Kenny Miles has rushed for 602 yards and a TD in 2009
We’ve already seen what Stephen Garcia can do through the air, lets take a look at the Gamecock ground game.
South Carolina’s leading rusher in 2009 is freshman Kenny Miles. Miles, at 5’9″ 183 lbs, isn’t a big back, but he’s shifty. He’s young, and gets caught going east and west sometimes, but he’s been productive for a freshman. He’s carried 111 times for 602 yards (5.4 ypc), and a touchdown.
What he hasn’t shown to date, is the ability to hit the home run. Miles’ longest gain of the year was a 26 yard scamper vs Kentucky.
Last time out, Miles had a career day vs Clemson, rushing 17 times for 114 yards. That marked the third time this season he reached the 100 yard mark, he also rushed for 100 yards even vs Kentucky, and 102 vs Vanderbilt.
Miles got a concussion vs Clemson, but was medically cleared on December 16th, for the upcoming bowl game.
Miles also had an offer from UCF.
5’11″ 224 lb back, Brian Maddox, will also see carries vs UConn. Maddox, a junior, has carried 100 times for 305 yards, and 5 touchdowns.
Maddox was used sparingly for most of the season, but has carried the ball 35 times over the past two games. He carried 17 times for 82 yards vs Florida, and 18 times for 44 yards vs Clemson. The 82 yards vs Florida was his season high. His season high in carries came in week one vs NC State, a 23 carry, 66 yard performance.
Maddox is more of the straight ahead power back, that South Carolina will ask to get the tough yards. He’s a strong kid, relying more on his power than his speed.
Maddox’s career has been a bit a of a disappointment thus far, he was a big time recruit. Now nearly through with his junior campaign, his career totals are just 138 carries for 440 yards, and 6 touchdowns.
He was the # 13 ranked rb in the nation coming out of high school, according to Rivals.com, who rated him 4 stars. He chose the Gamecocks over offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech, amongst others. That’s quite an offer sheet…
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this, along with the stephen garcia article have been great, As a very knowledgeable gc fan, both articles so far have been on the money.
Kenny miles is definitaly our main back. he is quick, goes straight ahead, and gets nice small chunks. He is not an elite back that has that great vision. He will make a wrong cut, occasionally.
Maddox is slightly slower, but much bigger and stronger. He was the back of choice vs Florida because of their def line size. Maddox is a more “complete” back. he has great hands and blocks well..You will see him in goal line situations.
Patrick Demarco, our Fb was left out of the article. he is a team captain and can block like a truck and catch rather well.
If carolinas offensive line can build on what they accomplished in the last two games then carolina can do some damage on the ground, thus opening the pass.
I would add that both Miles and Maddox catch the ball fairly well, with 17 receptions each. Dimarco has pitched in 14 catches. Maddox is the back of choice in the red zone.
swamp, thanks for backing me up. glad to see that i know my stuff.
“(Kenny Miles) gets caught going east and west sometimes”….ummmm no, no he doesn’t…..don’t know where that came from
do you uconn people ever comment? heck, at least thank the man for his research. this, as i am finding out, is one of the major differences in northern and southern fanbases. Your lack of input is astounding and just supports the theory that southern football fans are far more passionate about thier teams.
Mike, you are more than welcome to post this on cockytalk.com. i gaurantee that there would be peeps who may or may not agree, but will for sure comment.
I think you got Miles and Giles a little mixed up. Giles is the one that tends to run east and west, which is why he hasn’t seen all that many carries this season. Miles tries to get it between the tackles and will sometimes go to the outside, but not too often. Other than that, it was another spot-on article. You’ve done a good job with the two articles so far. Looking forward to seeing how you scout the rest of the team.
Cas -
Normally UConn fans would be active in discussing this game, unfortunately 95% are currently in meltdown mode over another potential Big East raid (that probably won’t happen for a few years if it ever does).
What kinda of run/pass ratio do you guys usually see? I have a feeling they’ll look to pick on our freshman corners and strong safety mainly. Though our best LB against the run (Greg Lloyd Jr.) is out as well. Are you guys a big play action team?
