South Carolina @ Auburn preview
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2006 ) Auburn 24, South Carolina 17
The 14th-ranked Auburn Tigers survived a scare from one Palmetto State opponent last week, and they face another one when No. 15 South Carolina visits Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for a key Southeastern Conference matchup.
The Tigers are 3-0 for the third consecutive season and the 11th time in 18 years after they remained unbeaten with a 27-24 overtime victory against Clemson last week - Auburn's second consecutive three-point win.
After trailing 17-3 at halftime, the Tigers rallied for 21 points in the third quarter and held on in overtime when Clemson's Chandler Catanzaro hooked his 32-yard field goal attempt wide left.
South Carolina (3-0) had an easier time last week, though not quite as easy as expected, beating Furman 38-19 as freshman running back Marcus Lattimore had another big game and senior quarterback Stephen Garcia threw his first two touchdown passes of the season.
As they make their first road trip of the season, the Gamecocks are seeking a 4-0 start for the first time since 2001 and their first conference win on the road since beating Kentucky on Oct. 11, 2008, a stretch of five games.
Something will have to give in the ground game, as the Gamecocks boast the conference's best rushing defense, allowing 59.7 yards per game, while Auburn has the SEC's best rushing offense at 259.3 yards per game.
Quarterback Cameron Newton has led the Tigers' ground game, averaging 103 yards per game on the ground, but Auburn also has a dynamic duo in the backfield with Onterio McCalebb (75 yards per game) and freshman Michael Dyer (70.7 yards per game).
The Tigers have compiled those impressive rushing numbers without much help from senior Mario Fannin, who entered the season as the team's top returning rusher. Fannin injured his shoulder two weeks ago against Mississippi State and missed the Clemson game. He is expected to return this week.
Newton also is a threat through the air. He has completed 57 percent of his passes for 525 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions, helping the Tigers rank first in the nation in passing efficiency.
The Tigers have won 57 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points, but they might have a tough time topping that number against a South Carolina squad that ranks ninth in the nation in scoring defense at 12.67 points per game.
The Gamecocks have done it without linebacker Shaq Wilson, who missed the first three games with a hamstring injury. Wilson is expected to play Saturday.
The stout defense is nothing new for South Carolina, but the powerful running game led by Lattimore is a welcome change.
Lattimore burst onto the scene in South Carolina's conference opener, rushing for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-6 win against Georgia. He ranks second in the SEC with 111 rushing yards per game and has scored five touchdowns in his first three collegiate games.
The freshman runner has been a nice complement to Garcia, who has completed 68 percent of his passes for 508 yards and is the team's No. 2 rusher with 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Garcia has a dangerous weapon in the passing game in sophomore Alshon Jeffery, who leads the SEC with 19 catches. Jeffery's 97 yards against Furman put him over 1,000 career receiving yards.
The Tigers lead the series 6-1-1 and have won the last four meetings, most recently in 2006, when then-No. 2 Auburn won 24-17 in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina's lone win in the series came in 1933, a 16-14 victory in Birmingham, Ala.
The teams have never met when both were nationally ranked.