Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] 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.
[00:00:50] Sam's 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. And I hope you all are nice and full out there. Gamecock Nation. Hope y'all's Thanksgiving was nice. Watched some football, drank heavily or whatever, ate heavily, whatever, had seconds, thirds, dessert, leftovers the next day, leftovers at night on Thursday. That's always a move. But whatever you did, friends, family, by yourself, I hope you had a nice day just to sit back, relax and give thanks. I am thankful to be in a position to connect with so many Gamecock fans. It's been a really, really cool experience doing this podcast, and I am grateful for every episode, all 198 of them. Very cool. I am actually recording this a little bit earlier in the week than I normally do because of traveling for said holiday. So with that being kept in mind, there might be some bits of news that, as you're listening to this, I might not mention it's just simply because I didn't know at the time. I wish I could be a mind reader. I wish I knew if Juice was going to play on Saturday. I don't. I hope that when we're all listening to this, he is. Wouldn't that be, huh? But I'm not gonna predict the future. Just hope for the best here. So since I am recording this earlier than I normally do, there's not a ton of news and scores to report. There's also, of course, school break going on, right? So there's not a lot of sports in action this week anyway. But this past Sunday, men's basketball, they beat Grand Canyon 75 to 68 to win the Arizona tip off. We won. Lamont and team are coming back to Columbia with some hardware, coming back from the desert with a nice championship under our belt. I think it actually might be a little like a championship belt here, but very cool. And then don't look now, but the Gamecocks are five and o. Five and o. Best start we've had in years, as I said last episode. But this team is just fun to watch. They get the system, they play well, they play hard. You can tell that they get it.
[00:03:42] I almost said football IQ, their basketball IQ is high. It's resonating with them. And this is sort of what we were hoping to see with Lamont Paris, he's got more experience, he's got more depth on his team. Older guys as well. Even with the Portal, they're able to grasp the system. So very cool to see. This game was close in the first half. Carolina had a much better second half, but fought off a late run by GCU BJ. Mac had himself a night going for 27 points. Miles Stutti had twelve points. So again, you're seeing these older, experienced guys, these transfer portal additions, doing and excelling in their role, rather doing their job, excelling in their role. It's very fun to see. I mean, between the men's start and the women's start, it has been quite the couple of week or so the past, what, five games, four games for both programs to start this season and November to this point has been very good in Gamecock Nation. It's very exciting here. The men's next game is November 20 eigth. That is at home against Notre Dame. So should be an exciting one after everyone is back from the Thanksgiving break. Women's basketball, they have a couple of games this week. No major scores to report right there. I think they play Mississippi Valley State at the end of the week right around Thanksgiving. I think it's actually on the Friday, if I'm not mistaken. Could be wrong though.
[00:05:19] But on to the big event from this week and the big event for this weekend.
[00:05:29] Here we are, Gamecocks, the last game of the regular season for college football. It's sad, it's sad to say it flew by this back half of the year. Really did fly by, at least for me. But with that comes rivalry. There we go. Weekend tongue twister. The Gamecocks are taking on the team in the Upstate for yet another edition of the Palmetto Bowl in what will surely be another absolutely wild environment in Columbia. It's Senior Day. A huge, huge thank you to this senior class. There's going to be a lot of sendoffs there, but special shout out to Carrie on Joyner. I mean, he is a guy who has been a staple in this program for a long time, just based off of the series of events that allowed him to stay a little bit longer than you normally could. But he's a guy that has really done it all for this program, has been very selfless, has also immersed himself in the community, doing a lot of things for good charitable work and whatnot. Hats off to DK. Really wish you nothing but success in the future. And I feel pretty confident in saying this is not the last we have seen of De carry on in Columbia. I can see him being someone that works with alumni relations for the football program or something along those lines. A starter in the next season or two. Absolutely, for sure. But hats off to the seniors. Absolutely. Well done. Job well done. And onto the task at hand, which is going against those damn old Clemson Tigers. And look, it's a rivalry. We don't like them, they don't like us. I get it. But this is one that you just really, really want to stick it to them.