I got my scouting report from a couple of South Carolina fans, and found as many clips as I could. SC fans, this is also a brand new site, we’ve only been up for about a month and a half…so not all the UConn peeps have made their way over yet. Thanks for the kind words, though. Good luck in BHam.
Good article and good job. The Miles/Giles east/west issue has already been addressed. One thing that I would like to add about K.Miles is how close he leans into his blockers. He gets so close to them that he almost hides past the LOS, and then bam, he explodes.
Looking forward to the game with UCONN. You guys have a great team and it should be a close game.
Thanks for the kind words GCock47…we are looking forward to seeing how we stack up vs SC and the SEC. We’ve been playing in close games all year, I’m expecting another one..
uchuskie-
we have seen almost every team run too set up the pass. i would gaurantee that uconn will attempt to do the same. i do believe that you will have some success running between the tackles. i watched all of the nd uconn game and am impressed with your line play. the uconn oline is stout and usc does respect that. south carolina is shorthanded on dtackles but the healthy ones are very good and in supreme shape.
A few reasons there may not be a lot of chatter from UConn fans….
1) significantly smaller fanbase. It should come as no surprise (we have a 40,000 seat stadium)
2) basketball still gets more attention from uconn fans
3) the game isn’t for a couple weeks
4) the aforementioned chatter about possible big east raid/expansion
5) usc sucks.
(just kidding on that last one guys)
great job once again Mike
uchuskie
every team runs against us in order to set up the pass. with your huge line and quick, talented backs, i expect the same. i believe it will work to a degree if you go consistently between the tackles. running wide will be a challenge. i believe the only lines that we have faced that are comparable to uconns offensive line is bama, fla, ga, tennessee, ole miss, and clemstank.
i really believe, and you guys will see in 2 weeks, that south carolina has a crazy fast defense. Just as a measuring stick, Notre Dame looks like they are running in mud as compared to the quickness of the gc defense. the defensive ends will be challenged but i believe quckness, along with an extra guy blizing will compensate.
Now, South Carolina, if going by the last two games played vs florida and Clemsux, will run first to then pass. The Offensive line is just now jelling together and it has changed the offensive dynamic altogether. Niether back is a homerun hitter. Miles is quick though, so it wouldnt surprise me if he knocked of a 20 yarder at some point.
Carlolina is looking forward to seeing what they can do in the passing game as much as you are in your running game. it isnt just that 3 of the guys are 6’3 or more, it is more about the mismatches that spurrier will create. his plays are designed to get you going in one direction, and with a qb pump or shoulder turn, someone is will be open. our tight end is also huge at 6’5 280. just as it will be a challenge to stop your between the tackles rushing game, it will be even more of a challenge to slow down carolinas passing game.
I agree Cas…this game very well could come down to SC stopping the UConn rushing attack, vs UConn stopping the SC passing attack…probably the two biggest keys right there…But, Zach Frazer has played better, and we look to have an NFL receiver in senior Marcus Easley…and watch out for tight end Ryan Griffin…6’6″,245 lbs, 23 catches for 272 yards in this, his freshman year. The game will not be over if you stuff the run…we will come out throwing if need be.
yeah mike, i am thoroughly looking forward to this game. if sc can run like we did in our last game it might be a long day for uconn. if we somehow get stuffed and have to pass, its gonna be a long day for the cocks heartbreaking day for the cocks. If either team cannot run the ball it will be over for them. that is usc or uconn..the runner wins.
btw, i did see the comment on the scout site about ME trashing uconn. let me set it straight. i like uconn, and am excited about playing them. any team that hates the acc and clemson is ok with me. my point was that there just didnt seem to be any interest in a game that is in 2 weeks, played in the heart of the south. i would think it to be the hottest topic in Storrs. ehh..
I didn’t make that comment, NHUConnfan did…and I actually sort of backed you up..there are a lot of fans worrying about things they can’t control, like big 10 expansion, and not spending a whole lot if time on this game…I think the focus will shift as it gets closer though…
mike, i wasnt calling you out, but was sort of making a general statement. i saw your comment to that post. coolio..
i hope it picks up by the bowl game. i would love to banter back and forth with fans who know football.
