If you’ve read any work of mine regarding the South Carolina defense since 2014, you’ll know I beat one topic to death: pass rush.
Since the departure of Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles in 2013, the Gamecocks have lacked the kind of pass rush which made them a top-end defensive team during the Spurrier era. After being ranked as high as second in the country in sack percentage in 2012, the Gamecocks fell back to 38th in 2013 and then dropped all the way to 117th in 2014.
In Spurrier’s final season South Carolina ranked 85th in sack percentage and then back down to 92nd last season.