South Carolina's victory over Western Carolina revealed a number of gaps that still remain in the team's defense.
The Catamounts scored 31 points in the contest, the most the Gamecocks have allowed this season.
Junior linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams said the team just came out not ready to play at their level.
“It was a win, it's not pretty, but we gotta get ready for a good Clemson team ... and play those guys next week,” Allen-Williams said.
Muschamp said that improving speed and spacing is pivotal to a more effective South Carolina defense.
“Defensively, we're still a work in progress. I mean, it’s just frustrating," Muschamp said.
South Carolina's defense did demonstrate some promise, however. On Western Carolina’s opening drive, junior defensive back D.J. Smith recovered a Catamount fumble. The Gamecocks capitalized on the play, scoring a touchdown.
Tackling was also a defensive strength for the Gamecocks. Six players finished with five or more tackles. Senior linebacker Jonathan Walton led the pack with seven.
“We had a little trouble with the tackles over at the beginning, but I feel like once we got that situated we could bunker down a bit,” Walton said.
However, the top six tacklers in Saturday’s win were all upperclassmen, suggesting that rebuilding this defense will be a process that extends beyond the season's two remaining games.