5 Predictions for Gamecocks-UMass
South Carolina squares off against FBS independent Massachusetts Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium. Both teams are looking to snap multi-game losing streaks. One team will succeed. What will happen?
1. The Gamecocks will accumulate more rushing yards than the Minutemen: USC will try to accomplish something Saturday they haven’t achieved since the win over UCF early last season – amass more rushing yards than the opponent. The ignominious streak of finishing with fewer rushing yards has reached 14 straight games. USC has come close a couple of times, but fallen short. UMass is allowing 206.1 rushing yards per game. Additionally, the Minutemen’s leading rusher (Marquis Young) was banged up in last week’s loss to Louisiana Tech and he is listed as questionable for the game. Even if he plays, he won’t be 100 percent. Freshmen A.J. Turner and Rico Dowdle finally get the ground game going for one of the few times this season.
2. The Gamecocks will allow no more than one red zone score: The Gamecock defense ranks third in the SEC and seventh in the nation in red zone defense, allowing points just 68.0 percent of the time (17-25). In 25 opportunities for the opponents, USC has allowed just 11 touchdowns and six field goals, while forcing a league-high five turnovers in the red zone. Meanwhile, UMass has scored on 15 of 21 red zone trips (71.4 percent) – 14 touchdowns and one FG. The Minutemen’s red zone scoring percentage would place them 13th in the SEC.
3. The Gamecocks will collect at least four sacks: USC has 11 sacks in six games, almost two per game, tying them for 11th in the SEC with Tennessee. However, UMass has surrendered an astounding 29 sacks in seven games, more than four per contest. Senior defensive end Darius English could have a big day for the Gamecocks, adding to his season total of 6.0 sacks. English is tied for second in the SEC and ninth in the country in sacks. Three more sacks and English would into a six-way tie for the fifth highest number of single season sacks in school history.
4. Freshmen will lead the Gamecocks in passing, rushing and receiving: How young are the Gamecocks? Almost 68 percent of the 2016 roster consists of freshmen and sophomores. Nearly every key offensive skill position player is a freshmen or sophomore, and most are freshmen. Consider this: If Jake Bentley starts at QB (or Brandon McIlwain, as well), USC will have a true freshmen QB, two freshmen running backs as well as a true freshman being one of the top receivers (Bryan Edwards). You can’t get much younger than that. By the way, when is the last time any FBS team started two different true freshman quarterbacks in the same season? How about THREE different true freshmen quarterbacks in a span of 14 games?
5. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a huge Gamecocks fan (wink, wink), will proclaim Saturday as “Jake Bentley Day” in the Palmetto State and he will be given the keys to the City of Columbia in a pregame ceremony: Has any young quarterback been greeted with more hype before he has even played his first game than Bentley? You probably have to go back to Stephen Garcia’s debut in 2008 for a reasonable comparison. But with the Gamecock offense struggling mightily to get anything going, Bentley offers Gamecock Nation something extremely valuable: hope. Many people are eying a fresh start after the Gamecocks failed to score more than 14 points in five of their first six games. Is Bentley exactly the fuel the USC offense needs to ignite? We’ll probably find out Saturday.
