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Looking at Marcus Lattimore’s first game vs. AU

ESPN/SEC

Hey everyone.

With this being SEC championship week, I thought it would be useful to see how South Carolina utilized freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore against Auburn in September. Why would I want to do this?

Lattimore said something earlier this week that piqued my interest: “The d-line, they stopped our favorite run play and the linebackers had a good plan coming in.”

Lattimore earned 15 touches against Auburn, which included 12 runs and three receptions. He also was the intended target on two errant passes.

FIRST HALF

1st-and-10, draw off LG **-1** … Fairley and Bynes clobber him.
2nd-and-11, read dive off RG **-2** … Fairley again.
3rd-and-8, delay draw RG cuts left **11** … J. Curry misses a tackle.
1st-and-10, draw off LG **-2** … slipped and Fairley was right there.
1st-and-10, screen L **4** … Bates misses tackle; Fairley clobbers Garcia.
2nd-and-6, read sweep LT **11** … Blanc gets blocked out of the hole.
1st-and-10, delayed screen R, cuts inside **18** … Bates juked out of his jock.
1st-and-10, delay draw up, LG **1** … Blanc has it.
1st-and-10, read dive off LG **6** … Bates gets him, knocks him off balance.
1st-and-G, draw off RG **1** … touchdown.
1st-and-10, dive off LG out of I formation **9** … end of half.

SECOND HALF

1st-and-10, sweep off RE **3** … Clayton blows it up.
1st-and-G, read dive off LG **3** … Blanc has it.
1st-and-10, read dive off RG **2**
2nd-and-8, screen R **1**

So that’s 14 carries for 33 yards, 1 TD.
That’s three catches for 28 yards.

WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS LITTLE ENTERPRISE?

South Carolina likes to run between the tackles.

South Carolina likes to give Lattimore the ball on first down.

Auburn’s strength is run defense between the tackles.

In defense of Lattimore’s weak second-half numbers, he was the decoy for a few long keeper runs for Garcia during the second half. The threat of Lattimore created the opportunities.

Garcia was knocked out of the game/benched in favor of Connor Shaw during the second half. Lattimore was used almost exclusively as a blocker and outlet receiver after that.

Auburn’s defensive line was much better than USC’s front.

Nick Fairley didn’t play as well during the second half. He looked tired.

Lattimore had a brutal (but totally legal) crack-back block on Bynes late in the game. I didn’t remember that, but I’ll bet Bynes does.

Auburn’s defensive players were unusually chatty with Lattimore. I found this particular moment funny — Freeman, Bynes, Savage and Blanc talking smack concurrently:

ESPN/SEC

On a totally unrelated note, here’s a shot one second before Cam Newton began his long ramble down the right sideline for a touchdown. Can you figure out why he’d choose to run between Mike Berry (66) and Ryan Pugh (50)? He must be a genius!