These Gamecocks are crucial to springing a South Carolina upset over Florida
South Carolina is at a critical juncture.
Needing two wins in its final four games to become bowl eligible, USC (4-4, 1-4 SEC) has one of its best shots at a victory Saturday against a downtrodden Florida team (4-4, 2-4 SEC).
The Gamecocks and Gators have only met four times since 1964 where both teams are unranked in The Associated Press Top 25. South Carolina is 2-2 in such contests and won the last two games of this nature in 2014 and 2017.
If USC hopes to spring an upset again on Saturday, it’ll fall on these Gamecocks to make it happen:
QBs Jason Brown/Zeb Noland
South Carolina has a cloudy picture at quarterback for the umpteenth time this season.
Zeb Noland underwent a “minor surgical procedure” to address a torn meniscus in his right knee last week, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to play on Saturday. Coach Shane Beamer said Noland had practiced this week, but he needed to see that he had his mobility back before being ready to play him.
If Noland can’t go, Jason Brown should get his first real shot since he arrived at South Carolina. Brown completed 8-of-14 passes for 84 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in garbage time against Texas A&M two weeks ago. He also played in 18 games in his time at FCS St. Francis (Pa.).
Fans have lobbied for Brown to get a shot for weeks. It’s worth tempering expectations, after all he was the third-string quarterback to start this year for a reason. That said, Brown would earn plenty more fans with an effective night on Saturday.
South Carolina defensive line
This isn’t so much one player as it is the whole unit.
The Gamecocks have been stellar on the defensive line in 2021 and its a big part of why defensive coordinator Clayton White ought to get himself a pay raise at the end of this season. Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare looks the part of a first-round NFL Draft pick on the edge, while Zacch Pickens doesn’t look too far behind him. Aaron Sterling, Jordan Strachan and Jordan Burch have all had their moments as well.
The one knock on this group is that South Carolina has struggled to stop the run. Granted some of that comes with Sherrod Greene missing at linebacker, but that doesn’t change the fact three of South Carolina’s five Southeastern Conference opponents this year have run for 230 or more yards on the Gamecocks.
Florida quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones both have the ability to scramble at a high level. The Gators also have three running backs — Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis and Nay’Quan Wright — who have at least 50 touches and more than 240 yards apiece.
South Carolina’s defense has been ahead of schedule this season, and White deserves a ton of credit. However, if the Gamecocks are going to win Saturday they have to slow down the Gators’ run game.
WR Josh Vann/RB ZaQuandre White
I’ll lump Josh Vann and ZaQuandre White together because this is more about playmakers than it is any single position.
Vann started this season on an absolute tear, notching more than 120 yards in games against East Carolina and Georgia. Since then, he’s come back down to earth. Vann hasn’t gone for more than 45 yards in a game since Week 3 and has been limited to less than 35 yards three times in that five-game stretch.
White has been a nice addition to a South Carolina backfield that desperately needs someone to make a play. Kevin Harris has clearly not been himself this fallm and the offensive line’s struggles certainly don’t help.
A one-time Florida State tailback, White leads the team with 291 yards despite not getting a single carry against Kentucky, Troy or Tennessee. He’s also combined for 124 yards on 20 carries in his last two games against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.
South Carolina needs more out of its skill-position players if the offensive line is going to continue to be a problem. A little blocking would go a long way in helping White, while Vann has to be able to beat the increased defensive back pressure he’s seeing of late for South Carolina’s offense to have a chance this weekend.
