offenses. I am VERY glad we have Vandy, Auburn and Kentucky the next three games. Hopefully, we can imrpove.

    5. We are 3-0 and while most all of us are "nervous" in the least, or focusing on the negatives and claiming it is the end of the season because of (insert your poison here), I think it is important to remember that ALL teams are doing the same when discussing their match-up with the Gamecocks. We are no push-over anymore and we are capable of winning EVERY game on our schedule. Kind of a great feeling considering our history. Also a different kind of approach for us, as fans, to take into the game. I have to admit that I am more nervous when we are favored than when we are underdogs. More to loose, but this is what we have been waiting on.

    agreed & excellent post

    Trenchtown Cock ●

  • Excellent post some people need to remember where we came from....I remember losing 21 straight games, we've come a long long ways. I used to could only dream of playing in the sec title game and we have a real good shot at doing that 2 straight years.

    signature image signature image signature image

    Go Bobcats

    CaptainCrunch ●

  • Nice to see something positive. My thoughts exactly. Offensively, I liked what I saw against Navy in the passing game. I think that we are very close to a breakout performance.

    maxcy124sc90

  • Defense made progress during the navy game and I think we will see even more progress against vandy. I want to see more QB keepers with Garcia. I think thats one of our moat effective plays as the linebackers all go straight for Lattimore

    swayinandplayin

  • Cockjudicata said...

    and ranked around the top 10....Seems to be a mixed bag around here. Couple of comments:

    1. Nothing new (at least to me) in the NCAA investigation, and while every investigation is a big deal by definition, I am not worried at all.

    2. NO ONE knows what our football team really is capable of this year. Not yet. We've played 3 good teams and may have faced the most diverse offensive opponents of any team in the country. We've essentially utilized 3 different D schemes in 3 weeks. Tough on college kids. I don't look at the margin of victory or the way we've won. I focus on the aforementioned and also think we have managed to win 3 games despite ourselves. A positive, for sure.

    3. I'm not worried about Garcia. We know what we have with him, and I believe he will play better in the future. If not, then feed Lattimore and give Shaw a shot. We have two capable QB's and Garcia's spreading the ball around last Saturday was a thing of beauty.

    4. DB's. We have to improve, and I don't think anyone knows the answer how we get there. This group worries me, but I think they will be vastly improved given the ability to practice defending against more traditional O, and a few weeks to defend against more "traditional" offenses. I am VERY glad we have Vandy, Auburn and Kentucky the next three games. Hopefully, we can imrpove.

    5. We are 3-0 and while most all of us are "nervous" in the least, or focusing on the negatives and claiming it is the end of the season because of (insert your poison here), I think it is important to remember that ALL teams are doing the same when discussing their match-up with the Gamecocks. We are no push-over anymore and we are capable of winning EVERY game on our schedule. Kind of a great feeling considering our history. Also a different kind of approach for us, as fans, to take into the game. I have to admit that I am more nervous when we are favored than when we are underdogs. More to loose, but this is what we have been waiting on.

    agree on all fronts although the Auburn game has me a little more nervous than my preseason feelings with our secondary issues. Might be a who has the last possession type deal although I feel we should win the game with a relentless ball control attack. We need to pay those guys back.

    signature image

    AmenCornerCock

  • I agree with your comments and I am seldom a negative poster. But I understand the nervousness because this team has not lived up to its potential or hype yet. I would love to see us come out and stomp Vandy into the ground - that would do wonders for the mood on the board and would do wonders for Garcia's confidence.

    Gamecock Pride

  • I think a good portion of the negativity comes from the fact that a lot of people, including myself, see the potential of this team and are just frustrated that it does not seem like it is coming together for us. For example, we have SOS and it would stand to reason that we should have a QB who can run our offense competently and consistently by now (and please note I am not trying to turn this into a Garcia bashing). Also, in the past we have usually had a good to great secondary but in the last couple of years it has seems to be a weakness (even with two or more 4 star recruits in the starting secondary lineup).

    We also have two potential first round draft choices in Marcus and Alshon, the OL appears not to be the weakness that it has been previously, and we are finally fielding a good DL, maybe even the best that we have ever had (and we all know that a lack of good DL has been a thorn in our side for years). All this being said it seems that we can't get all the pieces of the puzzle together to work for us.

    Personally, I just hate to see us potentially waste the talent we have accumulated on this team. I do not think we have ever had as much talent at one time on a gamecock team as we do now and I am not sure we will see players with the talent of Marcus, Alshon, Gilmore, and Clowney on the same gamecock team again in the near future. We have a golden opportunity to really do something more special than we did last year and build on our success and based upon our play thus far this year I am afraid that it may not happen.

    This post was edited by 1gcf on 9/21/2011 at 11:00 AM

    1gcf ●

  • swayinandplayin said...

    Defense made progress during the navy game and I think we will see even more progress against vandy. I want to see more QB keepers with Garcia. I think thats one of our moat effective plays as the linebackers all go straight for Lattimore

    Seems like if Garcia has a good run or gets hit early he has good game. Zone read first play. He keeps. Throws for 300+ after!

