South Carolina @ Vanderbilt preview
FirstBank Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2023 ) Vanderbilt 6, South Carolina 47
South Carolina will look to build on its momentum Saturday afternoon when it visits Vanderbilt for a Southeastern Conference matchup in Nashville, Tenn.
The Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) totaled 530 yards in a 44-20 home upset of then-No. 10 Texas A&M last week.
Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2), meanwhile, clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018 with a 17-7 win at Auburn.
Now, the Commodores will try to snap their 15-game losing streak in their annual series with the Gamecocks.
Vanderbilt scored at least 27 points in its first five games this season but hasn't eclipsed 24 in its last four. That said, the Commodores have won three of those games.
"They're doing the things that teams have to do in order to win football games," South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said of the Commodores. "I know they're leading the league in time of possession, so they're keeping the ball. They're second in the SEC in turnover margin. They're leading the league in not turning it over. They're the least-penalized team in the SEC. So they're doing a great job of not losing football games, playing winning football, finding ways to get games to the fourth quarter, and then finding a way to win it in the fourth quarter."
The physicality of SEC football has started to take a toll on quarterback Diego Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said he's scaled practice back accordingly.
"I thought our team played really hard in the game (against Auburn) ... the passion, the effort, all if it was there," Lea said of Saturday's win. "I was really proud of that. But I also saw a team that you could just sense the lag effect of a really physical season."
South Carolina presents plenty of physical challenges, too.
That starts with a star-studded defense, including defensive ends Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart, linebacker Demetrius Knight, safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive back Jalon Kilgore for a unit that ranks 16th nationally in total defense (304.6 yards per game).
Defending 6-foot-3, 242-pound Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers can be a headache, too. The redshirt freshman has improved as a passer and ran for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown vs. Texas A&M.
The Gamecocks also received a season-best game from Raheim Sanders, who had 236 yards from scrimmage on 25 touches (20 rushes, five receptions) last Saturday.
--Field Level Media