The Daily Gamecock

Defense surges in second half against Tennessee

Following up a stellar performance at home against Arkansas in Week 6, the South Carolina defense proved it travels well on Saturday.

The Tennessee Volunteers failed to score a touchdown in the matchup at Neyland Stadium, resulting in a 15-9 Gamecocks' victory. 

As the offense struggled to find the end zone, the defense made sure it had numerous opportunities to do so, especially in the second half when its performance was flat out dominant. 

In the first quarter, the Tennessee offense seemed unstoppable on the ground, totaling 100 rushing yards alone. The USC defense put an end to that in the second quarter and for the rest of the game. 

Through the next three quarters, the Vols rushed for only 20 yards while going 2-for-13 on third down attempts. 

Entering this game, the Gamecocks had 10 total sacks on the season, but nearly matched their season total by coming up with a season-high seven against the Volunteers.

“Last week was a great performance and this week, we played well again,” redshirt senior linebacker Skai Moore said. “But we can’t get satisfied, we gotta keep going and keep progress up.” 

Paralleling the second-half play against Arkansas, the Gamecocks took over in the third quarter, dominating from start to finish. The Gamecock defense held Tennessee to eight total yards in the third quarter, averaging .8 yards per play and recording two sacks.  

The Gamecocks defense took its intensity to the next level when the Volunteers entered the USC territory and threatened to score. South Carolina held Tennessee to three field goals in the first half, despite running 15 plays in the red zone. 

“[The red zone is] one part of the field that we're not going to let them score in,” senior defensive lineman Taylor Stallworth said. “We take that very seriously. When they enter the red zone, we've got a mindset of “hey, they ain't about to score on us.” 

Sophomore defensive lineman D.J. Wonnum, who was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week with four solo tackles against Arkansas, built on his success from Week 6 with another big game in Week 7. 

“We just rely on each other and we trust each other [on defense],” Wonnum said. “It’s like a brotherhood, we got each other’s backs.” 

Head coach Will Muschamp credited the defense for playing so well in the red zone, and attributed the success in the game to their ability to stop Tennessee from scoring touchdowns. 

“We did not tackle very well in the first half,” Muschamp said of his defense. “But we really settled down in the red zone and made stops … when you play with good red zone defense it’s gonna give you a chance to win ball games.”

The biggest stand the defense had on the day was on the final possession of the game. Down by six points with the game on the line, Tennessee got the ball down to the Gamecocks' two-yard line. The Carolina defense held the Vols and forced three incomplete passes to finish the game and secure the win for the team. 

“That’s what we live for,” Moore said. “We love that pressure, we love being on the field last, ending the game."


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