South Carolina @ NC State preview
Bank of America Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2009 ) South Carolina 7, North Carolina State 3
Unlike a year ago, Will Muschamp enters his second season at South Carolina with a stable – and confident – quarterback in sophomore Jake Bentley. Bentley leads an experienced Gamecocks offense into a new season when South Carolina takes on North Carolina State in the Belk College Kickoff on Saturday in Charlotte.
Bentley impressed after taking over the starting role midway through last season and passed for 390 yards in the Birmingham Bowl, and he’s back at the helm of an offense that lost only one starter. “It helps tremendously when you have experience and ability at the position, at the most important position on your squad,” Muschamp told reporters. “When you have that, it certainly gives you a lot more confidence to what you’ll be able to do and how you’ll be able to do it offensively in the game.” N.C. State also returns an experienced quarterback in Ryan Finley, who bulked up in the off-season and hopes to be more of a deep threat in 2017. The border rivals have been evenly matched over the years, as South Carolina leads 27-26-4 in a series that dates to 1900 and the teams have split the past 12 meetings, but this is the first meeting since 2009.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: N.C. State -5
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2016: 6-7): The Gamecocks expect to have a much more potent offense than a year ago with Bentley fully acclimated to the offense and a number of key skill position players returning to surround him. Leading receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end Hayden Hurst give the Gamecocks a couple of solid targets, and leading rusher Rico Dowdle is back for his sophomore season. South Carolina has numerous holes to fill on defense, but the return of linebacker Skai Moore after missing all of last season with a herniated disk in his neck will help.
ABOUT N.C. STATE (2016: 7-6): The Wolfpack should be strong along the defensive front seven, where they return six starters – all seniors – but the secondary could be suspect. Among the returners is star defensive end Bradley Chubb, an excellent pass rusher and run stopper who earned preseason All-America honors. N.C. State has plenty of questions on offense, though, including the one of who will fill the hole in the backfield left by leading rusher Matt Dayes.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Wolfpack have not scored an offensive touchdown in their last 12 quarters against the Gamecocks, and they’ve scored 10 or fewer points in five of the past eight meetings.
2. South Carolina has won 16 of its last 17 season openers.
3. N.C. State H-back Jaylen Samuels ranks sixth in school history with 31 touchdowns (15 receiving, 16 rushing).
PREDICTION: South Carolina 27, N.C. State 24