Coaches preach it all the time: "Don't let one loss become two." Never let a loss, however gut-wrenching, affect your preparation and resolve for the next game.
South Carolina (6-2, 4-2 SEC) will try to heed that wisdom when it returns to Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday to face Tennessee (3-4, 0-4 SEC). The Gamecocks are looking to shake off a pair of anemic offensive performances against LSU and Florida. The Vols face an even more arduous task: shaking off Alabama.
Can Bruce Ellington and the Gamecocks take advantage of an "Alabama hangover"?
For 20 of their 21 years together in the SEC, the South Carolina-Tennessee game has followed UT's "Third Saturday in October" showdown against #1 Alabama. Even though the Vols gained a season-high 282 yards against the Tide defense, Alabama still cruised to a 44-13 victory.
It made me wonder how badly Alabama, in its ascent under Nick Saban, gives fellow SEC teams a crimson-colored hangover. Check out how these SEC teams fared a week after facing the Tide:
2010
Arkansas OPEN DATE
Florida L-LSU
South Carolina L-Kentucky
Ole Miss L-Arkansas
Tennessee L-South Carolina
LSU W-Louisiana-Monroe
Mississippi State L-Arkansas
Auburn W-South Carolina (SEC Championship)
2011
Arkansas W-Texas A&M*
Florida L-LSU
Vanderbilt L-Georgia
Ole Miss L-Arkansas
Tennessee L-South Carolina
LSU W-Western Kentucky
Mississippi State L-Arkansas
2012
Arkansas L-Rutgers
Ole Miss L-Texas A&M
Missouri BYE - vs. Kentucky 10/27
Tennessee vs. South Carolina 10/27
Note: I didn't include Alabama's 2011 game against Auburn, since the Tigers didn't play again until New Year's Eve.
Since 2010, SEC teams that played a conference game the week after facing Alabama have a combined 1-11 record. The only SEC team to break that stupor? Eventual BCS national champion Auburn, which rallied past the Tide in the 2010 Iron Bowl, then steamrolled South Carolina in the SEC Championship game.
The Gamecocks not only represent Tennessee's "Afta-Bama" opponent, but its fourth ranked opponent in as many weeks. As South Carolina learned in the Swamp, an exhausting schedule tests a player's mental reserves as much as its physical reserves. Key for the Gamecocks: take advantage of Alabama's assist, and wear down Tennessee's resilience early.
Other "Pre-Snap Reads" before Carolina and Tennessee meet at high noon (or thereabouts - 12:01 p.m. EST, Gamecock IMG Sports Network).
This May Help: South Carolina has only allowed two touchdowns in its last 12 first quarters at Williams-Brice Stadium. Oddly, the teams that nicked them were Navy and The Citadel.
Shades of Bray: Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray hails from Kingsburg, Calif., a town of 11,000 known as "Little Sweden" for its predominantly Swedish roots. Its water tower is even in the shape of a Swedish coffee pot.
Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray.
Since becoming UT's starter at halftime of the Carolina game in 2010, Bray has shown a high-velocity, "See you Sunday"-type arm. His 273 passing yards per game ranks 3rd in the SEC, and his 51 career touchdowns leads all active SEC signal-callers. He has a pair of rangy targets in Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson, a running back in Raijon Neal (83.3 rush ypg) who can keep the play-calling balanced, and an offensive line that has only allowed three sacks. At a water tower-sized 6'6," Bray can also see over Carolina's telescopic arms on the defensive line.
But with 8 interceptions and a 51% completion percentage in four SEC games, Bray can be his own worst enemy. Head coach Derek Dooley put some heat on his quarterback this week, telling the media "
Better Days Ahead? The Gamecock offense stumbled against two of the elite defenses in the nation in LSU and Florida. Could they be due for a change against Tennessee?
Yards Per Play Allowed
3. LSU 3.69
4. Florida 4.17
98. Tennessee 6.10
Among Carolina's opponents, only UAB (104th NCAA) has a more gaping yards-per-play average. Could a more vulnerable defense - and an undefeated record at home - help Connor Shaw return to form?
Nuthin' But A "Glee" Thang: You may not find many football players who will readily volunteer themselves as fans of the Fox show Glee. But count Tennessee tight end Mychal Rivera among them, and with good reason - his sister, Naya, plays cheerleader Santana on the show.
Position Change: In its 14-3 win over the Vols last year, South Carolina won despite a sizable gap in starting field position.
Avg. Starting Field Position -2011 Tennessee Carolina
Own 45 Own 27
In addition to improving their own ball security on kickoffs, the Gamecocks need to prevent returner Cordarelle Patterson from opening his stride. The (Rock Hill) Northwestern HS product ranks 2nd in the nation, averaging 34.5 yards per kick return.
And Finally... Recruiting is a game of hits and misses - or in Derek Dooley's case, a miss that turns into a hit again. As head coach of Louisiana Tech, Dooley recruited safety Prentiss Waggner from nearby Clinton, La. At his in-home visit, Dooley told Waggner he "didn't think he was good enough to go to Tennessee."
Waggner ignored the advice and signed with the Volunteers. He'll be making his 33rd consecutive start Saturday.
Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well. Our pre-game coverage begins at 9 a.m. EST on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network. See you at Williams-Brice. -AD--
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