[00:07:22] They're out here saying that they're back to being God's gift to earth and that they're back and it was just a fluke. They're going to come into our place and make it even. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Like, okay, we had your number last year. You got your own problems, plenty of problems up in those hills this go around. So why don't you worry about your damn self, we'll worry about ours and we'll kick you ass on Saturday night. How about that? Because we all know what is at stake in this game. South Carolina is currently sitting at five wins and on a three game win streak, all the Gamecocks have to do to guarantee a bowl bid is to win this game, win this game, get to six wins and you're going bowling. That's it. So as if this game wouldn't have enough juice already being a night game and a rivalry matchup, there are postseason implications at stake to make it even. All the there's, there is a scenario where five wins, south Carolina could get a bowl, but there's a lot that has to happen between now and then. There's only one way to guarantee getting in and it's to win this game.
[00:08:33] So what are the gamecocks looking at in Clemson? The Tigers are currently seven and four. They have also won three in a row going into this contest. And similar to South Carolina, this season has not gone the way that their fans envisioned it would at the start of the year.
[00:08:50] This is the first time know really what feels like forever that Clemson is out of the national conversation, especially for the playoffs and things like that. And I think I speak for a lot of college football fans, not just Gamecock fans, that it has been a breath of fresh air to have them out of the conversation because I think people have started to realize how much of a culty atmosphere is going on over there and people are kind of sick of it. So it's very nice on the field, though, they are led by a solid defense and a very good defensive front. Offensively, that has been the side of the ball that has seemingly been the most inconsistent for them. They have a solid run game that features two solid backs as we know. And in this win streak, they've seemed to figure it out a little bit, but the offense was a question this past season and seems like there were still some question marks throughout this season.
[00:09:48] But the question for Gamecock fans is are we going to see a team in this gamecocks, team that is improving and still getting stronger this month?
[00:09:59] You're coming off a game where the defense played their best game to date. In my opinion. There is real momentum on the gamecock side and having this game played at home feels critical as Spencer Rattler has been very good at home this year. And in general, really Beamer's teams have played better at home as well.
[00:10:19] But this is a rivalry matchup and you can't take anything for granted. Just ask Clemson fans about that last year, thinking that things just might go their way because it's at their place and maybe they have better roster and all that jazz in these types of games, you just never know what is going to happen. So what are my Crows to the game here for any new listeners? I don't have keys to the games. Everyone does that. We have our rooster crow. So I have my Crow to the game overall for the team here. First Crow is weather the storm. These are two teams coming into this game with momentum and they're each playing for something in their own right. Neither team wants to go out losing to their rival on top of it. This is probably going to be a game that stays competitive into the fourth quarter. There's going to be adversity, there's going to be new Wrinkles in the game plan. So this team has to weather the storm and this coaching staff must do the same and adjust as necessary.
[00:11:20] Also second Crow to the game overall. Going to say it again, be the least penalized team. I said I was going to keep saying it last game of the year, got to keep it up. Be the least penalized team.
[00:11:33] On defense here. My first Crow is continue to be multiple. This three three five Wrinkle into the defense. It's more than a Wrinkle at this point, honestly. It's really allowed the guys to play aggressive and it has allowed Clayton White to have his best athletes on the field. So White needs to continue to work that in different packages to keep Clemson off balance and remain unpredictable.
[00:11:59] He's doing a lot better of picking and choosing when to send pressure, simulated pressure, all that jazz. The three three five allows him to have a little bit more flexibility.
[00:12:08] My second Crow to the game here is continue to win the turnover battle in a game that feels like it's going to be close late. This defense has to help put the offense in any advantage they can. So this defense, they have to stay hot, right? They've been on a hot streak, creating turnovers, and if they can help the gamecocks win the turnover battle and kill one or two or more of Clemson's drives, it could go a long way in making the difference in this game.
