Why'd we lose? It seems simple enough.

Nov 27, 2011, 9:41 AM

Nothing exotic happened this year, or the last two years before that. We simply got whipped, physically, up front. The Gamecocks seemed stronger, faster, and better-conditioned. Their athletes, especially their big guys, looked leaner, better-conditioned, without the ponderous heavy feet or outsized guts of our guys.

Also, our guys seemed to be breaking down, physically. This time of year we're always plagued by a laundry list of nagging injuries. Our guys collectively limped around and looked like shells of their early-season selves. The Gamecocks did not. We have zero quality depth. If a starter goes down the drop-off between he and his replacement is usually like falling off a cliff. The Gamecocks just plug in the next guy and regardless of recruiting accolades or rating he gets it done.

Our QB's haven't had any time to throw. Our OL can't open lanes. Contrariwise, despite the fact that the Gamecocks were missing their leading rusher and leading OT, they ran the ball pretty well. Certainly they had the better of it on both sides of the LOS.

What's the common thread? Three years ago the Gamecocks completely revamped their strength and conditioning program, bringing in this guy from Harvard:
http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/fitzgerald_craig00.html

The results have been right there on the field in front of us. Joey Batson's guys are getting physically manhandled. How anybody could even remotely argue this anymore is beyond me. Batson's methods simply aren't working anymore.

Modern athletics has changed quite a bit. In particular S&C has changed quite a bit. The emphasis now is on sports-specific development, on FUNCTIONAL football strength, on agility as opposed to bulk and heavy weights. To the new school of guys - and this includes Alabama - it doesn't matter how much a guy benches, lying flat on his back, because you're really not supposed to train your football players to lie flat on their backs while playing. What matters is how well your player moves his feet, how much force he can develop with his leveraged motion, how well he can bend his knees...you get the idea.

The Gamecocks do this well. We do it terribly. For years the knock on Clemson players entering the NFL - and this includes Ricky Sapp, Barry Richardson, and DaQuan Bowers - has been a lack of "functional football strength".

The proof is in the pudding. The proof is right there on the field. We've been dramatically passed in the S&C department and it is killing us, particularly late in the season.

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Why'd we lose? It seems simple enough.

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