No doubt Cas. Like I said earlier as well, this site is pretty new, we are trying to get some good discussions over here now…We are looking into adding a forum, we’ll see.
Cas, tell me about Norwood, if you would.
As a fellow Husky fan I concur with Mike G. I’ve been a huge hoops fan since the 80′s but this football thing is new to a lot of us.
I have been to 90% of the home games over the past 5 years but my football knowledge is crap compared to you guys.
Thanks for the insight from both sides. The Connecticut fans will get there eventually.
GAMECOCKS 31
UCONN 10
mike…norwood is a high energy player who just seems to know where the ball is. he started his first 2 yrs at defensive end but because of a combination of factors usc was able to move him to the lb spot. he amazingly still get pressure on the qb.
he is the ACTIVE sec sack leader and 5th or 6th all time sec leader..Norwood is one guy that you need to keep an eye on all the time. he is also a first team ap all american this year. i am sure you know how hard it is to garner that award.
after last yrs frustrating loss to iowa in the outback bowl he immediately said he was going for the nfl. obviously, he had second thoughts and has probably jumped up from the 5th to 2nd round by staying. Norwood proves that you dont have to be a 4 star player out of high school in order to garner success..he epitomizes heart and that you just cant coach. No team can have enough eric norwoods. he is one player that for sure would start for ANY team in the land.
Thrilling breakdown there “Guest”…thanks for insightful breakdown.
Thanks for thrilling breakdown “guest”.
We Connecticut fans know all about the star system brother. Our recruits are rarely ranked worth a lick, and yet somehow we find ourselves competing on a high level. I wonder how this can be? Rivals.com and Scout.com know everything. Sarcasm off.
I’ve heard some great stuff about Norwood, thanks for sharing Cas.
Are you familiar with our Lawrence Wilson? Wilson leads the Big East in tackles, and is fourth nationally with 136. He’s returning home for this one, he’s from Paul Bryant high school in Tuscaloosa.
mike- never heard of him, but that means nothing. personally, i am glad lloyd is out. now, that is a dude that can ball. Everybody across the nation, wether you knew greg lloyds son was on uconn or not, said HOLY SPIT when he went up and cracked that golden domer..that got me excited.
Btw, Edsall obviously is a good evaluater of talent. its all about trusting your coaches. we have peeps that solely look at the stars and make evaluations on how good a class we will have. Granted, yes the more 4 and 5 stars you have probably gives you an indicator of the level of talent you have, but imo if the coaches want ya then its all good for me. of course we have over 40 4 star players on the roster, the sec is just brutal.
Gamecocks win big!!!
He’s good Cas…real good.
Yes, Lloyd’s loss hurts…our run defense has been spotty at times, but he was our best run stuffing LB. You’ll probably see a good deal of 4-2-5 on the 2nd.
we run a 4-2-5 also, per se. the only difference is that we have a “spur” position that lines up near the lbs that actually makes the alignment look like a 4-3. that individual is almost the size of a lb but has the speed of a ss. the person at that position plays the run primarily but also has the speed and quickness to cover a receiver slanting across the middle or doing an out pattern.
Sounds familiar there Cas…our SS/OLB tweener is called the “Husky”…unfortunetly with Lloyd out, we’ll actually have to run some traditional 4-2-5…and after the death of Howard, our secondary hasn’t been the same. You will see three freshmen in the seconday.
it lights up all our eyes to know that you guys are that short handed in the secondary. what is terrible is how you guys were to be put in that position. everyone in the nation now knows jasper howard from the media. that was no doubt rough because i know how we would respond if some morons murdered one of our own.
I am hopeful that the extra practice will get the secondary playing better, more cohesive…We’ll see.
practices cant hurt. that is why i love making a bowl. 14 free practices. of course, that is also another chance to get an injury. one of our back up rbs just tore his acl. that is 7 solid months of recovery. my nightmare as far as football is concoerned is to have eric norwood tear an acl right before the combine.
on another note, the return part of your special teams has us worried. we have a fine punter and kicker, a betther than average return game, but covering kicks is a nightmare. i envision todman cutting let and then right and being bye bye.
