The South Carolina Gamecocks return home after beating Vanderbilt 21-7 in Nashville to welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to Columbia. On the line is the Gamecocks top 20 ranking and the Gamecocks SE East lead as the race is tight. For SC, it boils down to winning and it should continue versus the Vols as USC is a 17 point favorite.
This is not your dad’s Volunteers as they limp down 1-40 and i-2 into Columbia with a winless conference record and a 2-5 overall record. In their last battle, the Crimson Tide got the best of them by defeating them 41-10.
This marks the 29th game in the series between USC and UT that dates back to 1903. The Vols lead the all-time 22-4-2, including an 8-3-2 advantage in games played in Columbia. The Vols won last year’s meeting 31-13 at Knoxville, but the Gamecocks took a 27-6 victory in the last meeting in Columbia.
For South Carolina, this is a game played on their turf and a place where they have won 12 of their last 13 games. Consider that an advantage and a good reason why the point spread is so high. The other reason is the Vols are not really that good.
South Carolina simply needs to take care of business as they are in the driver’s seat for the SEC East crown and just need to win games going forward. To win this game the following three things will have to be done by the Gamecocks:
1. Establish the Lattimore Effect — When Marcus is able to run the ball effectively then it allows the offense to open up and good things happen. South Carolina’s top priority on offense begins in the trenches with the offensive line finding success against the defensive front of UT. The Gamecocks must be able to have good running attack, at least 100+ yards rushing. Do that and victory is a shoe in.
2. Spread the Ball Around in the Air — Alshon, Gurley, Ace and the others must get some touches. USC qb Garica must not force it nor focus just on one player. Move the ball around in the air and keep the chains moving.
3. USC Defense Being Aggressive — USC’s defense needs to be hungry. Get pressure on whomever takes the snap, slow down UT’s Poole, play the proper angles on pursuit, get off the blocks, wrap-up the tackles and play tight in the secondary. USC has been a wee bit soft in many of their last games and it is time to reverse course. UT’s offense is not good and no reason to allow that to change in this game.
Carolina should be able to do all three things above thus it will yield a victory and inch the ‘Cocks closer to the trip to Atlanta for the SEC crown.
South Carolina wins this game by the score of 27-14.
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