Key losses leave UK vulnerable; Adaptable Tech frustrates Tigers

Transition Game

Key losses leave UK vulnerable

COLUMBIA — Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is of the opinion that his Wildcats won't have a dropoff this season. Um, how?

Seems a bit naïve, given the losses UK will endure this fall. Brooks worked his tail off to make Kentucky a winner. But a lot of that had to do with the emergence and success of quarterback Andre Woodson.

He's gone. And so are a lot of the cogs around him that made the Wildcats go, particularly on offense.

Such as receivers Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson and tight end Jacob Tamme. And all-purpose wonderback Rafael Little. And, defensively, UK lost its leading tackler, linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Considering those six names alone, you've got to wonder how Kentucky can hang in against a much more experienced, talented South Carolina team. Answer: the Wildcats will not.

Kentucky offense vs. South Carolina defense

The Wildcats aren't certain who'll take over for Woodson, junior Curtis Pulley or sophomore Mike Hartline. In either case, the Gamecocks present the biggest defensive challenge to date for the unproven QBs.

UK will likely lean on its running game, given its depth at back. Even though the Cats lost Little, they've still got Derrick Locke and Tony Dixon running the ball.

Despite little being expected of him, Locke ran for 521 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman. Locke's not very big — 5-10, 180 pounds — but he's hard to bring down.

Sure-handed receiver Dicky Lyons Jr. is back, as well, providing at least one target for the quarterbacks.

Still, there'll be a lot of newbies on the field, including at least two on the line, and that could make for headaches against a USC defense that corralled UK a year ago.

South Carolina offense vs. Kentucky defense

The attrition won't hit the UK defense like it did the offense, but one loss in particular is stunting.

Woodyard is the Jasper Brinkley or Eric Norwood to Kentucky's program. His loss will be felt beyond his 100-plus tackles. Runs deeper.

But there's plenty of talent left on this side of the ball for the Wildcats. Trevard Lindley is one of the best corners in the league, no doubt about it. He'll make Kenny McKinley earn most every yard he gets.

Jeremy Jarmon had a breakout sophomore season at end. He'll be a handful for USC's tackles.

Perhaps this is a game when the Gamecocks can take direct advantage of the Woodyard loss, camping out their tight ends in the middle of the field. Jared Cook and Weslye Saunders are reliable weapons and can make defenses susceptible to the deep ball.

Heck, Cook and Saunders are capable themselves of hauling in that deep ball. Saunders will probably want to live down his goal-line fumble early in last year's Kentucky game.

The crystal ball

The Gamecocks had little trouble with Kentucky when Woodson was around. Surely, that means good things now that he's gone.

Even on the road, this should be a breeze for USC. That just doesn't happen too, too often in the SEC.

The Wildcats might soon bounce back, but this is a rebuilding year in Lexington.

Look for a big day for those tight ends. Stephen Garcia will play meaningful minutes for the first time in his up-and-down USC career.

Prediction

South Carolina 31, Kentucky 17

Previous predictions

USC 18, N.C. State 10

USC 23, Vanderbilt 9

Georgia 27, USC 17

USC 37, Wofford 14

USC 41, UAB 10

USC 31, Ole Miss 27

Wednesday

LSU at South Carolina

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the new South

Carolina blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks.

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Adaptable Tech frustrates Tigers

CLEMSON — Now's when it really gets serious for Clemson.

The Tigers are halfway through the season and have passed every test. They proved they could handle the big-game pressure in a season-opening win over Alabama. They went to Wake Forest and prevailed where they were a popular pick to stumble.

In between, they kept from faltering against vastly inferior competition.

The reward is a 6-0 record and a spot in the Top 5 of the polls. This season in college football has been just as tumultuous as last, with upsets abound at and near the top.

The Tigers have climbed to a No. 5 ranking and are squarely in the national title discussion. Even Clemson fans, who have been conditioned to expect their team to gag, are starting to believe.

Clemson returns home to face Georgia Tech, a team that's making a big transition under first-year coach Paul Johnson. The Yellow Jackets enter the game 4-2, a somewhat deceiving record given the victories were over Mississippi State, Jacksonville State, Gardner-Webb and Duke.

Georgia Tech offense vs. Clemson defense

Clemson defensive coordinator Vic Koenning won't be getting much sleep at this point in the season. A game after confronting Wake Forest and its unconventional schemes, Koenning faces Johnson and his triple-option look.

Johnson is running his stuff this year, and he's doing it pretty well. Not many observers expected the transition in Atlanta to go smoothly because of how much the Yellow Jackets lost from last year's team.

Tailback Tashard Choice is gone, as is fullback Mike Cox. Quarterback Taylor Bennett transferred because his drop-back style didn't fit in, leaving sophomore Josh Nesbitt as the favorite for the job entering the season.

Sophomore running back Jonathan Dwyer showed some flashes last year and isn't a dramatic downgrade from Choice. Don't be surprised if he flourishes in Johnson's scheme.

The Yellow Jackets could be solid up front, led by All-ACC left tackle Andrew Gardner.

Under Johnson, Navy put up big numbers against most of the BCS teams it faced. Don't expect it to be any different with him recruiting bigger, faster players in Atlanta.

And let's face it: It's not like he's trying to do this in, say, the SEC.

Clemson offense vs. Georgia Tech defense

The Tigers don't have to worry about facing Jon Tenuta anymore, but they do have to worry about Georgia Tech's defensive line.

The Yellow Jackets' front four will be turned loose under veteran coordinator Dave Wommack, who replaces Tenuta and his blitz-happy schemes with more conventional looks.

Vance Walker and Darryl Richard form an imposing tandem at tackle, and freakish Michael Johnson is poised for a breakout year at end.

Wommack's system will allow for more one-on-one matchups up front, and the Yellow Jackets should win most of those battles if they stay healthy.

The defense is hurting at linebacker after the loss of Philip Wheeler and Gary Guyton.

In the secondary, Jahi Word-Daniels is the lone returning starter. And given that Word-Daniels is the guy offensive coordinators have picked on the most the past two seasons, that's not necessarily a good thing.

The crystal ball

Clemson still hasn't forgotten last year's nightmare in Atlanta. An undefeated record was ground to dust by a smorgasbord of missed opportunities in a 13-3 defeat.

The Tigers come into this game on a high after the big win at Wake Forest, and they're heavily favored.

Giddy fans come in expecting a romp, but they don't get one. Georgia Tech's offense is starting to come together while moving the ball consistently. The Yellow Jackets spend most of the day frustrating the Tigers' defense while holding the ball for long periods of time.

Clemson's young offensive line has been serviceable for most of the season but struggles some against the Yellow Jackets' front four. A rare turnover-prone day doesn't help the Tigers' offense.

Georgia Tech is on the right track under Johnson, but they're not talented enough or deep enough to beat Clemson on the road. The Tigers pull away in the fourth quarter to improve to 7-0.

Prediction

Clemson 27, Ga. Tech 21

Previous predictions

Clemson 27, Alabama 20

Clemson 45, The Citadel 17

Clemson 31, N.C. State 13

Clemson 40, S.C. State 6

Clemson 31, Maryland 23

Clemson 24, Wake Forest 19

Wednesday

Clemson at Boston College

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/