Auburn Football: Scouting the South Carolina Offense
Sep 20, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks receiver Pharoh Cooper (11) runs for a first down during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. South Carolina won 48-34. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Receivers
The Gamecocks lost their leading receiver from last season, Bruce Ellington, to the NFL. However, South Carolina retained several players capable of making a big impact in the passing game.
Sophomore Pharoh Cooper has led the team thus far with 33 receptions, 426 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Cooper is actually one of the bigger targets the Gamecocks have in the wide receiver rotation this season.
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Second leading receiver Nick Jones is listed at 5-foot-7 and 174 pounds. Jones has 363 yards and three touchdowns on 27 catches this season, including a team-high 69-yarder. Shaq Roland, the tallest of the group at 6-foot-1, also has three TD catches and is the third leading receiver with 225 yards, though his 13.2 yards per catch average is much lower than the 18.2 he had last season. Similarly, Damiere Byrd, a true speedster, hasn’t been able to match the numbers he put up in 2013. Byrd has just nine catches this season, two of which went for touchdowns, and 142 yards.
Rory Anderson is one of the better tight ends in the SEC, but he will miss Saturday’s game with a torn triceps. Through the first seven games, Anderson caught 18 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Jerrell Adams, also a talented receiver at the tight end position, will take over as the starter. Adams has only six catches in seven games, but has averaged 24.2 yards per reception.