Gamecocks Special Teams Step Up, Still Needs Work Before Homestretch

September 8, 2012; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Bruce Ellington (23) makes a reception in front of East Carolina Pirates linebacker Jeremy Grove (53) in the first half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE

After a week one performance that featured an average of 39 yards per Gamecock punt and just one Carolina touchback (on kickoffs), USC’s special teams stepped up and made life (mostly) rough for ECU.

Tyler Hull punted four times, averaged 40 yards per punt (not great, but he was punting close to midfield all game), nailed two inside the 20 and bombed one 51 yards. ECU had just returned punt and it went for zero yards.

Kickoff coverage was solid, too. When the ball wasn’t flying into the endzone (and sometimes when it was) the Cocks held ECU to under 17 yards per return.

The Cocks were perfect on extra points and hit their only field goal of the game.

Carolina didn’t take the ball out of the endzone on a kickoff, but Ace Sanders did return two punts for a total of 40 yards.

The thing to take away from this performance is field position. ECU was on their side of the 50 yard line most of the game, and if Carolina can make that happen in SEC play, they’ll be in good position to win most games.

Still, on the season Hull has punted 10 times and averaged just 39 yards per attempt.

UAB is pretty bad, but hopefully they pressure SC enough to force Hull into some long punting opportunities. If he shows up big time and nails some more inside the 20 and puts his average over 40 yards a punt, things will be looking good.

Same goes for the kickoff team. They have to put at least half their kickoffs into the endzone.

For now at least, that looks like a possibility.