A few thoughts on who benefits from Sammy's return...

With the return of Watkins, I think it will be very interesting to watch what opposing defenses try to do to us. Most people say that Nuk will benefit the most, or Peake. I think the two who will benefit the most are AE and Boyd. When I say Boyd benefits, I mean with his legs. Having Sammy back will make the 700 yd. rushing mark very attainable.

I don't think people are believers yet in our running game and OL, and we are still going to get less hats in the box. Even though AE put up video game numbers against AU, it will likely take a big game against an FSU for people to start committing extra guys regularly.

So far, we've seen people really back off and play 2 deep, and even a quarters look. I think with Sammy back, we are going to get a lot of "Cov. 2" into the boundary, and quarters to the field. I have coached what we called a "Cov. 5" look, where corners had flat responsibility... but only if someone took them there. If not, they would run with the outside reciever. That's a little differnt than a true Cov. 2 or Tampa 2.

I also expect to see alot of pre-snap movenments by the safety, both rolling down and backing out into 2 high. Watch tomorrow and next week when we are on a hash, and see if the defense has a hard corner to the boundary.

I think Sammy's return will keep people from putting that extra hat in the box, at least for now, and will increase AE and TB rushing stats. TB could have some big games running the ball.

Just my thoughts.

argonaut1992®

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My "Inside Sources" tell me.....

Sep 14, 2012, 10:24 AM

THIS IS SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL

Following the 2011 football season South Carolina has an all-time winning percentage of .507 (555-539-44), which ranks 47th out of all college football teams considered major schools in college football (76)….only 29 teams are worse. A few of the notable “MAJOR” football programs who have been better than the Gamecocks include such powerhouses as: Tulsa, Utah, Minnesota, Navy, and Purdue, just to name a few. This is South Carolina football.

In the 69 seasons South Carolina has been affiliated with a conference, they have won that conference once...the ACC in 1969, with a 7-4 record. Since the Associated Press began ranking football teams in 1936, the ##### have finished in the Top 20 of the rankings only six times in those 77 years. South Carolina has finished in the Top 10 of a major recognized poll...ONCE in 2011, the best season in their entire history with 11 wins. That year the entire team received rings for going 11-2 and for finishing a tough, hard fought 5th place in the SEC. As they say in tee ball, everyone is a winner. This is South Carolina football.

The first year of Gamecock football was in 1892, South Carolina won its first bowl game 103 years later under BRAD SCOTT. In 120 seasons of football, South Carolina never participated in a pre-BCS major bowl (Rose, Fiesta, Orange, Cotton, and Sugar) and has yet to receive a BCS invite. As South Carolina is set to begin its 121st season of collegiate football, they have won 11 or more games in a single season once. In 120 seasons, Carolina has won more games than it lost only 56 times. In 120 seasons, Carolina has won more than 6 games in a season 23 times, and lost 6 or more 38 times. This is South Carolina football.

South Carolina has had 33 different head coaches in its storied tradition...only six of them have stayed longer than 5 seasons, while 21 of them have losing records. “It’s another Carolina Touchdown!?”…not quite. Of the 56 programs, which have played more than 1000 games all-time, only four have scored fewer points than South Carolina in their schools history. This is South Carolina football.

Since joining the SEC in 1992, Carolina has had a winning record in the conference five times in 20 years. In the 21 seasons as a member of the SEC, South Carolina boasts a conference record of 66-94-1. Although South Carolina has yet to win the SEC, they have finished 0-8 in the conference twice. South Carolina has won six conference games in a season once. Only Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt have less 6 conference win seasons. This is South Carolina football.

Of the most memorable moments in their history is the fact that South Carolina went two consecutive seasons without winning one conference game. That’s right, not one. Carolina had an impressive string of 21 consecutive games with a loss snapped in 2000 by beating New Mexico State (and to let the rest of the country know what South Carolina football was all about, their fans commenced to tear down the goal-posts. No, I am not kidding). This is South Carolina football.

Since 1992, only three times has any non-probation member of the conference failed to win two or more games overall in a season…South Carolina has accomplished this feat twice, Kentucky once. Since 1992, only once has a conference member failed to win a game overall in a single season…you guessed it, South Carolina. South Carolina’s all-time record versus other current conference members is even more impressive: 3-12 vs Alabama, 7-13 vs Arkansas, 1-9-1 vs Auburn, 6-23-3 vs Florida, 15-42-2 vs Georgia, 15-7-1 vs Kentucky, 2-16-1 vs LSU, 7-8 vs Ole Miss, 8-6 vs Mississippi St., 6-22-2 vs Tennessee, and 17-4 vs Vanderbilt. That’s correct, Carolina leads the all-time series against 3 SEC teams...Kentucky, Miss St. and Vanderbilt. This is South Carolina football.

