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Auburn Football: Scouting the South Carolina Defense and Special Teams

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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Nov 16, 2013; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks kicker Elliott Fry (29) kicks a field goal as South Carolina Gamecocks punter Patrick Fish (18) holds in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams

One spot on the South Carolina roster where there are no issues is placekicker. Sophomore Elliott Fry missed a 54-yarder against Texas A&M, but has made everything since. Fry is 12-for-13 overall on field goals and is a perfect 30-for-30 kicking extra points.

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The Gamecocks have also had decent punting. Tyler Hull is averaging 42.4 yards per punt on 23 attempts. He’s forced eight fair catches and nine have pushed returners inside the 20-yard line. South Carolina has averaged 38.2 net yards per punt, which is middle of the pack both in the SEC and the nation.

Despite having playmakers capable of big returns, the return teams have struggled. The Gamecocks have averaged 20.6 yards per kick return and 6.2 yards per punt, which fall near the bottom of the league.

The biggest issue for the South Carolina special teams units has been kickoff coverage. The Gamecocks have allowed 28.4 yards per kickoff return, which ranks dead last in the Southeastern Conference and is 124 out of 128 FBS programs. Carolina couldn’t put Vanderbilt away until late in the fourth quarter because the Commodores returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the game.

Next: Scouting the South Carolina Gamecocks Offense

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