Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] This episode of Cox Talking Gamecocks is brought to you by the Mason jar, New York City. The Mason jar is the official Gamecock bar for the New York City area. Fans and alumni of USC can come by the jar for some great barbecue, cold drinks, and, of course, to watch the Gamecocks in any sport, all while surrounded by South Carolina memorabilia. If you want to get a slice of game day in Columbia, all while in the Big Apple, head to the Mason jar on East 30th Street. All right, here we go.
[00:01:13] Welcome to Episode 196 of Cox Talking Gamecocks, brought to you by the Mason jar, New York City. I am your host, Tim Cox, where I will keep every episode from 18 one to 2001. Hope you all had a lovely week out there. Gamecock Nation. We got Thanksgiving right around the corner. It's great. I mean, this is like kind of that window where you can just start putting stuff off until definitely Thanksgiving. But you're like, I'll get to it after the holidays, worry about my diet after the holidays, get back to the gym after the holidays, get to that project. It's perfect. And football is ramping up meaningful clutch time. Football, basketball is in action. Everything is cooking. It's just a fantastic time of year. I've already decided for Thanksgiving, I'm going to have a piece of pumpkin and pecan pie. I don't normally eat a lot of pies outside of the holidays. There's the trend right there, but nonetheless, hope you all are excited for a big weekend as well. Going to dive into the game, of course. But as always, let's look back in this week to see news, scores, updates, et cetera, starting on Monday here, where the men's basketball team defeated VMI 74 to 64. Now was not the prettiest night. The offense just didn't really look as crisp as we have seen, but just for periods of time here. But the guys buckled down and they got the W, and this is a good win. I understand it's VMI, but they came to play. And again, the team didn't have their best stuff, at least compared to what we've seen at times early this year. And that's the kind of game that in the past sometimes we've seen South Carolina lose. Just an inexplicable early season loss to a smaller team, smaller conference. Not this team. Not this game right now, rather, I should say, but marks a three and O start for Lamont Paris this season. How about that? I don't think a lot of people had that, especially with playing Virginia Tech. So three and O for Lamont and company. BJ Mac had himself a night in this game, 17 points, 13 rebounds. Very excited to see the start he has been off to. The men's next game is Friday night against DePaul out in Phoenix, so it tips off pretty late on the East coast, but it's part of the Phoenix tip off special there so should be a fun one. And hey, we got a night game Saturday night. You don't got work tomorrow. Stay up, stay up and watch this game as the guys go for four and O on the year. Very exciting. Also news from the men's team. Big news from the men's team as Lamont Paris picked up a huge commitment this week coming from 2025. Four star point guard Eli Ellis. Eli is from Hickory, North Carolina. He is currently the number two player in the state. He has that natural scoring and shooting ability to create space. He has the range and from the highlights I really like what I'm seeing and stands threes and he will only get better between now and his arrival on campus. This was a big target and a big commitment for Lamont Paris. Also, on a side note, Eli is just a certified TikTok star. Apparently I'm going to show my age here. I'm not on TikTok, but apparently this kid has a following like 700,000 followers. So if nothing else, it should bring some eyes and excitement and social media attention to the program. So that's pretty cool. No other scores from this week, although Friday there is a lot of action going on. The women's basketball team is currently playing Clemson. As I am recording, the Gamecocks entered the game heavily favored, so hopefully they go out and just absolutely smoke the Tigers because anytime you get a chance to do that, it is great. However, there was also big news from the women's program on the recruiting trail. As the number two player in the entire 2024, Class, five star Joyce Edwards committed to the Gamecocks. This was huge. Joyce is from Camden, South Carolina, but it was a tough battle as she chose USC over LSU and Clemson. It was a hard fought recruiting battle. She is tall, she can do it all, offense, defense, you name it. So it really looks like dawn may have yet again found the next great one to come to Columbia. And it's just a fantastic job by Don Staley and everyone involved in know. Joyce even mentioned academics being a big reason why she picked the Gamecocks. I think dawn was working hand in hand with the Honors college to make sure that we could get everything lined up that she was looking to achieve just a fantastic job. So very, very exciting week for Gamecock Hoops all the way around. We got wins, rivalry games, big recruiting wins. Gamecock Hoops is having a bit of a moment right now. Great start to the year for both Lamont and Dawn. Very excited for them.
[00:07:02] Now, in a bit of news related to football, the Clemson game has been announced as a night game. That is a 07:30 p.m. Kickoff for the Palmetto Bowl. I'm sure you all have seen this already. It was blasted everywhere on social media, but that is wild. That atmosphere is always great and always raucous. Regardless, because of how heated that rivalry is, you add a night game to it. It should only be better. And if things go well for us this weekend, it's going to have huge implications for this Gamecocks team. And whoo. I got chills thinking about it. Very cool. Exciting to see. Looking forward to that. What a way to cap off your Thanksgiving weekend. It always is with the Palmeto Bowl.
