Ranking each game left on South Carolina's schedule in 2023

South Carolina’s bye week has come and gone, which means the second half of the season has officially begun.

The Gamecocks (2-3, 1-2 SEC) will host Florida on Saturday. But before then, let’s rank each of their next seven matchups from easiest to hardest.

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Jacksonville State — Nov. 4

In theory, South Carolina shouldn’t lose this game. Jacksonville State is an FCS school, and the last time South Carolina lost to an FCS program was back in 2015.

But don’t be fooled. Jacksonville State, also known as the Gamecocks, is a solid team. The Gamecocks are 5-21 on the year, with their only losses coming against Coastal Carolina and an undefeated Liberty team.

Jacksonville State is averaging 30.5 points per game with a big chunk of its production coming from the run game. The Gamecocks average 214.5 yards on the ground.

For South Carolina, it’s going to have to keep the running backs in check, otherwise it could be a close game.

Vanderbilt — Nov. 11

It’s been a long time since South Carolina lost to Vanderbilt. In fact, it’s been 5,513 days. The Gamecocks own a 14-game winning streak over the Commodores, one they hope not to squander this year.

For years, Vanderbilt has been the punching bag of the SEC, but it has proven to have an upset in itself from time to time. By the time the Commodores head to Columbia, they might be on an eight-game losing skid.

If there’s going to be one player the Gamecocks have to stop, it’s Will Shepard. As Vanderbilt’s best receiver, Shepard has hauled in 35 catches for 550 yards and eight touchdowns. Big name receivers have been an issue for the Gamecocks so far this year, so slowing him down has to be a priority.

Florida — Oct. 14

This should be an interesting matchup. On paper, it’s one that South Carolina should win at home. But the Gators could easily come in and pull off an upset.

The key for South Carolina is to stop the run game. Going back to last year, the Gamecocks did hold Anthony Richardson to 112 passing yards but allowed 374 rushing yards in a 38-6 loss.

To put it simply, that can’t happen again.

The Gators do return both Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr., who were the main catalysts in their win last year. But they also have a solid quarterback in Graham Mertz, a transfer from Wisconsin. He’s completed 80 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns to two interceptions.

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Clemson — Nov. 25

This might be a hot take but Clemson is a very winnable game. After South Carolina’s 31-30 win over the Tigers last year, the rivalry heads back to Williams-Brice Stadium, where the Gamecocks should have a raucous atmosphere.

The Tigers haven’t been that same championship-caliber team so far this year. They fell out of the AP Top 25 after losses to Duke and Florida State. But if there’s one thing that can salvage a lost season it’s beating your rival. And Clemson will try to do so after being knocked out of playoff contention by the Gamecocks last year.

The last time South Carolina beat Clemson in back-to-back years came back in the early 2010’s when it won five years in a row. But it feels doable after seeing how sporadic the Tigers have looked.

Kentucky — Nov. 18

Before last Saturday, this probably would’ve been toughest game left on the schedule. But after Georgia derailed Kentucky 51-13, the Wildcats look a lot more beatable.

South Carolina will play host to Kentucky next month. And there’s a good chance the wheels could be falling off by that point for the Wildcats. They’ll face Tennessee and Alabama right before coming to Columbia.

The biggest threat will be running back Ray Davis. Two weeks ago, he ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns against Florida. But if the Gamecocks can stop him, it becomes a lot easier to beat Kentucky.

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Texas A&M — Oct. 28

South Carolina hit a milestone last year when it beat Texas A&M for the first time. Now, it will have a chance to hit another milestone: winning a game in College Station.

Kyle Field is one of the toughest places to play in college football. The Aggies are typically pretty good, and that’s the case this year, but it’s more so due to how loud it gets. The stadium holds more than 102,000 people.

In the past, points have been hard to come by for the Gamecocks in College Station. They’ve only scored more than 20 points there once in four tries.

It’s been a fine year for the Aggies, sitting at 4-2. However, in games against ranked competition, they’ve lost twice. Their best win has come against a mediocre Auburn squad.

If South Carolina can get going these next few weeks, it should feel confident about winning in Aggieland.

Missouri — Oct. 21

There’s something about this game every year.

The Tigers have owned the series as of late, winning the Mayor’s Cup the last four years now. This year, the Gamecocks will have to go to Faurot Field to play what has been a solid Mizzou team.

Outside of blowing a late lead against LSU last week, the Tigers have looked great. They sit at 5-1 and rattled off five straight wins to open the season.

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Quarterback Brady Cook has looked like the real deal, throwing for 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. But he’s got a load of weapons around him such as receivers Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. and running back Cody Schrader.

Beating Missouri has been an issue for South Carolina and it could be again this year. That’s why this will be the toughest matchup left on the schedule. But getting a win here drastically changes things moving forward.

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