South Carolina football: 3 bold predictions for week 2

The South Carolina football team will travel to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium this weekend as they gear up for a week two matchup against East Carolina. The Gamecocks got the season off to a great start in a 46-0 win over Eastern Illinois, but the Pirates will present a taller task.

While East Carolina dropped its season opener 33-19 to Appalachian State last Thursday, they’re expected to pose a great threat to the Gamecocks on Saturday. The Pirates have had a few extra days to prepare for Shane Beamer’s squad, and a rowdy crowd will be on hand in the team’s home opener.

Vegas is calling for a close game, with the line shifting down to just one point in favor of East Carolina. We, too, expect the contest to stay close, and we’re earn the win. as the Gamecocks look to wear down a Pirates defense with its potent rushing attack, led by Kevin Harris. This will be Harris’s season debut after missing last weekend with an illness. The ball carrier led the SEC in rushing last season as a sophomore.

While Harris’s status is known going into the second week of the season, quarterback Luke Doty’s is a little more murky. After missing game one, he appeared to be on track to make his debut, but comments made yesterday by the coaching staff are leading to believe that it’ll be a game time decision. Coach Beamer has stated he has no intention of naming his starter before kickoff.

On defense, the Gamecocks looked stout, albeit against pretty weak competition. The unit surrendered just 109 total yards against Eastern Illinois, and is looking to remain aggressive when facing a talented ECU passing attack.

Let’s take a look at the upcoming matchup and make a few bold predictions for the outing with the Pirates, starting with the man under center.