5 Things You Need to Know About the South Carolina Gamecocks

It is football time in the Bluegrass! Saturday marks the first time that Kentucky Football fans can anticipate a SEC home game this season. The South Carolina Gamecocks are making the trip to Kroger Field to take on the #13 Kentucky Wildcats in a matchup between SEC East rivals. This has quietly become an auto-win game over the years for the ‘Cats as they have won seven of the last eight and haven’t lost in Lexington since 2012. However, you can throw the old stats out of the window today. Will Levis is a game time decision and South Carolina is coming to town with a message to send.

After back-to-back big losses to Arkansas and Georgia, the Gamecocks have bounced back with blowout victories against Charlotte and South Carolina State. This is a 3-2, 0-2 team that has beaten who they are supposed to beat and lost to a pair of ranked teams. The raw offensive numbers look pretty good on paper, but star quarterback Spencer Rattler has struggled to put it all together in Columbia. However, it will still take a high level of execution for the Wildcats to take care of business and win the home SEC matchup.

As always, Kentucky Sports Radio is your home for all pregame content. You can check out Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report and read Freddie Maggard’s take on How Kentucky Beats South Carolina. Now, let’s dive into five things you need to know about the South Carolina Gamecocks.

“Star” Quarterback Spencer Rattler

Those who partake in binge watching Netflix have known Spencer Rattler for a long time. A star of the hit series, QB1: Beyond the Lights, Rattler became a household name as he entered his first season as a starter becoming Heisman candidate at Oklahoma. However, things came to a screeching halt as he was benched during the Red River Rivalry before ultimately transferring to South Carolina. Now, the Gamecocks quarterback has delivered mixed results through five weeks.

Rattler is a high risk, high reward passer that has struggled to find friendly targets so far this season. The redshirt junior is 98-151 for 1121 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions. 16 of his passes have ended with the other team catching the ball or breaking up the pass. Kentucky will certainly have opportunities to turn over the one time blue chip recruit. Especially if Will Levis can’t go, creating some turnovers against Rattler will be a key for the ‘Cats against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Gamecocks Feature a Variety of Options Out Wide

After leading the team with 43 receptions for 679 yards and five touchdowns a year ago, super senior Josh Vann was expected to be Spencer Rattler’s number one target. However, the veteran pass catcher has received just nine targets through five weeks. It has been James Madison transfer Antwane Wells Jr. who has been the top target thus far receiving 24 catches for 309 yards and one score. Super senior Jalen Brooks is next with 17 catches for just shy of 300 yards. Those two will clearly be the primary targets in the passing game.

Elsewhere, Rattler will turn to talented running back Marshawn Lloyd as a check down option. The redshirt sophomore has found pay dirt through the air twice and has reeled in 13 balls for 118 yards. Kentucky’s defense will have to prepare for the tailback to be a factor in he passing game.

Talented Running Back Moves the Chains

The passing attack hasn’t been what fans of the South Carolina Gamecocks expected. However, they have found some success on the ground through five weeks of football. Redshirt sophomore Marshawn Lloyd is averaging over six yards per attempt and has by far been the most reliable weapon of the Gamecocks offense. The former Top 50 recruit has rushed for 342 yards on 53 carries with six touchdowns so far. Much like Lloyd, his backup JuJu McDowell also factors heavily into the passing game for South Carolina. Spencer Rattler has found the running backs a combined 26 times in just 98 overall completions.

South Carolina Defense is Struggling Against the Run

If Kentucky fans want some good news on Saturday, it will be that the South Carolina Gamecocks haven’t been able to stop the run. Even if Will Levis can’t play, the ‘Cats should be able to pound the rock through Chris Rodriguez. The Gamecocks are 112th and 113th nationally in red zone touchdown rate and third/fourth down conversion rate respectively. Those are two signs of a defense that is giving up a lot on the ground. Overall, opponents are averaging 185 yards per game on the ground. If Kentucky can establish the run they should find success on Saturday evening regardless of who is under center.

Losing a pair of key starters to injury in week two certainly did not help the South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks lost linebacker Mo Kaba and edge rusher Jordan Strachan for the season. Since then, junior Jordan Burch has been the primary playmaker on the defensive side of the football. The 6’6″ 275 pound pass rusher has accumulated three and a half tackles for loss, one sack, and five quarterback hurries in as many weeks this season. A struggling Big Blue Wall will need to get him blocked on Saturday night if they want to stay ahead of the chains.

Strong Secondary Leads the Way for Gamecocks Defense

The South Carolina Gamecocks defense has struggled through five weeks, but the secondary has been a strength of the unit. There have been a lot of plays on the ball with seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups. Especially if Will Levis isn’t able to give it a go it could be an opportunity for the Gamecocks to take advantage of a shaky passing game. Corners Cam Smith and Marcellas Dial are ball hawkers on the outside while freshman safety Nick Emmanwori leads the team in tackles with 34.