    Gamecock Jay

  • I spell it 3.0, and I'm doing fine thanks.

    signature image

    follow me on twitter and instagram @palmettozia **** I'm not an insider, I just live here ****

    3pt0 ●

  • I agree with your comments that we have never had this much individual talent at South Carolina, and it will definitely be a waste if we do not win 10 games / SECC participation / Major or BCS bowl. While I think we do all of those things I don't think that individual talent necessarily translates over to team success. When I talked with the coaches this past summer they were all very excited about the upcoming (now current) season, but all cautioned that we must play like a team and that team chemistry was the most important factor to our success. Team chemistry was defined as getting along with others, playing for each other, etc. but it is also on-the-field chemisty like trusting your teammate to be there to make a play. Garcia has to trust that Alshon will be to a spot and throw there before he even makes a break. Lattimore has to trust Garcia not to throw that swing pass in a position that gets him knocked out again and our DB's have to trust that they don't have to be two places at once. I think the on-the-field chemistry is lacking somewhat, at least for the DB's. I am happy that we are going to see more man-to-man. It is a way to put those guys on an island until that trust develops. Hopefully it will.

    Cockjudicata

  • Cockjudicata said...

    I agree with your comments that we have never had this much individual talent at South Carolina, and it will definitely be a waste if we do not win 10 games / SECC participation / Major or BCS bowl. While I think we do all of those things I don't think that individual talent necessarily translates over to team success. When I talked with the coaches this past summer they were all very excited about the upcoming (now current) season, but all cautioned that we must play like a team and that team chemistry was the most important factor to our success. Team chemistry was defined as getting along with others, playing for each other, etc. but it is also on-the-field chemisty like trusting your teammate to be there to make a play. Garcia has to trust that Alshon will be to a spot and throw there before he even makes a break. Lattimore has to trust Garcia not to throw that swing pass in a position that gets him knocked out again and our DB's have to trust that they don't have to be two places at once. I think the on-the-field chemistry is lacking somewhat, at least for the DB's. I am happy that we are going to see more man-to-man. It is a way to put those guys on an island until that trust develops. Hopefully it will.

    That is a good observation and I think an often overlooked part of the game and a team's success. I believe you are correct with your assertions regarding team chemistry especially with respect to trusting that each player will do their job. Personally I am just anxious that if things don't come together this year we may have lost one of the best chances we may have in a long time for the program to take another step forward. It just seems as if the stars are aligned right for us to shine this year with the other east programs a little down from what they have been in their past and some special players on our team. I worry that Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia will not stay down for long, They have too much tradition to remain down. Florida and Tennessee already seem to be making strides over last year and most years they can out recruit us based upon that tradition and their geography.

    1gcf ●

  • 1gcf said...

    I think a good portion of the negativity comes from the fact that a lot of people, including myself, see the potential of this team and are just frustrated that it does not seem like it is coming together for us. For example, we have SOS and it would stand to reason that we should have a QB who can run our offense competently and consistently by now (and please note I am not trying to turn this into a Garcia bashing). Also, in the past we have usually had a good to great secondary but in the last couple of years it has seems to be a weakness (even with two or more 4 star recruits in the starting secondary lineup).

    We also have two potential first round draft choices in Marcus and Alshon, the OL appears not to be the weakness that it has been previously, and we are finally fielding a good DL, maybe even the best that we have ever had (and we all know that a lack of good DL has been a thorn in our side for years). All this being said it seems that we can't get all the pieces of the puzzle together to work for us.

    Personally, I just hate to see us potentially waste the talent we have accumulated on this team. I do not think we have ever had as much talent at one time on a gamecock team as we do now and I am not sure we will see players with the talent of Marcus, Alshon, Gilmore, and Clowney on the same gamecock team again in the near future. We have a golden opportunity to really do something more special than we did last year and build on our success and based upon our play thus far this year I am afraid that it may not happen.

    You nailed it. I don't understand why this is so hard to understand

    Then again the OP makes some great points as well.

    Great stuff in this thread

    This post was edited by CaliGamecock9095 on 9/22/2011 at 10:29 AM

    CaliGamecock9095

  • we wax vandy and everyone is happy again

    signature image

    3

    cockengr

  • 1gcf said...

    I think a good portion of the negativity comes from the fact that a lot of people, including myself, see the potential of this team and are just frustrated that it does not seem like it is coming together for us. For example, we have SOS and it would stand to reason that we should have a QB who can run our offense competently and consistently by now (and please note I am not trying to turn this into a Garcia bashing). Also, in the past we have usually had a good to great secondary but in the last couple of years it has seems to be a weakness (even with two or more 4 star recruits in the starting secondary lineup).

    We also have two potential first round draft choices in Marcus and Alshon, the OL appears not to be the weakness that it has been previously, and we are finally fielding a good DL, maybe even the best that we have ever had (and we all know that a lack of good DL has been a thorn in our side for years). All this being said it seems that we can't get all the pieces of the puzzle together to work for us.

    Personally, I just hate to see us potentially waste the talent we have accumulated on this team. I do not think we have ever had as much talent at one time on a gamecock team as we do now and I am not sure we will see players with the talent of Marcus, Alshon, Gilmore, and Clowney on the same gamecock team again in the near future. We have a golden opportunity to really do something more special than we did last year and build on our success and based upon our play thus far this year I am afraid that it may not happen.

    this pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. upvote for you sir.

    signature image signature image signature image

    Shankopotamus39 ●

  • 1gf...once again I agree, but I think it is important to point out that this feeling of apprehension and potentially missed opportunities is magnified for us because of our history and how hard it has been to get here. In other words, it is new.

    Cockjudicata

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