Travian Robertson's key to improving South Carolina run defense up front
Travian Robertson has a track record of coming into a program and the run defense getting better. South Carolina is certainly hoping that’s the case.
The Gamecocks have struggled to stop the run over the last two seasons, especially in 2022. And they are hoping bringing in Robertson can help shore up the first line of defense at the defensive tackle position.
“If you want to stop the run, you have to keep guys behind the sticks. Obviously, there’s technique to it. Everywhere I’ve been that was an issue. Georgia State had an issue with stopping the run,” Robertson said. “Tulane had an issue. To me, it’s getting guys to shed blocks violently and be in a position to make a play. A lot of people who don’t stop the run can be just an arm tackle the running back ran through and gained 10 yards.”
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The year before Robertson arrived at Georgia State the Panthers allowed a sack-adjusted yards per carry of 6.9 yards per rush with a stuff rate of just 14 percent.
Those numbers improved consistently over three years. In 2021 Georgia State allowed just 4.3 sack-adjusted yards per carry with a 16 percent stuff rate.
Tulane allowed 4.71 yards per attempt on the ground (sack-adjusted) in 2022. Last season, Robertson’s only year with the Green Wave, the defense averaged 4.4 yards per carry (sack-adjusted).
Last season South Carolina ranked second-worst in the SEC allowing 4.9 yards per carry (not sack adjusted) with a stuff rate of just 11 percent.
It’s not all on Robertson; rush defense incorporates the edge, linebackers and the secondary too. But he’s determined to cut down on arm tackles and have the defensive tackles play their parts.
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“If you teach guys to properly shed blocks and put their body on players, that’s a three-yard tackle for loss,” Robertson said. “I try to teach guys ways to play our fundamentals and knock guys back but violently shed blocks so wherever you make contact with the running back he needs to go down. There need to be no yards after contact. That’s how you stop the run: eliminate the yards after contact.”
It can seem like a simple answer that can be complicated to fix at times during the process. Last season, South Carolina missed 97 total tackles per PFF but only 11 from interior defensive linemen. Of those, Zacch Pickens had six, Tonka Hemingway had three and Boogie Huntley and MJ Webb had one apiece.
The goal now, though, is for that group of Gamecocks tackles to start shedding blocks better and really limit running room for some of the best running backs in the SEC.
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“Running backs have drills they do where they break arm tackles,” Robertson said. “We have to make sure we don’t arm tackle. They work every day. To me, it’s not hard. It can be a pain in the butt if you don’t stop it but it’s a simple fix.”
South Carolina is scheduled to play three teams that ranked in the top half of the SEC in yards per rush last season: Georgia (5.5), Florida (5.5) and Tennessee (5.0). Three of the Gamecocks’ opponents ranked in the bottom five: Kentucky (3.3), Mississippi State (3.6), Missouri (4.1) and Vanderbilt (4.3).
South Carolina’s rush offense also struggled last year, ranked No. 13 in the SEC at 3.8 yards per carry.
