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Monitoring Explosive Plays: Gamecocks post big plays, still fall to Tennessee
By Ethan Levine
Published:
For the purposes of this story, SDS defines an explosive play as a run of at least 20 yards or a pass of at least 30 yards.
EXPLOSIVE PLAY MARGIN
South Carolina dropped its fourth straight SEC game when it fell at home to Tennessee on Saturday night, but the loss to the Vols certainly can’t be pinned on the offense.
The Gamecocks ran off seven explosive plays in Saturday’s loss and allowed just three to Tennessee’s offense, improving the Gamecocks’ explosive plays margin to minus-three on the season. South Carolina is the only team in the bottom 5 of the SEC in explosive play margin with more than 18 explosive plays this season, but it has also allowed the most explosive plays on defense with 29. As a result, South Carolina is one of three teams in the conference with a negative margin to this point in the season.
Alabama has the best margin, having executed the second-most explosive plays on offense and having allowed the fewest explosive plays on defense so far this season. Tennessee has the worst margin at minus-14, nine worse than the next closest team. The Vols have benefitted from the fewest explosive plays on offense of any team in the conference, and they’ve allowed the second-most on defense, behind only South Carolina.
| Team | Margin | Explosive Plays | Explosive Plays Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | +25 | 35 | 10 |
| T2. Georgia | +13 | 29 | 16 |
| T2. LSU | +13 | 37 | 24 |
| T2. Mississippi State | +13 | 35 | 22 |
| 5. Kentucky | +8 | 31 | 23 |
| T6. Auburn | +7 | 29 | 22 |
| T6. Ole Miss | +7 | 26 | 19 |
| T6. Texas A&M | +7 | 28 | 21 |
| 9. Arkansas | +3 | 28 | 25 |
| T10. Florida | +2 | 18 | 16 |
| T10. Missouri | +2 | 16 | 14 |
| 12. South Carolina | -3 | 26 | 29 |
| 13. Vanderbilt | -5 | 16 | 21 |
| 14. Tennessee | -14 | 14 | 28 |
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: OFFENSE
LSU and Alabama were both on byes last week, yet they maintain the two highest explosive play totals in the SEC this season. Mississippi State tied Alabama for second on the list at 35 explosive plays on the season after posting three in a win over Arkansas last weekend, all of which came through the air. Ironically, most of Mississippi State’s explosive plays have come on the ground, as the Bulldogs are tied for the most explosive rushes in the SEC at 20 with LSU, Georgia and Arkansas.
Alabama has the second-most explosive rushes with 17, and has the most explosive completions with 18 in nine games. Texas A&M also has 18 explosive completions on the season, but it has just the seventh-most explosive plays overall thanks to only 10 long runs this season.
Auburn made one of the greatest leaps in its explosive play total, running off four explosive plays in a win over Ole Miss. Three of those four plays came on passes by quarterback Nick Marshall, who had just nine completions of at least 30 yards all season before adding three more to the list over the weekend.
Ole Miss countered with four explosive plays of its own, three of which came on the ground. The Rebels had just seven runs of 20 yards or more before their showdown with Auburn last weekend.
| Team | Explosive Plays | Rushes For 20+ | Passes For 30+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LSU | 37 | 20 | 17 |
| T2. Alabama | 35 | 17 | 18 |
| T2. Mississippi State | 35 | 20 | 15 |
| 4. Kentucky | 31 | 15 | 16 |
| T5. Auburn | 29 | 17 | 12 |
| T5. Georgia | 29 | 20 | 9 |
| T7. Arkansas | 28 | 20 | 8 |
| T7. Texas A&M | 28 | 10 | 18 |
| T9. Ole Miss | 26 | 10 | 16 |
| T9. South Carolina | 26 | 15 | 11 |
| 11. Florida | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| T12. Missouri | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| T12. Vanderbilt | 16 | 5 | 11 |
| 14. Tennessee | 14 | 6 | 8 |
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: DEFENSE
Georgia’s defense had one of the worst performances in the SEC in Week 10, allowing five explosive plays to a struggling Florida offense in an embarrassing loss in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs had only allowed 11 explosive plays in eight games prior to allowing five to the Gators on Saturday. The loss dropped Georgia’s defense from second in the SEC in explosive plays allowed to a tie for third with, you guessed it, the Florida Gators.
Kentucky’s defense was one of the best in the SEC in limiting explosive plays, holding Missouri to just one in last weekend’s showdown in Columbia. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they still fell 20-10 on the road, wasting a brilliant performance by their defense against a struggling Mizzou offense.
Alabama continues to lead the SEC in explosive plays allowed, having allowed the fewest explosive rushes and the fewest explosive completions through 10 weeks this season. Missouri’s defense has allowed just 14 explosive plays, seven of each variety, including just two allowed to Kentucky in Saturday’s win.
| Team | Explosive Plays Allowed | Rushes For 20+ | Passes For 30+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 2. Missouri | 14 | 7 | 7 |
| T3. Florida | 16 | 7 | 9 |
| T3. Georgia | 16 | 8 | 8 |
| 5. Ole Miss | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| T6. Texas A&M | 21 | 9 | 12 |
| T6. Vanderbilt | 21 | 10 | 11 |
| T8. Auburn | 22 | 11 | 11 |
| T8. Mississippi State | 22 | 7 | 15 |
| 10. Kentucky | 23 | 16 | 7 |
| 11. LSU | 24 | 15 | 9 |
| 12. Arkansas | 25 | 10 | 15 |
| 13. Tennessee | 28 | 15 | 13 |
| 14. South Carolina | 29 | 18 | 11 |
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