But, the comparison of only 21 seasons in one conference does no justice to the tradition of South Carolina football. Comparing the ##### record versus D-1A schools they have played 15 or more times: 40-65-4 vs Clemson, 17-24-3 vs Duke, 6-23-3 vs Florida, 15-42-2 vs Georgia, 9-11 vs Georgia Tech, 11-17 vs Maryland, 17-32-4 vs North Carolina, 3-16 vs Florida State, 6-22-2 vs Tennessee, 21-12-1 vs Virginia, and 34-20-2 vs Wake Forest. That’s correct, South Carolina leads the all-time series against 2 of these 11 teams...Virginia and Wake Forest. This is South Carolina football.

Gamecock fans justify their horrible football record thru the strength of the SEC conference. But let’s look at the Gamecock’s record against the other big 5 conferences. South Carolina is 156-173-15 vs the ACC, 4-7 vs the Big 12, 6-17 vs the Big East, 5-4 vs the Big Ten and 1-1 s Pac12. This is South Carolina Football.

2003 was the season that the ##### would rebuild and compete for a SEC title with their consecutive top 10 recruiting classes. Yet, they finished the season with another sub 500 performance. That season ended with a 63-17 thumping at home from archrival Clemson. This is South Carolina football.

In 2005 a new era began for the Gamecocks as they hire legendary coach Steve Spurrier. They opened up their wallets (and another grave plot in their cemetery of washed up head coaches) for what surely would be the coach to get them on the road to glory. After 6 seasons under coach Spurrier the Gamecocks have yet to win the SEC and have seen 45 players and coaches arrested. This is South Carolina football.

In 2007 the Gamecocks got off to a roaring 6-1 start after beating #12 Georgia and #8 Kentucky. Surely this would be the year that all the Gamecock faithful had been yearning for. It was finally the “Next Year”! But hold the presses. After beating #8 Kentucky and garnering a rank as high as #6 in the country, those Gamecocks lost to lowly Vanderbilt that started a Gamecock trademarked “fall from grace” to lose their last 5 games and finish 6-6 for the season. This is South Carolina football.

The very next season, in 2008, those South Carolina Gamecocks got right back up and at it again beginning the season with a 7-2 record. But again those BCS hopes were dashed by a 56-6 #### whoopin’ from those Florida Gators. South Carolina would go on to lose their last 3 games of the season to finish 7-5. This is South Carolina football.

In 2009, with rival Clemson clinching the Atlantic Division in the ACC, the South Carolina Gamecocks had lost 3 straight and were sitting on a 6-5 record. When those Tigers came to town, those Gamecocks took advantage of turnovers and dampened the mood for the ACC Championship bound Tigers…. “Was this the end of the dreaded Chicken Curse?” the faithful coots prayed. But Ol’ Pitchfork Ben Tillman could only chuckle as UConn slammed the Gamecocks 20-7 in the Papa Johns.com bowl. This is South Carolina football.

In 2010 the Gamecocks got off to yet another historical start with a 9-3 record. They finally managed to win the SEC East division title. This is it! The moment that they had all been waiting for! The SEC Championship game in Atlanta! Surely a 9-3 East Champions would hang with undefeated Auburn in the Championship game! But again, Ol’ Ben chuckled loudly as Auburn pounded the Gamecocks 56-17. The Gamecocks would go on to lose the Chick Fil A bowl to Florida State 26-17. This is South Carolina football.

As starting QB for South Carolina from 2009-2011, Stephen Garcia had managed 3 arrests, 5 different suspensions and never missed one minute of playing time. In the summer of 2011, the reason behind Garcia’s behavior and lack of punishment became crystal clear to all the critics. An incident occurred that explained everything to those wondering how a young man could get away with so much. With Garcia already serving an indefinite suspension for violation of team rules, on July 26th, 2011 Quarter Backs coach G.A. Mangus was arrested in Greenville, SC after urinating on Main Street. G.A. was immediately suspended indefinitely by Coach Spurrier. Seven days later both G.A. and Garcia were reinstated to the team on the same day, just in time for the start of fall camp. This is South Carolina football.

The 2011 season brought yet another heart break for those poor Gamecocks. In 2011 the Gamecocks went 11-2 with a bowl win over Nebraska. However, they became the first collegiate football team in history to defeat all of their division rivals but still lose their division. they also became the first team in history to defeat all of their division rivals and finish 5th or worse in overall conference play. "But that's ok", they say. "We have our 5th place rings." This is South Carolina football.

Now, with another football season right around the corner in 2012, the South Carolina Gamecocks will trot out to the practice fields, 5th place rings blinging in the sun, in hopes of finding Glory. But we simply wait for another event to occur where we can smile, shake our head and simply say “THAT is South Carolina football.”