Newton and receivers that were proving to be playmakers, was performing about as well, if not better, than any offense Holtz has put together.

Funny how things change. The Rebels, a team that had struggled mightily against the run and was still trying to find its way offensively, shut down the Gamecock tailbacks and had its best offensive performance of the season. The result was a heartbreaking 31-28 loss for the Gamecocks.
As the second half of the season begins, some critical questions and strategy come to the forefront. Is the Gamecock defense as good as most thought or was it exposed by Ole Miss? Will the offensive line play to its potential consistently? Can Holtz devise an offensive game plan that takes advantage of the wealth of talent at tailback? Will Holtz stick with Newton or will it be a combination of Newton and Pinkins or will it be a combination of Newton and Mitchell?

Is the Gamecock defense as good as most thought or was it exposed by Ole Miss? Most likely, we won’t know the answer until Tennessee comes to town. Ole Miss head coach, who has proven his offensive expertise at both Ole Miss and Tennessee, did a great job of scheming the Gamecock defense in the first half. Rich Minter did a good job of making halftime adjustments and won every second-half series except the last one. On the game-winning drive, Cutcliffe used every play that had worked earlier in the game and won the game on a “out and up” route that had been wide open earlier, but Rebel QB Flatt overthrew the receiver who had beaten Taqiy Muhammad badly. Being the smart coach he is and knowing Muhammad wouldn’t bite again, Cutcliffe went after Fred Bennett and the rest is history. This Saturday, the defense gets a chance to regain its confidence, when the Gamecocks travel to Kentucky. The Wildcats have been woeful on offense and aren’t running or passing the ball the ball with any consistency. This past Saturday, the Alabama defense held the Cat offense to just 177 yards. After a week off, the Gamecock defense will face at least three teams (Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida) that are above average offensively and one team (Clemson) that has struggled offensively, but has the potential to be above average. After the Tennessee and Arkansas games, fans should know how good or bad the defense is.

Will the offensive line play to its potential consistently? The OL was considered to be the strength of the offense heading into the season. Tackles Jabari Levey and Na’Shan Goodard are definite pro prospects. Center John Stricland and guard Jonathan Alston are very experienced seniors and good players in their own right. Guard Chris White has a world of potential at both guard and center. They struggled against Georgia, Troy and Ole Miss. Their worst performance came against Ole Miss, wherein they were manhandled by the Rebel front seven. Despite having a mobile QB behind them, they still gave up five sacks. Late in the game on a third-and-three play they got stuffed and Carolina failed to pick up the first down, which would have allowed the offense to run out the clock.. Some could question why Newton was under center and not in the shotgun on that play. Since the Rebel defense was dominating the line, it appears putting Newton in the shotgun would have kept the Rebel defense more off balance. I think I would have opted to let Newton run, roll or throw a short pass from the shotgun as opposed to running a tailback. The next four games are going to be against physical teams and the offensive line will be the key to offensive production.

Can Holtz devise an offensive game plan that takes advantage of the wealth of talent at tailback? If he doesn’t, the defensive coordinators of the final four teams are going to scheme Newton and Pinkins and reduce their effectiveness. Newton was worn out after running 19 times and throwing...(continued on next page)