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Will extra prep time help South Carolina Saturday?

On3 imageby: Collyn Taylor10/08/22collyntaylor
On3 image
Clayton White (Photo by Chris Gillespie)

South Carolina offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield had a chance Saturday to go play golf with a few of his friends.

But there was “no way in hell” he was leaving his house and straying away from his television and college football.

The priority was obviously watching the Ole Miss-Kentucky game to get an advanced preview of the Gamecocks’ next opponent. But it gave him–and the rest of South Carolina’s players and coaches–a chance to decompress. 

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“I watched every football game I could. The Kentucky-Ole Miss game, I obviously had an interest in that cause we’re getting ready to play them. But that was a great game on both sides. It was like a rocky movie,” Satterfield said. “It was fun to sit back and watch other people do well and do poorly and it wasn’t me doing it.”

Yes, South Carolina got a day off Saturday. But the extra time given to the staff thanks to the South Carolina State game being moved was also beneficial for game preparation.

The Gamecocks’ staff was able to spent nearly all day Friday and most of Sunday breakings down film on Kentucky.

Coaches typically reserve Sunday for breaking down the game from the night before. Then they start on the next opponent. But the Gamecocks got to come in on Sunday and immediately begin Kentucky preparations. 

“We had the Friday and that Sunday. So we gained, I would say, a full day of just sitting down, meeting and watching tape,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said. 

“It’s different when you’re able to have game-plan thoughts and watch them play live on a Saturday. It gives you a good feeling in your head of things you have to do. Then you have that Sunday and Monday. So we gained a full two days of prep. It was huge.”

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It’s an incredibly small sample size, but South Carolina went 2-0 last season when given extra time to prepare. The Gamecocks beat Florida 40-17 coming off a bye week and North Carolina 38-21 in a bowl. 

By the time the Gamecocks kick off Saturday against Kentucky, it’ll be nine days between games.

While the coaches are working on the weekend, the players got a few days off to heal up from a few bumps and bruises before kickoff. 

“It’s definitely beneficial,” Marcellas Dial said. “It helps us take a break away from the physical and mental demand college football has. It’s definitely beneficial to us and (we) love those breaks.”

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