ATE 'EM UP Award versus Tennessee

This one has taken a little while to put together. I'd like to say, "I've been busy and haven't had time to put it together", but if I'm honest, it's a hard one to try to re-live.

If we go out and play a great game and lose, I'm always ok with that. When you have so many opportunities but it doesn't look like the preparation, planning, or adjustments was there, it's extremely frustration for someone that doesn't like to not be in control of things.

All I'm going to say further on that is, when Spencer Rattler made the "Super Bowl" statement after the game, that told me that this team knew and understood how seriously Tennessee and their fans were taking this game. As a fan looking in, we seemed very lackluster in this performance from top to bottom. We call a fake punt that works to perfect, get down to around the 30, and on 4th and 2 we call an out route that's going to require a perfect ball to hit XL in stride to pick up a close 1st down.

It was calls like that, that seemed to be called over and over in critical short yard situations. They didn't work the first 5 times, so let's keep calling them.

Sorry, I said I wasn't going to keep talking about it, and I kept talking about it.

It was great to see our Special Teams coming back to play a role in this game. Everyone has just seemed tight so far this season.

Going into the game, most were dreading how our Defense would perform after Mississippi State. I really expected them to have a tough, but good game. They gave the Offense multiple turn overs and chances to win this ball game, and that's all you can ask.

Honorable Mentions:

Spencer Rattler - He played a great game with his arm and legs. One throw changed the game, but it doesn't take away from all of the other good things he did.

Trey Knox - I think he's starting to get more comfortable. He seems to be getting better week after week. He finished as our #1 receiver on the night.

Jalon Kilgore - True Freshman led the team in tackles

Mario Anderson - Mario has shown that he can be an SEC running back. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about his "break away" speed, but he made all those worries go away with that 75 yard TD run. I can't wait to see this running game continue to get better.

This award doesn't go to the one with the best stat line. Sometimes it does, but I like to find someone that puts in the effort that ultimately gives someone else the big stats. Whether it's sealing off a block for a long run (like Martin-Scott on XL's kickoff TD against A&M last season) or someone busting it down field to make a block to lead to extra yards (like Stogner did for Juice Well's first TD as a Gamecock) ... well, this guy did both of those against Tennessee.

The first came on the very first drive of the game, we swung out a little WR screen to AB and this guy was a speeding locomotive down the field getting in the way of any would be tacklers.

The next came on the first drive of the 2nd half as Mario Anderson took the ball, this man came up from his stance, nobody in the area, so he advanced and not only set a seal block at the nest level, but that block shielded off a 2nd defender so he wasn't able to get around to make the play, and Anderson took it to the house.

It wasn't just those 2 plays, I really feel like this guy has settled into his position after a rough start, and has been playing some of the best Offensive Guard play we've seen.

And that's why ...

THE ATE 'EM UP WINNER AGAINST TENNESSEE IS ...

NICK GARGIULO