Fourth-year defensive coordinator Clayton White brought back eight returning starters, led by all-SEC linebacker Debo Williams, a trio of defensive tackles in Alex Huntley, Tonka Hemingway and T.J. Sanders, and safety Nick Emmanwori. He added a pair of Edge rushers in Kyle Kennard, who is having an All-America season, and Dylan Stewart, who is a candidate for National Freshman of the Year. With depth at all three levels, White has built this defense into the best in Columbia in years. Carolina linebacker Debo Williams talks about getting “doughnuts” or shutting out an opponent. The Gamecocks have been close on four occasions, holding Kentucky (6), Akron (7), Oklahoma (9) and Vanderbilt (7) to under 10 points. The last time Carolina accomplished that feat that was in 2004. They held just five opponents to single digits from 2019-23 combined. The Gamecocks are 20th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 18.8 points per game, more than a touchdown less per game from last season (26.3) and their best mark since 2012 (18.2). They are also in the top-20 in the country in total defense (17th), sacks (3rd), tackles for loss (11th) and turnovers gained (10th). Buoyed by a school-record nine sacks against Oklahoma, the Gamecocks have 35 sacks, tying Pitt for third in the country behind only Ole Miss (46) and Boise State (41). The Gamecocks recorded just 21 sacks in 12 games in 2023, ranking 101st in the country. The school record for sacks in a season is 43, set in 2012, and they have been over 40 just twice in school history (also 41 in 2010). The Gamecocks have already set a school record with 283 yards in sacks. The Gamecocks are also tied for 11th in the country with 7.3 tackles for loss per game. The Gamecocks have forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for 10th in the country. They have forced multiple turnovers in six games this season and have forced a turnover in 14-straight games overall. They have forced 84 turnovers since the start of the 2021 season, tops in the SEC during that span. The Gamecocks forced six fumbles at Oklahoma, recovering two. For the season, they have forced 17 fumbles, recovering eight. Kyle Kennard has forced three and four other players have a pair each. The 17 forced fumbles is one shy of the high-water mark since at least 1990, one fewer than the total set in both 2018 and 2000. The Gamecocks forced just eight fumbles during the entire 2023 season. Individually, Edge rusher Kyle Kennard is a finalist for the Lombardi Award and the Nagurski Award. He is a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year. Edge rusher Dylan Stewart is a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. Safety Nick Emmanwori is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Award.
