South Carolina football: 4 bold predictions for season opener
By Jacob Elsey
It’s officially game week for South Carolina football, who begins its season this Saturday with an opener versus the Eastern Illinois Panthers. The Panthers kicked their season off last weekend, falling 26-21 against Indiana State. The loss was EIU’s 18th in their last 20 matchups. The Gamecocks should be able to continue that trend for the Panthers and start the Shane Beamer era off with a convincing win.
While the Gamecocks will be favored, there are some question marks surrounding the team. First and foremost, who plays at quarterback? Projected starter Luke Doty went down with a foot injury over the offseason, and his status for game one is still up in the air.
South Carolina is also looking for a pass catcher to step up and help out whoever lands at quarterback. The Gamecocks leading returning receivers are tight end Nick Muse and running back Kevin Harris. No South Carolina wideout recorded more than 115 yards last season. That has to change this year if the offense wants to stay balanced.
On defense, issues in the secondary and at linebacker are evident. There will be a ton of new faces on this side of the ball following a mass exodus after the firing of the previous staff. Can these newcomers make an immediate impact? There are options, but not many have been proven on the SEC level.
Though there’s uncertainty, there are also some key contributors returning. Kevin Harris leads a stacked running back room, while Kingsley Enagbare will look to apply pressure on quarterback Otto Kuhns.
Again, the Gamecocks should be able to out-talent the Panthers this weekend to leave Williams-Brice Stadium with a win. Let’s take a look at 4 bold predictions for the opener as the season creeps closer and closer.