Tyler Buchner's Success Accentuates Reoccuring Issues

Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner had success on the ground against South Carolina, underscoring a common theme for the Gamecocks.

The Gator Bowl slipped away from South Carolina in the second half, and a large part of it was their run defense woes. The Fighting Irish ran all over the Gamecocks to the tune of 5.7 yards per carry for 264 yards.

Quarterback Tyler Buchner ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns, and he isn't the first signal-caller to have rushing success against the garnet and black. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees called inverted veer concepts several times, and each time Buchner found creases.

The South Carolina linebacker core is young, and their inexperience was fully displayed. No matter who they put on the field, it felt like someone was taking the bait and committing to the running back without accounting for Buchner.

Brady Cook, Anthony Richardson, and KJ Jefferson all worked similar concepts. Each team went to the quarterback run game went to quarterback runs in critical situations to close out wins.

South Carolina partly addressed this problem on the recruiting trail by signing inside linebacker Grayson Howard. Howard is an explosive yet disciplined player who should see some snaps next season for the garnet and black.

However, the coaching staff needs to get some of these young players to take the next step. Stone Blanton and Brad Johnson are integral parts of that room moving forward and will be two names to watch in the spring.

Johnson is a supreme athlete who was relegated to rush duties after some mishaps earlier in the season. He has progressed and should be able to pick up more responsibilities this off-season.

Meanwhile, Blanton is a freshman who had his young moments but also put some good things on tape. Moving forward, they must be fixtures in the rotation to fix these issues quickly.

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