The Verdict: Time to have a sense of urgency
South Carolina football superfan and lawyer Chris Paschal writes a column for Gamecock Central called “The Verdict.”
The Verdict: Time to have a sense of urgency
First, we must address what happened on Saturday. Second, let’s talk about what needs to be done moving forward.
Evisceration. That’s the only word that comes to mind when trying to sum up what I watched in Williams-Brice Stadium last Saturday for the 75th rendition of South Carolina and Georgia. There is no doubt that Georgia is the best team in the country as it stands three weeks into the season. I said multiple times, including in last week’s Verdict, that Carolina was not going to win that football game. But last Saturday was a shock to the senses.
Carolina was utterly dismembered on national television by one of its oldest rivals. I don’t care how good Georgia is, that is simply unacceptable. And some unfortunate ugly truths reared their head last weekend.
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The first being that three games into the season and this is not a mean or physical Clayton White defense. We already knew it was a thin defense. And we knew that it was a young defense. But this is also not a mean defense. In Coach Beamer’s postgame, he stated that the defense is taught to fly to the football and get there with great physicality. That was nonexistent by this Gamecock defense last weekend.
Two plays into Georgia’s first drive and Ladd McConkey was hit on a six yard out route down the Georgia sideline. There was no flying to the football with great physicality when the defensive back approached McConkey. Instead, he grabs onto McConkey for dear life and allows the Georgia wide receiver to push him towards the first down marker. Eventually McConkey was taken down with the help of Devonni Reed and Brad Johnson.
This was just the first example of a Carolina defender not running to the football wanting to hit somebody. Because there were plenty of examples of that with numerous different players.
Besides Nick Emmanwori, I cannot recall a single time I looked at a fellow Carolina fan and said “man, that was a hell of a play.” Carolina finished the game with zero sacks and one tackle for loss.
Again, Georgia is a hell of a football team. And they have some dang good football players. But Georgia always has good football players.
Where was the Javon Kinlaw performance of 2019? Where was the Jadeveon Clowney performance of 2012 (or 2011)? Where was the Melvin Ingram performance of 2011? Where are the defensive backs like Vic Hampton and DJ Swearinger coming down and hitting a Bulldog like he said something mean to their mother? Georgia is always going to have great players. But that used to be a non-issue.
The answer to “Georgia has a great team full of blue-chip recruits” used to be “but you know Carolina’s got some dudes that will knock the hell out of you, right?” That was not the answer last Saturday.
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Let me stress for the millionth time, I never expected Carolina to win that game. But as I sat in an empty Williams-Brice, I was thoroughly stunned at the lack of gusto this defense played with.
Now, we must address the offense. Last year following the A&M game, I did the Chris Paschal equivalent of calling for someone’s job. Being a football coach in the SEC is a brutal and highly visible position. Every decision is under heightened scrutiny. Every failure is broadcast to the world. I do not envy the job Marcus Satterfield has and I am not going to call for the termination of his employment.
That being said, 16 games into Marcus Satterfield running the show and this offense is putrid. I was listening to 107.5 on Monday and the statistics being rattled off regarding this offense were heinous. It is truly appalling how bad this Carolina offense is despite the returning starters on the offensive line, the additions from the transfer portal, and the familiarity of year two of the Satterfield system.
The decision on the first third down of the game to take Spencer Rattler off the field and run a quarterback power – six yards away from the first down marker – was one of the more baffling decisions I witnessed in Williams-Brice.
The explanation later on was that Dakereon Joyner simply missed the gap he was supposed to run through. Even if Joyner was supposed to run the power up the A gap or B gap, the guard’s kickout block of Georgia’s Nolan Smith had gone so poorly that there was no A gap or B gap to run through. (One of the few true principles of football is to keep your feet running through contact, whether blocking or tackling. I did not see a lot of that against Georgia.)
Is there an answer for Marcus Satterfield and this offense? I’m not sure. But if there was ever a time to find out, it would be in the next two weeks.
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Which finally brings me to the crux of this Verdict: it’s time to play with a sense of urgency.
Marcus Satterfield mentioned in his press conference this week that the offense was close. And I appreciate that. But eventually when you’re close, you actually get to where you need to be. You can’t stay close forever. You can’t stay close for another 16 games. Hell, you can’t stay close for another game.
I will not mince words. If Carolina can’t line up and run inside zone and run power against UNC-Charlotte, then the answer to the Marcus Satterfield question has been answered. (Again, not advocating for anyone to be fired, but if we can’t run the football against Charlotte, then we simply can’t run the football as an SEC football team.)
If Shane Beamer walks into his press conference at about 11 PM on September 24th and is as frustrated with the defense as he was post-Georgia, then we have our answer as to whether or not this defense can play fast and physical.
If there was ever a time to run the football on offense, and fly to the football and get there with great physicality on defense, it is this weekend against Charlotte. Through three games, I have seen guys that have NFL futures not play with a sense of urgency. They don’t give up. They don’t quit. But they aren’t playing with a sense of urgency. There must be want-to when making a block. There must be want-to making a tackle. There must be want-to when making that catch over the middle. And for some reason, through three weeks, it looks like this team (at times) is going through the motions.
Does this Carolina team have the confidence and bravado to fly around the field and hit people hard and make plays? Through three games, the answer is unfortunately no. But the beauty of that answer is the fact that Carolina has only played three games. And there isn’t another Georgia on the schedule.
I mentioned last week that there is a long road that has no turning, and while that is true, there is also an adage that states there is no time like the present. I don’t want to still be trying to fix these issues in Lexington or Gainesville. This Carolina team needs to gain confidence in the coming weeks before a brutal seven-game stretch to end the season.
I want these players to succeed. Some of these guys have been through some of the more trying times in the history of Carolina Football, which is saying something.
I will never forget the sacrifices the current juniors and seniors made to stick with the Gamecocks and to pull on that Garnet & Black when the stadium was empty, and the coach had been fired.
And I want Marcus Satterfield and Clayton White and this whole staff to succeed. I am not abandoning this team, and neither is the heartbeat of Gamecock Nation.
I showed up early for Gamecock Walk and I didn’t leave on Saturday until the Alma Mater had been played. And I will be there this Saturday evening with thousands of other Gamecock fans. We know this was a hell of a three-game stretch to start the season. There is nothing to be ashamed of to this point and Coach Beamer was right when he said there are a bunch of fighters in that locker room.
But it’s time to play with a sense of urgency. Take it to Charlotte and gain some confidence back. No way in hell this season is over.
