COLUMBIA — South Carolina has won two straight games, halfway to the goal of claiming four consecutive contests in a “November to Remember.” The Gamecocks were favored to beat Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt and did so, but now comes Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Wildcats (6-4, 3-4) are favored Saturday, but by a slim 1½ points. USC is feeling good after two straight wins, each against not the best competition; Kentucky is reeling after four losses in five games, but they were to three top 11 teams and No. 21 Tennessee.
A series that has been heavily tinged with blue of late was interrupted by a Gamecock win last year, a feel-good upset that had Shane Beamer smiling after a verbal tussle with Kentucky coach Mark Stoops in the preseason. This year, the smiles have been few, but are still out there to be found.
What to watch as the Gamecocks host Kentucky:
Ray Day
Kentucky wanted to build its offense around running back Ray Davis, and he has returned the favor with 929 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns at a 5.8 yards-per-carry clip. He was held in check by the elite teams the Wildcats played, but the Gamecocks haven’t been elite at stopping the run all season.
USC knows what’s coming. Quarterback Devin Leary can be a weapon if he gets into rhythm, but the Gamecocks have been better at pressuring the QB lately and Kentucky isn’t going to ask Leary to run the entire show. If the Gamecocks can just slow him down — USC didn’t let departed running back Chris Rodriguez score last year despite allowing 126 rushing yards — their chances of winning improve.
Stand up
“You want to have your guys’ confidence as high as possible. That’s obviously through practice and through prep,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said. “Coming off a win, definitely helps the confidence, but that’s not going to go out and get the job done for us on Saturday.”
White’s unit has taken quite a few lumps this year, but has played well the last two weeks. Jacksonville State was only dispatched when Stone Blanton picked off a pass and rumbled to the end zone when the other Gamecocks were driving for the tying/go-ahead score, but Vanderbilt was squashed early and often.
Kentucky isn’t either team. The tendency for the Gamecocks to slip back into their early-season woes of missed tackles and deplorable pass coverage is high. But at least they’re playing well now. It only takes four more quarters to make them feel even better.
Decisions, decisions
s
Mario Anderson, as the best USC running back who’s currently healthy, will start and get a lot of snaps. After him?
The Gamecocks have a choice to make.
DJay Braswell is ready to play and is the only other healthy scholarship RB USC has. It seems the Gamecocks will have to play him, which wouldn’t be a big deal except for his future.
He has played in four games. If he doesn’t play again, he could redshirt and get this season back. If the Gamecocks need him to play, they will ask him and he will want to, whether that’s this week, next week and/or a bowl game.
But if the running game is stymied? USC is down big, either this or next week? Walk-ons Bradley Dunn and D.J. Twitty could potentially spell Anderson instead of Braswell and still preserve the redshirt. It isn’t like USC has been excellent at running the ball this season anyway.
Arm
USC’s running game has been so spotty that Spencer Rattler has had to carry the Gamecocks’ offense, not that they didn’t want him to along with a good run game. As Shane Beamer said, the run game is no concern if Rattler can throw for 350 yards, as he did against Vandy.
Rattler will be casting toward the secondary again on Saturday. One, he has to with no other way for the Gamecocks to have a good offense; and two, Kentucky’s pass defense gives up over 250 yards per game.