Bulldogs run scheme similar to Navy's
It's déjà vu all over again for the South Carolina defense.
USC's first home game of the season was against a Navy team that collected 274 rushing yards out of a triple option offense. It took an interception by Antonio Allen in the game's final minute to put an end to the Midshipmen's upset bid.
Nine weeks later, Carolina will play host to another triple option team, and it will look for its strong performance in the fourth quarter of the Navy game to carry over against the Citadel. Taking advantage of their previous experience against an unpredictable offensive scheme, the Gamecocks will rely on discipline in assignments to stop the Bulldogs' rushing attack.
"We'll try to improve things that we did in the Navy game," defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said. "We didn't execute as well as we'd like. We were better in the fourth quarter than we were in the first three, so we're going to try to improve some of the things we did in the Navy game. I think the speed that we saw against Navy will help us, because you have to be disciplined when you go up against this kind of offense."
The Citadel rarely turns to the passing game, averaging less than 35 yards per game in the air. But the Bulldogs average 291 rushing yards per contest, led by sophomore running back Darien Robinson and sophomore quarterback Ben Dupree. Redshirt senior Rickey Anderson and freshman quarterback Aaron Miller round out the list of Bulldogs that average more than 40 rushing yards per game.
USC's defenders are prepared for the unpredictability that a triple option offense brings, and defensive end Melvin Ingram said the Gamecocks will count on each other to stick with their assignments.
"We have to go out and defend it no matter if I like it or not," Ingram said. "They're on our schedule. We're trying to go out and get the victory, so we have to go out and defend it. [We'll] play more assignment-wise. The coaches tell us that every time. You can't guess what they're going to do. You just have to play your assignment and trust your teammates."
Carolina will turn to defensive tackle Travian Robertson, last week's SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, to anchor the defense. Robertson's coaches and teammates praised the leadership and energy he adds to the defensive line and the entire football squad.
"[Robertson] is a tremendous football player," Ingram said. "He's a real stud. He brings a lot to our football team and our defensive line. We try to carry our team off our backs. We feel like if we play hard, they feed off our energy. Travian brings a lot of energy to our defensive line."
The redshirt senior stressed the need to prepare for the speed the Bulldogs will bring.
"It's difficult because you're not going to get a good look," Robertson said. "They run it well, and they do a lot of different stuff out of the same formation. It's difficult because you're not going to get the same look from the scout team. Obviously, they're fast. We have to do the best we can, watch film and prepare well and just beat down against the triple option."
Robertson's experience has had a big influence on the freshmen who are still adjusting to college-level football. Free safety Brison Williams will continue to work on his physical preparation after some mistakes in execution against Florida.
"I thought he played like a freshman," Ward said. "Brison knows that. He should have made some tackles he missed. He was in the right place for the majority. He had one bust in coverage, but other than that he was in the right place. He just didn't play the game as physically as we'd like him to."
Jadeveon Clowney has met the high expectations placed upon him so far in his freshman campaign. Clowney and his teammates have seen the triple option already, and they have had to fight to the finish to hold off an underdog. USC is prepared not to overlook the Citadel, and the defense will seek to take the lessons it learned against Navy to lead the Gamecocks to another victory.
"It's pretty hard to prepare for. We just have to stop the run and beat them to the spots they want to get to," Clowney said. "Even though people say [Citadel] isn't a big team, we take every team like a big team. We're not trying to get beat by any team."