South Carolina football vs Furman: Score prediction, scouting report for Gamecocks' home opener

COLUMBIA — After an ugly Week 1 loss to North Carolina, South Carolina football aims to pick up its first win of 2023 in its home opener against Furman.

The Gamecocks (0-1) host the Paladins (1-0) in front of a sold-out crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPN+). South Carolina leads the all-time series 28-20-1, and it has won both meetings with Furman since 2000. The teams last faced off in Columbia in 2014, and the Gamecocks won 41-10.

Furman is ranked No. 6 in the FCS coaches' poll and opened its 2023 season with a 45-10 win over Tennessee Tech. The Paladins were predicted to finish first in the Southern Conference preseason after going 7-1 and 10-3 overall in 2022.

Here's everything you need to know about the Paladins' matchup with South Carolina:

Dual-threat Furman QB Tyler Huff poses challenge

Though Furman quarterback Tyler Huff is no Drake Maye, he is a veteran starter with plenty of ability both on the ground and through the air. The 6-foot-1, 216-pound graduate student passed for 2,199 yards with 15 touchdowns last season while rushing for 694 yards with eight touchdowns. The Paladins also returned two of their top three receivers from last season in Joshua Harris and Kyndel Dean.

Despite his production, accuracy is a weakness for Huff. He threw eight interceptions in 2022 on 68.1% completion, and he completed 55.6% with an interception against Tennessee Tech last week. South Carolina's defense picked off Maye twice and generated the third-most turnovers in the SEC last year, so a big night from the defensive backs will be critical.

Furman defense reliant on turnovers

Furman's secondary started the 2023 season with a bang, recording four interceptions including one returned for a touchdown, plus forcing a fumble in Week 1 against Tennessee Tech. Every starting defensive back is a redshirt junior or older, and the group led the SoCon last season in interceptions with 18.

The Paladins' defense led all FCS teams in turnovers caused in 2022 with an additional 11 recovered fumbles, and it also logged 31 sacks. However, the unit struggled to get stops outside of those big plays, giving up 272 passing yards per game. Furman gave up 35 points and 231 passing yards to Clemson and DJ Uiagaleilei last season, and Spencer Rattler could do even more damage after throwing for 353 yards against UNC.

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Run defense is key for South Carolina

Running back Dominic Roberto is back after leading the Paladins rushing last year for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning second-team All-SoCon honors. He logged 59 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, and the team combined for four rushing touchdowns and 194 total yards on the ground.

However, South Carolina's defensive line is a different beast compared to Tennessee Tech's, and Furman's best offensive lineman, Jacob Johanning (St. Joseph's Catholic), is expected to be out due to injury. After recording just one tackle for loss against North Carolina, the Gamecocks' defense needs to rebuild some confidence, and that hole in the Paladins' protection could be just the opportunity they need.

South Carolina score prediction vs Furman

South Carolina 35, Furman 17: The Gamecocks come out with something to prove and lead wire-to-wire, though the Paladins keep things interesting and trail by a touchdown at halftime. Rattler logs 300-plus yards for the second week in a row, plus his first passing touchdown of the season.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina score prediction vs Furman: College football Week 2