Will the real Carolina please stand up?
ESPN started their Saturday with College Gameday in Charlotte for the North Carolina – South Carolina matchup. I must admit I waffled back and forth on who had the advantage in this game. Then Houston Burnett told me to peruse the Gamecocks depth chart, and I soon had clarity. South Carolina had lost several contributors from last season’s team.
That turned out to be the difference Saturday night. The Gamecock offensive line has been the target of criticism since Shane Beamer arrived in Columbia, and it seems like nothing they try to fix it has worked. Coach Beamer said after the game:
“The whole offensive line is sliding to someone that is a threat and we’re still getting hit. They rushed three — three — on the last drive and we got hit. That is ridiculous.”
The Tar Heels defensive line is getting love for nine sacks, but I think we need to see how they perform in the coming weeks against Minnesota and Pittsburgh. They may have simply taken advantage of a problem the Gamecocks just can’t figure out.
SC doesn’t have a lot of time. After an FCS opponent, they open their SEC schedule with Georgia, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. A 2-3 start is staring them in the face, and two wins aren’t remotely guaranteed.