Improved perimeter run blocking helping South Carolina run game
After a sluggish start to the season, South Carolina’s run game has been on fire as of late.
The Gamecocks had failed to eclipse the century mark in their first three games. But they have successfully done so in each game since.
Early in the season, Shane Beamer cited the lack of consistent perimeter run blocking as one reason why the ground game was failing to produce. But he said he’s seen growth in the perimeter run blocking.
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As for how the team worked it, it all came down to practice and who gets the first pre-game meal.
“It was one, just continue to like really, really coach it hard,” Beamer said. “Two, just continue to really emphasize it in practice.”
Beamer said that periods were added to South Carolina’s Tuesday and Wednesday practices that focused on perimeter blocking.
The Tuesday period is without the linemen and works on perimeter throws, the Wednesday period is also full 11-on-11 where perimeter plays are “pretty much” the only thing being run. The winner of the drill on Wednesday gets the aforementioned first meal.
“That cranked up the motivation to go be a really good perimeter blocker, meaning you get the first at the hotel on Friday nights,” Beamer joked. “Just trying to find ways to make practice more and more competitive.”
Marcus Satterfield said that perimeter blocking is vital to the run game, and the offense as a whole.
“A very huge part of what we’re doing in the run game in two different ways,” Satterfield said. “They’re blocking on the perimeter blocking safeties which is allowing MarShawn to get out and extend some of those runs. And then they’re blocking on the perimeter when we kick the ball out when we get a numbers advantage and they’re doing it with great technique.”
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The South Carolina offense has run the ball 223 times this season and just under 40 percent of those attempts can be considered perimeter runs. Runs outside of the defensive ends have accounted for 479 of the 1,064 yards (45 percent). Those are the most frequent rush attempts this season.
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“Perimeter blocking is a big thing. Because with the backs that we have, they can bounce it out – it’s not always going to go inside,” Josh Vann said. “It’s a big part of this offense. It can be a run, it can be a pass on the perimeter which is another thing to the run.”
Vann said the wide receivers are always striving to improve their perimeter blocking skills and work hard.
“We pride ourselves in the receiver room as when the ball comes our way, go make the play,” Vann said. “Or when it comes our way – not literally – when the ball is coming out behind us we gotta still make the play for the running back or whoever has the ball behind us.”
Both the coaches and players said they’ve noticed the improved blocking and are hoping that it continues into the final stretch of the season.
“I don’t wanna jinx them. But they’re doing it with great technique and great effort and they’ve got great angles,” Satterfield said. “If they continue to do that at a certain rate I think we’ll have better success moving forward. But really proud of where they are.”
