NC State at South Carolina,
8:00 EST, ESPN
Why to watch:
After three seasons of
mediocrity, South Carolina has
its best team yet since Steve
Spurrier arrived. At least
that's the hope for antsy
Gamecock fans, and while the big
goal is to come up with a huge
year in the SEC East, a loss to
NC State would hardly sit well.
Although the talent has been
upgraded, the school is just
21-16 under the ball coach,
collapsing down the stretch last
year after raising expectations
with a 6-1 start. Ironically,
considering who the head man is,
it’s been the play of the
quarterback that’s hamstrung the
program’s ability to get over
the hump. Facing a crossroads
season, the Gamecocks are giving
the ball to untested junior
Tommy Beecher, at least for the
time being, who’s thrown all of
two dozen career passes. NC
State is entering its second
season with Tom O’Brien at the
helm as it looks to take another
step closer to stability. The
Pack has a long way to go before
narrowing the talent gap to be a
major national player, so the
staff will continue preaching
fundamentals and limiting
unforced errors to try to make
some noise in a down year for
the ACC. State is a year or two
away from contention, or at
least until it produce more
plays from the quarterback spot,
but a win in Columbia might
kickstart the expectations for a
big season.
Why NC State might win:
The Pack will keep things cozy
by controlling the line of
scrimmage when South Carolina
has the ball. State enjoys an
edge in the trenches, turning
loose DE Willie Young and DT
Alan Michael Cash on a flimsy
Gamecock front that
underachieved in pass protection
all throughout last year. South
Carolina’s attempt to
supercharge the offense will
fail if Beecher has no time to
throw and the running game
doesn’t get rolling.
Why South Carolina might win:
The Gamecock defense is going to
be nasty, especially now that LB
Jasper Brinkley and DT Nathan
Pepper are back from
season-ending injuries. With the
uncertainty NC State is facing
at quarterback, South Carolina
can use most of its resources to
stack the line and stop Jamelle
Eugene, Andre Brown, and Toney
Baker. Facing constant pressure,
newly anointed starting QB
Russell Wilson will have no
chance of navigating an
aggressive ‘Cock secondary
that’s anchored by CB Captain
Munnerlyn and SS Emanuel Cook.
Who to watch: Brinkley
instantly makes the South
Carolina defense far better than
it was when he was sidelined
last fall. He’s an impact
defender with tremendous
instincts and the ferocity to
create turnovers. With the
Wolfpack determined to stay
conservative and work the area
between the tackles, he’ll make
a statement return with at least
10 tackles and a couple of
bone-jarring sticks if he's able
to fight through ankle and foot
problems that kept him at less
than 100% this off-season.
What will happen: The
Gamecocks might be vulnerable if
they were opening against a team
with a pulse on offense. The
Wolfpack, however, are
one-dimensional, which will make
it tough to score into the
double-digits. South Carolina
will pick up its first victory,
but the lingering questions
about the offense and the
quarterback play will remain
unanswered.
CFN Prediction: South
Carolina 23 ... NC State 10 ...
Line: South Carolina -11.5
Must See Rating
:
(5 90210 - 1 90210, at least
what you’ll say among your
friends) … 3