Derek Jones Says South Carolina's Offense Is a Year Better Than the One He Faced

Tennessee cornerbacks coach Derek Jones has seen South Carolina's offense up close before, and he told reporters on Tuesday that he expects a sharper version of it when the Vols travel to Columbia on Saturday. Jones, speaking in Knoxville days after Tennessee's rivalry win over Alabama, faced the Gamecocks last season while he was coaching at Virginia Tech, in the first game of that season.

His scouting report starts up front. Jones said South Carolina's offensive line is much improved, the receiving corps is better stocked than the one he prepared for a year ago, and the Gamecocks' athletic quarterback, now a year older, is making reads and causing problems with his skill set. It adds up, in his view, to an offense that looks a good deal different from the one he saw last fall.

His own corners arrive in good form. Tennessee's secondary did not miss a tackle or give up an explosive play against Alabama, and Jones likes the way his group blends with a strong pass rush under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. The plan at corner leans on size and situation: Ty Redmond's bigger frame fits the boundary, while Kayin Lee works the field side, and both have played well enough that the staff can keep them in place rather than having one travel with a single receiver.

That continuity will be tested on the road. South Carolina will try to stress the edges in the run game and take its shots against a secondary that has so far refused to give up the big play, and Jones spent the week emphasizing tackling fundamentals and how his corners take on blocks on the perimeter for exactly that reason.