South Carolina Football: What to Watch for Against Vanderbilt
By Kyle Zartman
As the South Carolina football team heads to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores, here is what to watch for.
Coming off of a week off, due to a game cancellation, the Gamecocks look to rebound against Vanderbilt. The South Carolina football team should still have a bad taste in their mouths as the last time they were on the field, they were getting blown out by the Georgia Bulldogs.
So what are the things to watch for during today’s game against Vanderbilt?
How will the Gamecocks look after a week off
Hurricane Florence forced last week’s game against Marshall to be canceled. South Carolina had an unexpected week off, which could lead to the team’s focus being elsewhere. It would be understandable if the Gamecocks seemed out of sorts early on.
Will South Carolina look to the run game
The Gamecocks’ run game was suspect against Georgia. Will they attempt to establish the run early in the game, or will they look to quarterback Jake Bentley? With the great play of Vanderbilt’s offense early in the season, it would make sense for South Carolina to get Rico Dowdle and the rest of the running backs involved early on.
Can the defense impose their will
The South Carolina defense looked great in week 1 against Coastal Carolina. However in week 2, the defense was hit or miss against Georgia. Can the defense bounce back this week? Will they be able to hold Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur in check? It will be interesting to see how the defense performs this week.
The South Carolina Gamecocks will attempt to make it 10 straight against the Vanderbilt Commodores. These are just a few thing we will be watching for today. Hopefully, we will see a win as well.