[00:12:39] Now on offense here, my first Crow sort of general here, just be know the strength of this team is the downfield passing attack and really there's just no reason to change that now. And I've talked about trying to find a wide receiver too a lot this season unless Juice is ready to go for this game. And again, we're listening here, hopefully we know that by now, but to this point in the year, through the first eleven games, that just hasn't been the case. There is no consistent wide receiver two, it's basically by committee. So is it going to be Trey Knox? Is it going to be Josh Simon? Is it going to be a Marion Brown? Is there a breakout game for harbor? Like these things that were waiting to happen? You just have to try to find someone. And if it's, you get five passes to Knox, four to Josh Simon, four to know, and Spencer ends up passing the ball to five, six, seven guys, that's fine.
[00:13:45] But what's working is the Xavier Leguette and Spencer Rattler connection attacking downfield. Keep it up. There's no reason to change. Now, the pass protection these last few games has been solid, and against a solid defensive front they need to hold up incredibly well. But relying on the pass and putting your trust in your best players to make plays when it counts is ultimately what I think needs to be done. Also, this offense needs to keep their foot on the gas, right, stay aggressive throughout the game. I'd be okay with taking some chances on fourth down, maybe even early in the game too, because against a defense like Clemson's, if you have a little momentum going and you have a good drive going, you have to keep pushing because it might not come around too often.
[00:14:36] Now, my second crow to the game here on offense kind of balances that, I guess, here, but generate a run game and so we will see about the availability of Dak joyner. But regardless, dawal Loggins needs to either dial up the right run calls or he has to simulate the run game like he has in games past wide receiver screens, running back screens, shallow crossing routes need to be called. Regularly. Because this offense does need to make Clemson respect that short passing game running game, which can hopefully set up play action to let Spencer rip a couple deep shots.
[00:15:19] So overall for the game here, I mean, look, this is what college football is all about, y'all, rivalry game with a lot on the line in your place, a rowdy atmosphere.
[00:15:32] Both of these teams seemingly have found a groove, so it's definitely shaping up for a dogfight. I mean, last year was an absolute instant classic and that one was just in the history books for a few different reasons.
[00:15:53] Now we are in the position where you love what you've seen from the defense these past two games and maybe they really have found something with this new three down look. And offensively, we have a quarterback and wide receiver who are having a historic season and they absolutely need to pave the way for the rest of this team and right now this gamecocks team. Three weeks ago, they were presented with a scenario of win out sweep the month of november and you go bowling.
[00:16:33] And going into this month at two and six, a lot of that sounded far fetched. It did. What has this team done? They've responded. They have climbed out of this hole that they found themselves in. They have righted the ship on this season and now they have even the most best way that they could cap off this November to beat your rival and to get into a ball game and to prove to the doubters that, hey, we had a shitty start of the year. That was not who we were. We believed in the process. We believed in the people in this locker room. We knew we were better than that and we proved it.
[00:17:22] And if this team is able to have a turnaround like that despite having a lower win record, I think this one goes down in memory as wow, that team really got it together.
[00:17:33] And that team fought and they went out there and they played for one another in front of the home crowd and got it done. You do almost feel like this gamecocks team has hit their stride and is looking more like the team that we picture to start the year.
[00:17:49] So you hope that that can continue and this trend of improving week to week in november continues and you definitely feel that willie B. Can have an impact in this one.
[00:18:02] Execute in all three phases. Make it a fourth quarter game and let's make it two in a row against those sons of bitches. Let's go. Go cox. Man, absolutely six pack of picks here for you all and then I'll get you all out of here. Starting with the ACC here. Kentucky versus louisville, give me the over at 50 and a half.
[00:18:24] Big twelve, give me west virginia minus eight and a half versus baylor. Baylor stinks. I don't know how I haven't noticed this this year. They absolutely stink. Big ten, give me Ohio state versus michigan. This is the game kind of glad that our game doesn't overlap with this one at all. I'm going under 46 and a half. Two teams that have lived with their defense. It's going to be an absolute wild game. Pac twelve, give me oregon state plus 13 and a half versus Oregon. I think it's probably the best team they face to this point. SEC going with the iron bowl here give me the tide -14 and a half versus auburn and then group of five. JMU versus coastal over 50 and a half. But with that y'all that wraps up this episode 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.
