Everything Spencer Rattler said after Tennessee

Spencer Rattler and Mario Anderson spoke to the media following South Carolina’s 41-20 loss to Tennessee.

Q: Were they doing something up front that was making it hard to set protection?
Rattler: Credit to them, they did a great job. They took away you know some of our best weapons. Limiting Legette was a key focus of theirs. We just had to find other guys. They were in good coverage a lot of the time. The D-line is really talented, twitchy guys.

Q: What happened on that pick six there in the first half?
Rattler: I had a guy on my face and threw it high. It was the right read, a little too high.

Q: Where do you see this running game right now and what comes next with two weeks before the next game?
Anderson: We’ve got to be able to execute a little more, especially on my end. The line is blocking their tails off, give credit to them. We’ve just got to execute better.

Q: What can you do to have more success in some of the short-yardage situations?
Anderson: Like I said before we’ve just got to execute. Physicality is the name of the game. 

Q: You were able to get Trey Knox involved a little more tonight. What worked with your connection?
Rattler: Sometimes he was the only guy open. Late in the game I started using him more. He’s banged up as well so credit to him for fighting through that the whole night. He’s tough dude.

Q: You took more hits tonight and had to run a lot. Was that something you adjusted on the fly?
Rattler: You know you try to avoid that if you can, but like I said they did a good job up front and great job in coverage. A lot of the time those sacks were just coverage sacks. There was nothing there. I was trying to extend plays. Those are good players up front and they made good plays.

[Win a custom wooden Gamecock flag]

Q: What are your thoughts about the environment? The students were chanting at you.
Rattler: Great environment. I must be doing something right they keep saying that the whole night. 

Q: What do you guys have planned for the bye?
Anderson: Definitely getting healthy. Go back to the drawing board, see what we can do better pass blocking-wise, picking up the run, being more physical. We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board and get ready for the next game.

Q: What can you take away from this one and where do you hope to be by tomorrow after watching some film?
Rattler: There’s a few short fourth downs that I thought we could have converted. That hurt us. Obviously the pick hurt us. We just didn’t find a rhythm all night and I think that was it. We came out, did some good things. We just couldn’t find a rhythm. We’ve got to clean up. We’re 2-3 right now, but it doesn’t feel like 2-3. Offensively we’ve been playing really well. That was our first test where they kind of matched how we’ve been playing the credit to them, they did a great job. It was like their Super Bowl tonight and they did a great job.

Q: Why weren’t you able to throw downfield tonight?
Rattler: I mean we just had a lot of receivers last year. We’ve got guys banged up. We’re going to get better. These guys are coming along, but we’ve got to get guys going. 

Q: Was Tennessee doing something to take away Legette?
Rattler: They took him away all game. He’s our best receiver and they took him away. I’ve got to be better at finding other guys and have guys step up.

Q: As leaders what are you telling guys?
Anderson: We need everybody. We need everybody to step up to the plate. We have to execute, go back to the drawing board, and just lift our guys up.

Q: Starting two true freshmen tonight, what have you seen from Tree Babalade and Travon Baugh?
Rattler: I think those are the two right guys for the spot. They are two physical guys who can make plays. Obviously they’ve got a lot to clean up, just like all of us, but I believe in those boys and I know Mario does and they work their tail off every day.

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