Staff picks: South Carolina-Vanderbilt, Week 10 highlights
South Carolina is coming off one of its worst performances of the season and now turns its attention to Vanderbilt on the road.
It won’t be easy for the Gamecocks, who needed a game-winning drive late to beat the Commodores last year. Here’s how the GamecockCentral staff sees this game going along with other key matchups in Week 10.
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Chris Clark: MarShawn Lloyd’s health is in question, and the Gamecocks have not established a run game beyond him to date. As well, there’s some worry about this team’s tendency to turn the football over, which we have consistently seen in conference play. All that should add up to a tight game on the road. I believe the defense will rebound with a stronger performance and that the offense will do just enough. South Carolina 17, Vanderbilt 13.
Terry Ford: Everyone in the USC football building is now focused after the loss to Mizzou. It might not be a pretty win, but a win is a win. South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 13.
Pearson Fowler: If it were an episode of Friends, it would be “The one where they feed Jaheim Bell” after a week of outrage at his lack of involvement. I look forward to the following week of false equivalency, but in Nashville, a second big Bell game against Vanderbilt and a bounce-back game from Marshawn Lloyd will be enough to get Carolina bowl eligible. South Carolina 27, Vanderbilt 17.
Wes Mitchell: While Vanderbilt has played an incredibly tough schedule so far that maybe skews this a bit, they’re at the bottom of the conference statistically on both offense and defense. This should be a night for the Gamecocks to get right and get bowl eligible … BUT … you have to be concerned about the team possibly missing MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd has been such a key to what they’re able to do on offense. It also could be a rainy, sloppy night. Carolina will win the game but whether or not Lloyd is good to go and whether or not another back can step up, will determine if it’s close or not. South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 17.
WIN! MarShawn Lloyd autographed football
Jay Phillips: It feels like the Carolina offense is on notice to some degree, at least from a fan perspective, and a game with Vanderbilt may be seen as a way to get things going again. Will we see more of certain players? Will we see Coach Beamer’s hands more involved in planning and management? It’s an intriguing mix of storylines considering bowl eligibility is on the line. I expect a Gamecocks win, but not necessarily a comfortable one. We’ll see. South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 20.
Michael Sauls: I will be thoroughly shocked if I get this wrong. South Carolina should 100% win this game and if they don’t there will probably be riots in Columbia. The Gamecocks are 27-4 against the Commodores all time and have won the last 13 matchups. Vanderbilt still has a long way to go and I think this game — in theory — should help South Carolina get back on the right track before it runs into Florida/Tennessee/Clemson. South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 10.
Kendall Smith: South Carolina wins, but it’s close. Until the offense shows that it can be consistent, it’s hard to say the Gamecocks will beat Vandy by a considerable number. Sure, Vandy is the “worst” team in the SEC, but they’ve been better this year. It’ll require a complete game from the defense and getting at least something going on offense to pull this off. South Carolina, 23, Vanderbilt 14.
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Collyn Taylor: I’ve had a weird gut feeling about this game all week, but will fall back on the stats and numbers to pick a Gamecock win. South Carolina is more talented and the Gamecocks’ weakness (offense) is going up against Vandy’s weakness, which is a porous secondary. Spencer Rattler has a get-right game and the South Carolina defense does enough to pull out a one-score win. South Carolina 20, Vanderbilt 13.
Mike Uva: There’s been a lot of talk lately about the lack of production from the offense. Going up against one of the worst defenses in the country this weekend, there’s no excuse why this game shouldn’t be a bounce back week. Get the ball to Jaheim Bell? Sure. But don’t force it because everyone and their mothers are gonna expect it. Just move the ball consistently and score this week while helping your defense catch their breath. South Carolina 33, Vanderbilt 20.
Jack Veltri: It’s crazy how much the atmosphere surrounding a team can change in the span of a week. That’s exactly what happened to South Carolina after losing a game it was expected to win. However, the Gamecocks have a golden opportunity to gain back some confidence against a team they have a good track record against. However, Vanderbilt is much improved this season, averaging nearly 11 points more per game. The Commodores have a lot of weapons on offense that could make this a competitive game until the end. They also enter this matchup with the second-worst pass defense in college football. If there’s ever a good time to open the playbook and throw the football, it would be now for South Carolina. The schedule will only get tougher from here, but I expect a bounce-back effort this weekend in Nashville. South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 21.
| Picker | Tennessee at Georgia | Texas at Kansas State | Alabama at LSU | Florida State at Miami | Syracuse at Pitt | UCF at Memphis | Tulane at Tulsa | Houston at SMU |
| Chris Clark (52-28) | Georgia | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
| Terry Ford (54-26) | Georgia | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | Memphis | Tulane | Houston |
| Pearson Fowler (45-35) | Tennessee | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Pitt | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
| Wes Mitchell (52-28) | Tennessee | Texas | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
| Jay Phillips (52-28) | Georgia | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Pitt | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
| Michael Sauls (47-33) | Tennessee | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulane | Houston |
| Kendall Smith (47-33) | Georgia | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulsa | SMU |
| Collyn Taylor (50-30) | Georgia | Kansas State | Alabama | Florida State | Pitt | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
| Mike Uva (57-23) | Georgia | Texas | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulane | Houston |
| Jack Veltri (53-27) | Tennessee | Texas | Alabama | Florida State | Syracuse | UCF | Tulane | SMU |
