Chattanooga @ South Carolina preview
Williams-Brice Stadium
South Carolina will try to secure bowl eligibility when it hosts FCS opponent Chattanooga on Saturday. The Gamecocks have three games remaining in order to pick up their sixth win, but with one of those being next week’s road contest against No. 2 Clemson, this opportunity is their best to ensure a trip to the postseason.
“Our guys understand, it’s not really about the opponent, and regardless of who we play, it’s about us and our preparation and how we go about our business, because it’s really our mindset each week,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp told reporters. “We can’t control who we play or where we play or what time. At the end of the day, we can control what we do, and that’s our preparation.” The Gamecocks squandered a 17-point lead in the second half of last week's 35-31 loss at Florida, wasting a chance for a rare win over a ranked opponent. The close game continued a recent trend for South Carolina, which has seen its last five contests decided by a total of 16 points - winning three of them. It’s the season finale for the Mocs, who have lost two consecutive low-scoring affairs and are trying to avoid dropping three straight for just the third time since 2011.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network Alternate. LINE: None
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (6-4): The Mocs have struggled on offense at times, scoring 14 points or fewer in each of their four losses, but the defense has been strong all season. Chattanooga ranks in the top 10 among FCS teams in scoring defense (18.2 points allowed) and turnover margin (plus-8). The Mocs’ best chance to do damage on offense is through the air, as quarterback Nick Tiano (2,456 yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions) and wide receiver Bryce Nunnelly (74 catches, 1,096 yards, seven TDs) are a dangerous duo.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (5-4): The Gamecocks have some issues to iron out on defense, as they’ve allowed at least 450 total yards in four of their last five games. The secondary has been solid, with the exception of being torched by Ole Miss, but opponents have piled up big rushing totals - including Florida’s 367-yard performance last week. The offense has been effective enough to keep up in high-scoring affairs, however, as quarterback Jake Bentley has put up big numbers in his last two games while A.J. Turner and Mon Denson have picked up the slack on the ground with Rico Dowdle slowed by an ankle injury.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Muschamp (20) needs one win to match Steve Spurrier for most by a South Carolina head coach in his first three seasons.
2. The Gamecocks have outscored their last 12 FCS opponents by an average of 36-15 dating to 2006, although that includes a loss to The Citadel in 2015.
3. Chattanooga is 4-117-3 all-time against current SEC teams, with the most recent win coming against Tennessee in 1958.
PREDICTION: South Carolina 38, Chattanooga 13