Clayton White Discusses What Happened Defensively Against Florida
Throughout the 2023 season, due to a variety of reasons, the defense for the South Carolina Gamecocks hasn't had the season they would've liked. Week after week, Carolina's defense seems to struggle to get off the field, stopping opposing quarterbacks from efficiently orchestrating their team's offense and keeping star-skill players in check.
These issues snowballed last week against the Florida Gators in a game that saw the Gamecocks give up over 400 passing yards to quarterback Graham Mertz and 41 total points to the Gators, 14 of which were scored in the final nine minutes of the game when Carolina had a 10-point lead. It's led to plenty of questions regarding whether or not changes should be made on that side of the ball. When asked this at his weekly Wednesday press conference, the Gamecocks' defensive coordinator, Clayton White, harped on his unit needing to build on the good plays and finish games better.
"Our guys are trying to go out and get--not revenge, but more of a chance to prove how good they are and that they have the ability to finish. I think that's the main thing we'd love to take back from the game," White stated. "We had an opportunity to finish, and we didn't get it done."
South Carolina's defense has specifically had trouble containing slot receivers in SEC play, giving up an average stat line of 8.67 receptions, 175.33 receiving yards, and 0.67 receiving touchdowns to such receivers over their last three contests. While admitting that he could've done some things differently against Florida, White emphasized that he wants his unit to look ahead instead of looking back.
"The ultimate goal right is to get our guys' confidence back [and] get ready for the next game."
One of the biggest gripes from the fanbase, in particular, has been the fact that Nick Emmanwori has been playing the nickel corner position for the past two games, even though he's viewed primarily as a box safety more so than someone who can cover slot receivers. When asked for his rationale behind this move, Clayton lamented that the focus is on team defense.
"When you're trying to stop the run, and we say it's all eleven [defenders], it's the same thing on the back end. The rush and the coverage go hand-in-hand - If more than one guy is not doing his job on a play, it's probably not gonna be a great result."
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