Furman @ South Carolina preview
Williams-Brice Stadium
Thanks to Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has happily traded the fun-and-gun for the run.
Lattimore will get the chance to continue the great start to his college career, when the freshman running back leads the 16th-ranked Gamecocks as they go for their first 3-0 start since 2007 against in-state rival Furman on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks have ranked last in the SEC in rushing each of the past two years, but they're sixth in the conference through two games, in large part because of Lattimore. The freshman has rushed for 236 yards and scored four of the Gamecocks' six touchdowns, including 182 yards and two scores in last week's 17-6 win against Georgia.
The performance was the second-best rushing game by a South Carolina freshman, surpassed only by Brandon Bennett's school-record 278 yards against East Tennessee State in 1991.
That's not good news for Furman, which allowed 209 rushing yards in a season-opening 45-15 win against Colgate last week.
The Gamecocks would like to get a bit more out of their passing game, though. Senior quarterback Stephen Garcia has completed 70 percent of his passes for 358 yards and has yet to throw an interception, but he hasn't thrown a touchdown pass, either.
Sophomore receiver Alshon Jeffery has been Garcia's favorite target. Jeffery has topped 100 yards receiving in each of the first two games and needs 31 yards to reach 1,000 for his career.
Spurrier is 39-0 all-time against schools outside the six BCS automatic qualifier conferences, a streak he will try to extend against Furman, which is ranked 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision coaches poll.
The Paladins (1-0) had success on the ground in the opener, rushing for 377 yards, but that's of little consolation against a Gamecocks defense that has allowed a combined 128 rushing yards in its two wins and ranks eighth in the nation in rush defense.
Furman used two quarterbacks in the opener, as senior Cody Worley threw three touchdown passes and junior Chris Forcier rushed for 130 yards against Colgate.
South Carolina also has used two quarterbacks at times, like it did against Southern Miss, when freshman Connor Shaw completed 4 of 5 passes for 32 yards and a touchdown and rushed seven times for 31 yards.
The Gamecocks lead the series 26-20-1 and have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, but the teams have not met since 1982, when Furman won 28-23 in Columbia.
South Carolina dismissed tight end Weslye Saunders from the team Wednesday. Saunders, who is the focus of an NCAA investigation for improper contact with agents, caught 32 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns last season, but he had not played this season because he was suspended for violating team rules.