.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Navy coach Ken Niamutalolo thought about calling in reinforcements this week to deal with No. 10 South Carolina.
The Midshipmen have played in jam-packed, noisy stadiums at Ohio State and Notre Dame in recent seasons. Niamutalolo even remembered how the Buckeyes held a tribute to the military that had fans in the Horseshoe applauding as Navy entered.
''I don't think they're going to do that this time,'' Niamutalolo said.
It's not that South Carolina fans don't appreciate the armed forces, but many haven't forgotten the role Navy played in marring the greatest season in Gamecocks history.
South Carolina was 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country in 1984 when it took on heavy underdog Navy and lost 38-21 when victory would've meant rising to No. 1 and gaining a spot in the Orange Bowl to play for a national title.
Niamutalolo and the current Midshipmen weren't part of that victory. But they don't expect South Carolina fans to take that into account and are counting on a loud, crazy atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium.
''I don't think we can simulate it,'' Niamutalolo said. ''Maybe we can get some battleships in here.''
Navy (2-0) may be catching South Carolina (2-0) at the right time. The Gamecocks have put up a lot of points - 101 are the most through two games in coach Steve Spurrier's seven seasons - but they've given up plenty as well in wins over East Carolina (56-37) and Georgia (45-42).
Spurrier's not happy with the Gamecocks passing attack and pass defense.
''We haven't hit our best at any means yet, so we've got a lot of work to do, a lot of coaching,'' he said. ''Players got to hopefully learn how to play this game or we're going to be in trouble this year.''
It's usually up to tailback Marcus Lattimore to keep the Gamecocks out of trouble. He's put up 100 yards rushing in both games, including 176 at Georgia when he helped South Carolina answer back each time the defense couldn't hold down Georgia. Lattimore said the Bulldogs concentrated on stopping the run early, but once the game turned into a shootout, he found room to move.
''It ended up pretty good,'' he said.
Spurrier says the Gamecocks must show more discipline than they have so far in handling Navy and its triple option offense. The team has used it to upset then-No. 19 Notre Dame two years back and win eight games or more for eight consecutive seasons. The Midshipmen lead the Football Bowl Subdivision with more than 400 yards rushing in its two victories this year.
South Carolina's coach in charge of defense, Ellis Johnson, has preached the standard assignment football this week. Gamecocks defensive end Melvin Ingram said the group is ready to show it's one of the country's best and plans to start this week.
''We just come out and try to work even harder than we did last week,'' Ingram said, ''Try to not fall off on any mental reps or physical reps.''
Ingram made a major name for himself against Georgia, scoring two touchdowns including one on a 68-yard fake punt. Ingram also brought in an onside kick attempt late in the game to preserve South Carolina's victory. The efforts made him the SEC special teams player of the week.
Ingram knows, though, that the defense will have to remain consistent if it hopes to slow down Navy. ''They run the ball every play, they run that triple option,'' he said. ''They're going to run that to death. Whether we stop it or don't stop it, they're going to run it.''
Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said his players will have their hands full with South Carolina's own triple threat on offense with stars Lattimore, receiver Alshon Jeffery and quarterback Stephen Garcia.
Green, who's coached at Auburn and LSU, said Lattimore reminds him of some of the SEC's greatest runners like South Carolina's George Rogers, Georgia's Herschel Walker and Auburn's Bo Jackson. Lattimore is ''in that class with some of the best in SEC history,'' Green said. ''He's got all the tools, a great runner who breaks tackles and makes great cuts. He just has so much talent with the ball in his hands.''
Jeffery leads the Gamecocks with 10 catches for 177 yards and one touchdown. Garcia has rallied South Carolina to its first two wins, overcoming a 17-0 deficit against East Carolina and a 35-31 deficit with less than seven minutes left to beat the Bulldogs.
''We haven't seen a team like that from an athletic standpoint. We know it's going to be a tough challenge, but we're going to prepare the best we can,'' Niumatalolo said.
