The South Carolina Gamecocks finish off their homecoming weekend with a showdown with Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon.
Both the Gamecocks and the Commodores are coming off their bye weeks; the Gamecocks are 5-2 and the Commodores are 3-4. It should be an interesting matchup between two impressive quarterbacks and tough SEC teams.
How the Commodores can win
Vanderbilt needs to control the clock and play through their excellent junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur. Shurmur has 1,331 yards on the season and a 138.6 rating to go along with that. He is a mistake-free quarterback and the Commodores will need him to play that way against a Gamecock defense that has been stifling this season.
How the Gamecocks can win
The biggest aspect of the game for South Carolina is the defensive side of the ball. This team goes as its defense goes, and the defense has been red hot. In their last game against Tenneessee on October 14, the Gamecock defense held the Volunteers on the goal line to win the game. They need to play the same type of way against the Commodore offense. They need to unsettle Kyle Shurmur and company early and create some turnovers and three-and-outs.
Prediction
South Carolina has been tough all season long. They haven’t been beaten impressively enough to pick Vanderbilt in the upset. Vanderbilt was craving a matchup with Alabama early in the season, but got smoked by the Tide. They’ve lost four in a row, and look for that losing streak to continue this weekend in Columbia.