5 Things You Need to Know About the South Carolina Gamecocks

Week one was about as weird as it could get for Big Blue Nation. A lightning delay pushed an already late 7:45 kickoff all the way back to 10:05. Then, just about five minutes into the third quarter, teams were sent to their locker rooms once again and the seats were cleared of fans. Approximately 30-45 minutes later the game was deemed official as Kentucky came away with a 31-0 victory against Southern Miss. Now, in week two, fans are expecting to finally see 60 minutes of Southeastern Conference football against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Kroger Field was absolutely rocking last Saturday night despite the delay. The additional wait for football time in the Bluegrass created a unique energy that those in attendance will likely remember forever. However, it was still only about 35 minutes of football. The fanbase will need to bring the juice once again as the Wildcats have a massive swing game against the Gamecocks. In what has become a bit of a rivalry game featuring two head coaches that don’t like each other very much, South Carolina has won the last two meetings. For Kentucky to reach their expectations this season they must protect home field and get back on top of this matchup.

As always, we have all of your pregame needs right here on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for the 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) kickoff on ABC between the Kentucky Wildcats (1-0, 0-0) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0, 0-0). If you haven’t already, you have to dive into Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. That is your in-depth, football-nerd preview. For those in search of a more surface level look at what to expect on Saturday night, you are in the right place. Let’s dive on in to five things you need to know about the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Quarterback Run Game Will Be Used Heavily

With Spencer Rattler at quarterback the last two seasons, the South Carolina Gamecocks have found success through the air. Last season they were 33rd nationally averaging 8.1 yards per pass. Conversely, their 2.77 yards per rush ranked 132 in the country. Rattler threw for over 3,000 yards in each of his two seasons in Columbia. However, he will not be running out of the tunnel at Kroger Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Gamecocks offensive attack is going to look a little different with LaNorris Sellers taking the snaps. The massive 6’3″ 242 pound presence immediately checks the box on every physical tool. He is big, strong, fast, and has a rocket for an arm. However, as was evident in his week one performance, learning the position is still a work in progress. Against an Old Dominion team that simply isn’t very good, Sellers completed just 10 of 23 passes for 114 yards. What he did do though was carry the football. He rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on 18 carriers. That was only six fewer rushes than starting running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Getting Sellers on the ground out of the backfield will a key to Kentucky winning the football game.

Plenty of Talented Options in the Backfield

We know that quarterback LaNorris Sellers is likely to be a bigger threat on the ground than through the air. However, the South Carolina Gamecocks have no shortage of weapons out of the backfield. Senior running back Rocket Sanders is certainly the most established of the bunch. He rushed for over 1,400 yards as a sophomore at Arkansas before injuries derailed his junior campaign. Now, after landing in Columbia from the transfer portal, he has RB1 duties once again. The veteran rusher posted 88 yards on 24 carries against Old Dominion finding pay dirt once. Meanwhile, both Oscar Adaway III and Juju McDowell will provide depth at the position. Neither found their footing much in week one, but they have proven talent.

In total, the Gamecocks rushed the ball 56 times last Saturday for 174 yards. That is good for only 3.1 yards per carry. Going up against a stiff Kentucky rushing defense, South Carolina could struggle to move the football. It didn’t come easy against Old Dominion who is nowhere near the defensive stalwart of the ‘Cats. Keeping South Carolina from getting loose on the ground will make it very hard for them to move the ball effectively.

Question Marks Across the South Carolina Offensive Line

Struggling in the running game and having a suspect offensive line goes hand-in-hand. Last season, the South Carolina Gamecocks had one of the weakest offensive lines across Power Five football. They’ve revamped the group a bit and added depth, but significant improvement was hard to find in week one. Old Dominion was able to record four quarterback sacks, 10 total tackles for loss, and held the Gamecocks to just 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. Kentucky’s vaunted defensive front should be licking their chops heading into this week two matchup in Lexington.

Redshirt senior Vershon Lee is the anchor of South Carolina’s offensive line at the center position. He has started 28 games and isn’t one that head coach Shane Beamer will have to worry about. However, the Gamecocks are incredibly unproven at the other four spots. Freshman Josiah Thompson was immediately thrown to the fire at left tackle. He has the talent coming in as a Top 50 recruit, but his first SEC matchup could be tough. On the other end at right tackle, Cason Henry is still getting his feet wet as well. Then, at the two guard spots, Kamaar Bell and Torricelli Simpkins III moved up to the SEC from Florida Atlantic and North Carolina Central respectively. The Wildcats should create havoc in the backfield on Saturday afternoon.

New Faces Flashed Defensively in Week One

Five-star edge rusher Dylan Stewart immediately made his presence felt in his first collegiate contest. Not only did he produce one and a half sacks, but he also forced two fumbles. The second of those two forced fumbles set up what proved to be the South Carolina Gamecocks game-winning score. Trailing 19-16 to Old Dominion, the true freshman knocked the ball loose with teammate Deandre Jules recovering the ball on the six yard line. A couple of plays later, the Gamecocks took a 23-19 lead and held on to escape with the week one victory.

Aside from the future star Dylan Stewart, veteran Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard shined up front for the Gamecocks. He was responsible for another forced fumble that set up a short field for South Carolina’s first touchdown of the game. Kennard led the way with seven quarterback pressures getting home two and a half times. He had three and a half total tackles for loss on the eventing. Containing Kennard and Stewart will be crucial for the Big Blue Wall. Florida State transfer Gilber Edmond is another name to know up front for South Carolina. Those three new faces all made instant impacts against Old Dominion in week one.

Continuity Holds Gamecocks’ Defense Together

Rounding out South Carolina’s defensive front, Tonka Hemingway returns after arguably being the Gamecocks’ best defensive player last season. He had a big game that included a fumble recovery in Columbia last season in a 17-14 victory over Kentucky. Look for Alex Huntley and T.J. Sanders to factor into the equation on the defensive line as well.

The Gamecocks also return a First Team All-SEC performer in Debo Williams. The redshirt senior linebacker, who was a transfer from Delaware, collected 113 tackles and nine tackles for loss in 2023. Per usual, he led the way with seven tackles in the opener against Old Dominion. Joining Williams at the second level is Charlotte transfer Demetrius Knight Jr. He earned First Team All-AAC honors last season recording 96 tackles. Those two will provide a solid one-two punch for South Carolina at the linebacker position.

There is further continuity in the secondary as well. Nick Emmanwori is now a three-year starter in Columbia at safety. Redshirt senior O’Donnell Fortune brings back five career interceptions and is on some NFL Draft boards at the cornerback spot. Jalon Kilgore is back after starting 11 games as a true freshman while Judge Collier also started three games as a true freshman last season. Another safety, DQ Smith, has 23 starts to his name. All in all, the Gamecocks returned seven of nine defensive players that recorded over 500 snaps last season. Adding in some fresh talent to that level of continuity makes this South Carolina defense quite formidable.