Everything Joe DeCamillis said ahead of South Carolina's matchup with Texas A&M

South Carolina special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup against Texas A&M. Here’s everything he had to say.

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Is there one aspect of special teams throughout the whole year that made you say, ‘This is what we have to work on first?’

“I don’t really look at it (the season) as one quarter left. I just want to get through the season and keep trying to get these guys improving, some of the young guys, and try to win these last three games. That’s really what you’re focused on right now.

“But, I would say, from a coverage standpoint, really pleased. Punt coverage-wise, not as pleased after the Ole Miss game. With the kickoff coverage, it’s been doing something that we’ve been doing all year very well, and didn’t do it as well as we need to in that game. From a return standpoint, obviously, positive. Vicari (Swain) has done a good job for us there. And then, kickoff return, just haven’t had as many reps as you’d like. Just, SEC time, you don’t get a lot of kickoffs, unfortunately. (When I was) in the Big 12 in Texas, got a few more, but we’re not getting as many of them there. So, you know, that’s kind of where we stand there.

“I think the field goal kicking has been, probably, better than what people thought; I think it’s been better than what I thought it was going to be. I think the young kids have done a good job. And (William) Joyce, I know he’s not young, but he is young because he never did it.

“And then, the other part of it, you’d like to have that catch back from (Jalon Kilgore) last week. I saw some people talking about, you know, ‘What was he doing back there?’ He’s been back there the whole time, if you’re really watching the tape, and he’s done a great job for us. Just one of those things that popped up in the game and, hopefully, it doesn’t pop up anymore. So, I think it’s been positive, but you’re always looking to get better.”

Who do you feel like are the guys that have made the biggest strides overall on special teams?

“I would say, Moe Brown, obviously. That’s two years in a row where I think, if they had a ‘Special Teams Player the Year’ around the SEC, he’d be damn close to being that guy. I can tell you that much. He’s done a really good job from that standpoint. Explosive player that’s hard to deal with, and talking to other clubs, it’s a problem for (them).

“I think Colin (Bryant)‘s had a really good year for us — a veteran that’s come in and done a good job for us there. Brady (Hunt)‘s done some good things for us. Eriq Rice is a guy that, as a walk-on, has done some really good things. And then, Nyck Harbor, having his role both as a kickoff returner and then also on punt coverage, has done some good things.

“So, I mean, there’s a lot of guys. I can sit up here and talk about the whole team, but I think those are the guys that pop in my head first and foremost.”

Last week, Texas A&M pulled off a fake punt and reeled off a 50-yard gain against Missouri. In your experience coaching special teams, what makes a really good team good at pulling off deceptive-type fakes like that?

“I mean, the situation, they had a play call that really depended upon the front, and they were in a different front right at the start of the play. They shifted out of it and got back into a smaller front. And that’s really how the play happened. It was very similar to what happened to us against Ole Miss. Ole Miss pulled a fake on us; credit to them. We could have been in a much better call for that, and we were gonna be in a much better call for that. And I got greedy a little bit and tried to go get a return, which is probably what they did, and it hurt. But that was a good play called by A&M.

“Hopefully, we stay out of that. That’s for sure. But that hasn’t been in their DNA, I can tell you that much. So, it definitely popped up for us, which I’m glad it did before our date.”

You have multiple true freshmen playing on multiple units. How have you seen those freshmen continue to improve in that aspect.

“Yeah, I think they’re improving. I mean, it’s a long season for those guys. Remember, a lot of those (high school) guys have been done for a couple weeks. It’s a different type of season for them, more than anything else. But I think those young kids are coming on. You saw what it did for (David) Bucey and for Fred (Johnson), and those guys have got more plays on defense. I think that’s going to happen for those guys down the road. And, hopefully, they can continue to improve the next three games.”

How have you seen Coach (Mike) Furrey‘s energy and confidence show through the last two weeks since he’s been promoted to being the team’s “primary play caller?”

“I mean, Mike’s no different, really, now than he was before, in my opinion. I think it’s just unfortunate when something like that (the Mike Shula firing) happens. But Mike’s handling it like the pro that he is. And I think he’ll be a good addition for us, for sure.”

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