[00:07:52] But let's look to this weekend here as the football team. This Saturday night, Gamecocks are taking on Kentucky, aka Ken Sucky. And this is a big one. This is a big game. DeRoude is in town. As if Willie B was not going to have enough juice already in the building. He's going to be there starting the game. He's got a pregame concert going on. I mean, the creator, the architect of Sandstorm, our battlecry, is going to be starting this game. I can't think of a more electric way to start a game that's going to be so sick. I want to see his reaction when Sandstorm drops for the first time before kickoff. It's going to be very cool to see. And it's nice because it is a night game after several noon kickoffs in a row for the Gamecocks. And right now, this Gamecocks team is on a two game heater and they are playing with some more confidence. And now you're really into this second phase of the November to remember, right? And that begins as the level of competition is now rising and you're starting with an SEC east opponent led by a coach who, quite frankly, I think there's some beef. I think there is some beef between stoops and Beamer. I don't know if it's because of the glasses, all that jazz. I just get the sense these two don't particularly like each other. I think they respect each other as coaches, but I don't think it goes past that. So really it's game on, right? You got a South Carolina team that's trying to elevate their game and continue the momentum, a East rival opponent that's trying to stop that and stick it to our coach. I'm not here for know, but under Shane Beamer, these matchups really have been close games and it's only really fueled this really budding rivalry that is South Carolina and Kentucky. So it should make for a good one this season from the Gamecocks. There's been a couple of solid efforts against SEC teams with a pulse, but the team just hasn't really been able to seal the deal.
[00:10:15] So the question is, can the Gamecocks get over the hump now this weekend in the final SEC game of the year, mind you, against Kentucky, especially now that the team has some visible momentum on their side and you've been able to stay in the comforts of home for going on three weeks now. So does all of that add up to getting over the hump, over a good quality SEC team? Because that is sort of what's been eluding this team so far this season.
[00:10:54] So what are the Gamecocks looking at in Kentucky? The Wildcats are currently six and four. They're three and four in the SEC, and it was really after smooth sailing in September for Kentucky. They have struggled. They are riding the struggle bus through October and really so far into November, winning just one game out of their last.
[00:11:21] You know, with Kentucky, they stick to their brand of football, strong, fundamentally sound, physical football, and they tend to have a lot of guys who have developed in their system, who have played under this staff and they know what the expectations are and we all know this, they're not going to blow a lot of teams out, right. Like, they're not beating a whole lot of teams 50 to nothing. Right. They've tended to play teams close under stoops in general. Right. They want to control the line of scrimmage, they want to dominate that time of possession and they want to run the ball. And right now they do have one of the best running backs in the SEC with Ray Davis. And they are currently led by transfer quarterback Devin Leary, who he was a big time transfer portal addition coming from NC State, but I haven't watched a ton of their games super closely, but really feels like he has not lived up to the billing since moving to the SEC. Right. He's an experienced guy, he has all the skills in the world, but I think they were expecting a little bit more out of him. So something to watch for.
[00:12:35] So what are my crows to the game for any new listeners. I don't do keys to the game. Everyone has that. We have our Rooster crow, so I have my crows to the game. So overall for the team here, be the least penalized team. Or if that's not doable, at least don't be the most by a large margin, right? Like just keep it close and I'm just going to keep putting this into the universe until it's true. So the next two weeks, that's my mantra.
[00:13:08] Least penalized teams, no penalties, no penalties. Right? Again, can't give them any advantage, right. If anything, you need the crowd to get them to jump and things like that.
[00:13:21] Now, my crow to the game here on special teams, I don't always call these guys out in the crows to the game here, but I am for this game.
[00:13:30] It's just be the better unit. Okay, this game is shaping up to be a very close battle. In fact, the average points per game these two have is separated by zero, three points.
[00:13:46] Essentially, both teams average 29 points per game. On offense, they're almost identical. So the difference in those types of games likely will come down to special teams.
[00:14:02] So if Carolina can force touchbacks on kickoffs, that'll be huge. Mitch Jeter has to continue to execute on a high level, maybe even higher. Okay, I know there was weather at play last week, but no missed extra points.
[00:14:20] You need to hit your field goals when called upon.
[00:14:24] Kai Kroger, he's a friend of the program, but he needs to step up his game Saturday night.
[00:14:32] He has not been as consistent as he was last year. And look, that happens in sports. It's life.
[00:14:40] But he has to find a way to dig deep and be a key reason why South Carolina wins the field position battle.
[00:14:50] If Kai is asked to punt it away, if he can regularly keep Kentucky at or behind their 20, that will go a long way in creating more opportunities for the defense to come up with a stop and to slow down Kentucky.
[00:15:06] It's going to be the little things that make a difference in this game.
[00:15:10] Now, on the defensive side of the ball, my first crow is just simply try and slow down Ray Davis. I mean, he is the engine that makes Kentucky go and he's having a hell of a year, so it feels like stopping him completely is probably too tall of a task. But this defense needs to be able to contain him and limit the big plays from him specifically.
[00:15:38] I mean, he can also do damage catching the ball, too. He's really doing it all for them right now. Try and find a way to contain him.
[00:15:47] My second crow for the defense here is be versatile. In these last couple of weeks, we've seen Clayton White unveil more of a three three five look, which has also coincided with a more active pass rush and generally looking better defensive games.
