While the quarterback battle between Brandon McIlwain and Perry Orth continues to dominate the conversation surrounding South Carolina football heading into their home opener with ECU, the recovery of their defensive unit after being torched by Mississippi State last weekend should perhaps be the bigger narrative.
South Carolina's secondary unit failed when it came to containing the running game last weekend in Mississippi State, and now against East Carolina they will face a formidable aerial attack. The unit entered the season as a major red flag on the depth chart and injuries and poor performances haven't done anything to resolve those concerns. ECU's signal caller Philip Nelson will enter Saturday's matchup ranked No. 9 in passing yards among FBS quarterbacks, so the secondary will be facing their first major test against a pass-heavy offense.
The rotation of defensive backs might look a little different this week. Senior safety Chaz Elder will be sidelined with a rib contusion sustained against Mississippi State.
The playing time of junior cornerback Chris Lammons is uncertain after coach Will Muschamp called out his performance last weekend in the postgame press conference. When asked about why he removed Lammons in favor of fellow junior Jamarcus King, Muschamp notably stated, "You gotta tackle to play defense at South Carolina. It's kind of important."
In addition to King, sophomore cornerback Rashad Fenton will be depended on to cover the deep and versatile group of wide receivers that the Pirates possess.
This undermanned and unproven secondary unit desperately requires help from the pass rush to mitigate the pressure they face when it comes to defending the ball in the air. South Carolina's pass rush has been anemic through the Gamecocks first two performances, compiling just one sack and five total quarterback hits.
Offensively the Gamecocks need to establish the running game. While some of the blame can be shared with the offensive line, feature back A.J. Turner took a big step back against Mississippi State and totaled just 32 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Turner did however offer his own advice on how to fix South Carolina's offensive woes, stating, "In the second half we played with a faster tempo, and I feel like that is how are offense is — I feel we do better when we play faster. And I think that is what Brandon McIlwain brings to the table."
One clear advantage South Carolina appears to have compared to East Carolina is physicality in the trenches. On the line the Gamecocks will be much bigger than the Pirates, so whoever Muschamp elects to put under center should have adequate protection.
Although he has not been named as the official starter, South Carolina fans will expect to see McIlwain for the first time in game action at Williams-Brice Stadium. The highly-touted freshman flashed signs of promise in Starkville during the second half, completing 11 of 22 attempts with two touchdowns.
Even if McIlwain is able to continue to build on the momentum from last week, he is going to need help from his defense. The Pirates boast a high-powered offense that will capitalize on missed tackles and blown coverage, something that was all too common against Mississippi State.