Experienced unit returns for USC in 2011
The celebratory colors of Valentine’s Day 2011 were garnet and black.
Nearly two weeks after most high school recruits had made commitments, Jadeveon Clowney still had South Carolina, Clemson and Alabama fans holding their breaths. But on Feb. 14, 2011, the Rock Hill native defined the Gamecock offseason when he announced his decision to take his talents to Columbia.
“This is the first time, according to these recruiting experts, that a No. 1 guy picked a school that has never won a national championship,” Spurrier said. “Usually those No. 1 guys go to Alabama, Southern Cal, Ohio State, Florida, somewhere like that.
“He said, ‘I’ve got confidence that my home-state university can win big.’ That’s what he wants to do. So it was a big boost to get a guy like Jadeveon Clowney because it sends a message that we can win. Hopefully we can. Those are our goals.”
Clowney has already drawn praise over the course of preseason practice for his humility and willingness to be coached, and he instantly improves a defense that returns the majority of its starters from 2010.
“He’s getting better,” said defensive line coach Brad Lawing. “He’s learning how to use his hands. Most kids that come out of high school, that’s the one thing they don’t know how to do. He’s gotten better and better with it.
“You play off talent in high school. When you get to college, you have to play off fundamentals, and he’s getting better at that.”
Clowney’s presence adds another dimension to Carolina’s defensive line that already boasts All-SEC end Devin Taylor. Taylor was impressive as a sophomore, posting 46 tackles and 7.5 sacks, and said he is ready to play whatever defensive schemes are necessary in 2011.
“I have the presence to affect the quarterback, whether I’m dropping back in coverage or rushing him as a passer,” Taylor said. “Either way, it helps out the team.”
One area the Gamecocks hope to improve on this season is their third-down defense. Opponents converted 40 percent of their third downs against USC last season, but Spurrier hopes the combination of Taylor and Clowney on either side of the defensive line will help reduce that ratio.
“We’re hoping with Devin coming on one end, Jadeveon coming up the other end or somewhere, we’re going to have a good pass-rush,” Spurrier said. “I think we finished dead last in third-down defense last year. We couldn’t get the other team off the field on third down as well as we should have. We think we’re going to hopefully improve there.”
Also returning to USC’s defensive line is senior defensive tackle Travian Robertson. After missing the majority of 2009 with a knee injury, Robertson returned with a surge last fall, recording 42 tackles, 10 of which were for loss, and four sacks. He hopes to continue his resurgence this year and provide leadership with a solid presence in the middle of the line.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Robertson said at SEC Media Days. “We’ve got a lot of young guys. We’ve got a lot of older guys coming back. We’re just going to try to teach the younger guys. If we do everything we need to do, we will be strong.”
USC’s key returner in the secondary is junior cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who led the team with 79 tackles and three interceptions last season. Also returning is senior Akeem Auguste, who will transition back to corner in 2011 after spending last year at safety. Still recovering from a foot injury suffered in practice, however, it’s unclear how much he’ll contribute in the early goings of the season.
Also returning are juniors DeVonte Holloman and D.J. Swearinger. Holloman, who spent the last two seasons at safety, will move over to spur in 2011, while Swearinger will continue to play strong safety.