[00:16:06] I think this look allows for guys like Bam Martin Scott to flourish more, and I think it also takes some pressure off of Debo and especially Stone Blanton.
[00:16:18] It also requires some more preparation from the opponent as now there's a new look that they have to account for.
[00:16:26] And look, I mean, I'm no expert in defensive strategies, right? Like the extent of my coaching ability goes to this right here, maybe some Madden. So I don't know if this look, the three three five makes sense if you're facing a strong run game like Kentucky, like maybe you want those four down linemen. But if nothing else, keeping the ability to show multiple formations and execute on that, if you need to make those adjustments, could go a long way in slowing down the Kentucky attack.
[00:17:04] My third crow to the game here is continue the success that we saw last week on third down.
[00:17:11] That feels self explanatory. Be good on third down. Get off at a efficient rate. Do not let Kentucky continue multiple drives. You cannot have multiple extended drives in this game. That's what they want to do. That's their game.
[00:17:29] On the offensive side of the ball here. My first crow is pass protection. Pass protection, excuse me, needs to be as best as it has been this season.
[00:17:42] Now, luckily, the offensive line has been able to have the same guys over the last couple of games in the same spot. So hopefully, hopefully, I'm saying that contributes to some better continuity, communication and performance because this offense goes through Spencer and it will go as far as he can take them. And in order to take them to a win, to take the Gamecocks to a win, Spencer has to stay on his feet and he needs to have some time to throw the ball. He's shown the ability to make plays when he rolls out and he's shown to be effective with the scramble this year. But that needs to be the exception, not the norm in this game. Even though I wouldn't hate a couple design rollouts, I never do my second crow for the game. ON offense, someone needs to help Mario Anderson as RB Two with Dak Joyner and Juju McDowell out, the running back room is looking pretty sparse. So someone in that group needs to step up and be able to hold their own to one.
[00:18:52] Just give Mario a chance, know, just catch his breath and recover from time to time. But then two provide somewhat of a threat so that when they are in the game, it's not super obvious to Kentucky what we're going to do, right. Like if someone comes in and they're just ineffective running the ball, it's going to be obvious when that player is in, we're probably going to pass, right? So you need to be able to do your job well enough to keep them guessing. In this category. I got freshman DJ Braswell. He's the obvious choice, right? Four star recruit. He has the build, just doesn't have the experience.
[00:19:28] He's gotten playing time here and there. Had a couple of very nice plays against Vandy. Needs to elevate his game this week. He's going to be involved a lot outside of him. Maybe it's Bradley Dunn or DJ Twitty to at least create a couple of plays and be adequate enough to provide some relief to that group.
[00:19:49] My third crow to the game on offense is I'd like to see more two tight end sets in this game. Trey Knox should be full go this game, but we've seen what Josh Simon has done in his absence, so as such, you should just keep your playmakers on the field. When Trey was healthy, he proved to be a very reliable target for Spencer. And now Josh showed his playmaking ability after the catch.
[00:20:22] And really with no clear wide receiver, two on a consistent basis, why not play the two tight ends more? Let them catch passes. Chip in pass protection as well.
[00:20:37] So overall, for this game, I'm pumped, man. I am super excited.
[00:20:43] The build up to this game and the excitement around it for me is on ten and maybe it's because for the first time this season, there's real life in this team, in this program and you can see the momentum on our side and maybe just a little home cooking is what we needed.
[00:21:02] But once the ball is snapped, I expect a very close game.
[00:21:07] As I've said, both teams are almost identical in offensive output. Defensively, both teams have had their ups and downs like yes, at the whole level, like the numbers and all that Jazz. Kentucky looks better, but they have struggled against SEC competition, especially lately.
[00:21:28] But they are coming to Williams. Bryce prepared and they're well coached. That's just what Kentucky has built there. This South Carolina team, meanwhile, knows what they're playing for and they know what's at stake. I think there's some energy in that building that was not there a month ago, and they know that the hard work can continue to pay off if they go out and execute the way they are supposed to. Willie B is going to be absolutely electric. It's going to be swaying, and that just always proves difficult for opponents. It's going to be a hard fought game. I really do think so. I think it's going to be a close one, one possession type of game. Buckle up. Root the boys in. Let's go, Cox.
[00:22:14] All right, let me give you my six pack of picks and then I'll get you all out of here. Starting with the ACC. Wake Forest versus Notre Dame. I'm going Irish -24 and a half. Big twelve. Oklahoma versus BYU over 58 and a half in the Big Ten, Michigan State plus three and a half versus Indiana. Both teams stink, so just give me the points.
[00:22:38] Pac twelve. Give me Washington versus Oregon State under 62 and a half. In the SEC going Florida versus Missou. Mizou minus eleven and group of five. SMU versus Memphis over 64 and a half. And with that, y'all, that wraps up this episode. Please follow me on social media, Twitter or X is Cox Gamecocks. Instagram is just the name of the show. Cox talking Gamecocks. And please, like, subscribe and review the podcast. I appreciate all y'all. Go Cox.
