What South Carolina coordinators said about Texas A&M

South Carolina coordinators Dowell Loggains, Clayton White, and Pete Lembo previewed Texas A&M on Wednesday.

Dowell Loggains

– Says last week against Mizzou wasn’t a move the ball issue but rather a finishing issue. Doesn’t believe that’s been an issue this season but they need to do a better job of that this weekend

– Didn’t play very well on third-down, which played a role into why they settled for as many field goals as they did to give the offense confidence by getting points

– On the OL: Wishes it was as simple as just plug Player X into whatever spot on the OL where they need improvement but it doesn’t work that way. Doesn’t want to make excuses but the reality is there’s been numerous injuries to their OL throughout the year, which has led them not only changing the starting five up front but as he put it there’s probably a few guys who are playing out of position but they’re the best option at a certain position for the team. Has been proud of how selfless players have been moving around spots. Added that also has to do with having a pair of true freshmen starting

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– Need to get O’Mega Blake up to speed to a point where he’s consistently confident but likes how he continues to come along with the way he works

– Echos what Shane Beamer said last week at Carolina Calls that true freshmen OL Jatavius Shivers has had two great weeks of practice. Adds is he ready to start? “No” but that he’s coming along and there could be a point where they need him to play down the stretch. Worth noting that Shivers has appeared in just one game so far this season and can play in three more regular season games without burning a year of eligibility

– Didn’t address him by name other than his “freshman quarterback,” but shared that complacency is something he’s constantly talking about with LaNorris Sellers during a time period where the QB is on track to likely redshirt. Continues to challenge him and other freshmen with the mindset that they need to be ready for their numbers to be called

Clayton White

– Can’t just put a LB out there and play a 4-3 because of the offenses you face in today’s game.

– The thought process with putting Jalon Kilgore at nickel is to give them that size they’re looking for to help stop the run while also having speed for coverage

– Defense needs to continue to stay in the fight and not point fingers. Need to finish and execute plays better but says that starts with them as coaches by putting them in the best position to succeed. Is excited to see it happen because he feels like they’re close but they need to keep working on it

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– They showed grit and pride for the university and each other with how the players came together at halftime. Didn’t hear what the players said, but it was relayed back to him and some of the coaches, and it showed with the way they responded in the second half

– A lot of the adjustments at halftime were just reviewing what to do when Mizzou would get into a certain look or if they would motion

Pete Lembo

– Felt like they did some good things special teams wise against Mizzou, especially with adjusting to the wind

– Was pleased with Kai Kroeger in the way he rugby style punted the ball as they adjusted to the wind

– KOR unit is still losing some 1-on-1 battles; still looking for the right guys on that unit. Takes great pride on that unit and will continue to address those issues

– Calls both TX A&M’s punt returner and kickoff returner “explosive.”

– A&M takes pride with special teams. They play a lot of their best players and starters on special teams

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– There’s a track record of this program bringing in players from smaller schools and having success at USC. As someone who coached on the DIII, FCS, and G5 levels, he can sense their appreciation to the extra resources they have at South Carolina. Specifically mentions Nate Adkins last year and Mario Anderson this year.

– There’s several players that they’re trying to max out the number of snaps they see knowing there’s gonna be a few guys who will stay under four games played to maintain their redshirt

– He looks for players who continue to get better as the year goes on. Mentions how Mario Anderson has improved his pass protection because a lot of the things he was doing on special teams translates over to RB, including pass pro

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