Bold predictions for South Carolina football
Defense holds Chris Rodriguez, Jr. to less than 100 yards.
Kentucky tailback Chris Rodriguez currently leads the SEC with 377 yards through three games of action. That total includes a 125-yard performance against Louisiana-Monroe and a 206-yard effort in the win over Missouri. South Carolina won’t be the third defense to allow Rodriguez to eclipse the century mark, though.
Rodriguez torched the Gamecocks last year for 139 yards and three scores on just 14 carries last year, averaging nearly 10 yards per rush. He also hauled in a 12-yard reception to total more than 150 yards for the contest. Another performance like that and the Gamecocks will be getting on the bus with a second straight loss, so you can bet that the defensive game plan will key on Kentucky’s talented rusher.
The Kentucky rushing game has to be a focus for South Carolina’s defense, especially after getting bullied for 6.4 yards per carry last week against Georgia. Kentucky will likely look to lean on that potent rushing attack as the passing game has struggled at times. Wildcat quarterbacks completed just 10 passes in the week two win against Mizzou (compared to 52 rushes), and starter Will Levis threw a pair of picks last weekend against Chattanooga.
The winner of this matchup will be the team that dominates the trenches. We’re expecting South Carolina to man up on the front seven and limit Chris Rodriguez’s success as they focus on that Kentucky run game. He won’t hit triple digits against the Gamecocks’ defense this weekend.