I must say, we are very strong on returns…we have 3 KR TD’s from 3 different return men…
We also have a PR touchdown…
Special teams, either good or bad, usually plays a roll in our games.
We’ve also had coverage problems, we’ve allowed two KR TD’s ourselves. Do you have any KR td’s or kr td’s allowed?
yeah, i read that on the newspapers web site. we better do something totally different or we will get hurt in that area.
HAHAHAH, Cas we are up to our eyes in it, in CT also…and the wife wants to go shopping, and the basketball team plays at 1…thank all that is holy for dvr.
we had 13 inches..that is like 3 feet to you, i am sure. btw, be sure to search youtube for the papa johns peview that a usc fan put together. it has BOTH teams highlights. its built up like a pay per view wrestling war..lol
Cas, I’m looking but can’t find it, can you post a link? Or tell me the tag words? Thanks for the heads up.
give me a few
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvH08PtdGU0 here is one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvH08PtdGU0 here is one…
UCONN Has NO chance in this one folks!!
cmon guest, dont be like that. lets line up and see what happens. i think uconn fans know they are underdogs, but can still win. heck, college football is a crazy game. strange things happen sometimes.
grant, we havent had a kick return td in 7 yrs. that is no joke, our last one was in 02′ vs uva. we have allowed 2 this yr against us. one vs uga and one that cj spiller brought back a coupla weeks ago. i give the cocks a bit of a pass on the spiller one as it was a do over because of an offsides. they were gassed a bit. btw, who goes offsides on kicks..answer, WE DO.
Wishing best to both teams in their travels, although I do hope the Gamecocks win this one…since I am a Gamecock fan.
The funny thing is that I know someone in your Atheltic department…Daniel Morbitzer. His father used to be my youth minister years ago. Just saw him today, as a matter of fact, visiting with his father.
spot on, esp the part about maddox not living up to his hype…..but some of that is spurriers fault for being in love with mike davis all last year, he never let maddox get any carries, davis shouldve been a FB anyways imo
hopefully SOS will continue to be willing to run the ball like our last game, b/c i think we have only lost 1 game this year when we have been able to get 100 yards on the ground but only won 1 game when we have failed to do so, but spurrier loves to ‘pitch it around’….sometimes too much(just look at the second half @ Arkansas)
actually i would say one part is wrong, i havent really noticed Miles getting caught going east and west much, he usually goes north south
you might have had him confused with Giles, hes a true fresh that has been caught looking like a true fresh lol
aslo watch out for Gilmore in the Wild Cock…..Spurrier loves him, and for good reason he is a natural with the ball in his hands, too bad we had to have him back at corner b/c of the lack of depth b/c he can run it and will throw it too(he was a qb last year in HS)
Actually, USC has given up 3 KR TD’s. One to Boykin of UGA, one to Norman of Vandy and one to Spiller of CU.
U-Conn has no chance?? That is ignorant talk. U-Conn has lost 5 games by a total of 15 points, and played undefeated Cincinnati within 2 points on the road, and lost at Pitt by only 3… and should have beaten Rutgers and West Virginia.. These guys play with alot of heart&character..
I expect a tough game, but Carolina’s depth and speed will be the difference..
Great read…one thing I will say is that you have left out Stephen Gilmore and the WildCock formation we ran during the Clemson game. We’d heard that we would see it all year at some point but it wasn’t pulled out until the last game.
Gilmore was a QB in high school so he has a pretty good arm, very heady and very fast. Spurrier has recently mentioned that he has many variations he plans on using. The one caveat is Garcia is # 5 and Gilmore is # 5 so unless the number gets changed you won’t see them on the field at the same time.
You didn’t go into Jarvis Giles much. He had 277 yards after riding the pine for most of the year after Kentucky. A 4 star Rivals 250 guy and the overall #3 All Purpose back for 2009. He is young. Kenny Miles had RS’ed and Maddox a junior. He is the future…our issue was our OL didn’t help him out, he was used a lot between the DT’s and his strength is definitely running off tackle.
Looking forward to a great game.
Mike Grant….it seems most of your fans are more interested in expansion than our game…ashame.
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