The South Carolina Gamecocks put their top ten ranking on the line as they host the Auburn Tigers is what will surely be an excellent Southeastern Conference football game.
Auburn is 8-1-1 in the series with USC’s lone win coming in 1933. The Gamecocks are seeking revenge after a disappointing showing against the Tigers in the SEC Championship back in December. Also for USC they are trying to become 5-0 for the first time since 2001.
Will they do it against Auburn?
One thing is for certain, this game will feature two of the nation’s top rushers in Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer. Lattimore is third nationally at 152.7 yards per game and Dyer is 21st nationally at 106.5 yards per game. Safe to say, both will get plenty of touches and be a focal point of their respective offenses.
The Gamecock offense is coming off what head coach Steve Spurrier called a “putrid” performance in the win over Vanderbilt. The unit has yet to play with the efficiency and explosiveness expected of it. Stephen Garcia will remain the starting quarterback this week but pressure is mounting on him to get back to his 2010 form where he managed the offense effectively.
Auburn remains one of the nation’s top offensive teams with Gus Malzahn still calling the shots of his high paced attack. The Tigers are averaging over 373 yards and 34 points per game. Not only do the Tigers have Dyer at running back but first year starting quarterback Barrett Trotter is 15th nationally in passing efficiency, so they have weapons.
As noted, rushing for both teams is key. And speaking of that, the Tigers have held South Carolina to just two rushing touchdowns since 1996, while Auburn has 16 rushing touchdowns. South Carolina rushed for one TD in the ‘96 game and one in the 2010 regular season game in Auburn. Hopefully, the Gamecocks will have better success as this is a new year with better talent.
What South Carolina has to do to win is:
Be effective in running the ball
Having Marcus Lattimore is a luxury that the Gamecocks must continue to use as it opens up so much more for the offense. Auburn will try to shut him down so the offensive line has to be ready to create running lanes as Lattimore’s production is key to a SC win. Auburn the 102nd ranked rushing defense so in theory; Lattimore should have a good day.
Garcia
All it takes is one word to be uttered and you understand. The play of Stephen Garcia has to improve going forward as he has the talent within him but also around him. He has to lead and be effective in moving the ball. If Garcia is not effective, safe to say the legs of Lattimore will not be enough to overtake Auburn.
Pressure Trotter
The Gamecocks have to get after it in this game much like they did against Vanderbilt. Having Brison Williams and Vic Hampton in the secondary is helping to allow the Gamecocks to play more aggressive. USC must give the green light to Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram and Devin Taylor to go and spend time in the Auburn backfield. Disruption of Trotter should limit the effectiveness of the Auburn attack.
Gamecocks Ready to Pounce
USC has only scored a total of seven points in the first quarter of games this season, whereas, the Auburn Tigers have scored a total of 45 first quarter points this season. USC must come out ready to play on both sides of the ball to start this game. USC cannot afford to allow Auburn to get a strong lead nor can they allow being pathetic to start. From the moment, they kickoff USC must be ready.
Special Teams Can Not Hurt Ya
Auburn can easily take a kick to the house. USC can easily miss a crucial field goal or botch a punt. In this game, for USC to win they can not have Special Teams be the Achilles heel.
So there you have the five keys for a USC win versus Auburn. Earlier, the question was asked essentially if USC will win and the answer is yes. USC will win this game do to the execution of the five keys above and Stephen Garcia having his best game of 2011. USC wins 27-17.
Kickoff is Saturday at 3:30 pm with the game televised on CBS.
(This blog post was posted at Holy Turf, HERE, as part of our weekly writing for that site.)
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