South Carolina Football Gameday Guide: Gamecocks vs. North Carolina

South Carolina (0-0) vs North Carolina (0-0)

When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019 - 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Bank of America Stadium (75,523), Charlotte, NC

Television: ESPN (Bob Wichusen, Dan Orlovsky and Allison Williams)

Local Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Jamar Nesbit)

Satellite Radio: Sirius 121, XM 383

Odds: USC -10.5, OU 63.5

Weather: Mostly sunny. Highs around 87°F. North northeast wind to 7 MPH.

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Collyn Taylor: This seems like, on paper at least, a no brainer. South Carolina is better across the board than North Carolina, which is thin, breaking in a new coaching staff and starting a true freshman quarterback. South Carolina should cover the spread and win by two scores. I'd expect the offense to take some time to start clicking—it should be humming three or four drives into the game—and the defense to dial up a lot of pressure on Sam Howell. The only caveat I have is openers are usually a crapshoot and weirdness tends to follow. I'm not saying it'll happen Saturday (it shouldn't) but openers can get hairy. South Carolina 35, UNC 17

Wes Mitchell: On paper, this is certainly a game that South Carolina should win. Sure, Week 1 can be unpredictable, but its just hard for me to see this Gamecocks team, in Year 4 of Muschamp, losing to Mack Brown in Year 1. While South Carolina certainly has some questions, still, North Carolina has plenty of outright holes. For that reason, I'm picking the Gamecocks. South Carolina 31, UNC 10.

Michael Beckham: This should be Muschamp’s best South Carolina squad to date, and North Carolina seems to be in a total rebuild. Throw in the fact that the Tarheels start a true freshman quarterback with a brand new staff, and it should be a recipe for a sputtering attack for the ‘Heels. South Carolina returns a veteran offensive unit with several playmakers, including senior quarterback. They should be able to move the ball effectively throughout the game. I think the Gamecocks get on the board early and often and coast with a defense that will be healthy for the first time in almost a year. South Carolina 41, UNC 16

Will Helms: The Tar Heels have some momentum on the recruiting trail, but they’re still the same team that went 2-9 a season ago. Sam Howell is talented and has all the intangibles to be a great college quarterback. That being said, the Gamecocks hold the edge at every position and should be able to handle business Saturday. The offense should score early and often and if this one isn’t wrapped up by the fourth quarter, it could be a long season. South Carolina 38, UNC 17

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THE HISTORY: 2019 marks the 126th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 113th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 608-579-44, a .512 winning percentage.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: The 2019 season marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 South Carolina squad that won the Atlantic Coast Conference title with a perfect 6-0 mark under Paul Dietzel. Included was a 14-6 win over North Carolina. That team was rewarded with a trip to the Peach Bowl. 2019 also marks the 25th anniversary of the 1994 South Carolina team that went 7-5 including the school's first bowl victory - a 24-21 win over West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.

BATTLE OF THE CAROLINAS: South Carolina and North Carolina renew its series on Saturday, August 31, in the season opener for both squads. This will mark the 58th meeting on the gridiron between these two schools. North Carolina holds a 34-19-4 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 mark when the game has been played at a neutral site. However, South Carolina has won each of the last three contests (21-15 in Chapel Hill in 2007, 27-10 in Columbia in 2013 and 17-13 in Charlotte in 2015) and six of the last seven overall.

MUSCHAMP AND THE TAR HEELS: South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp has never faced the North Carolina Tar Heels.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is 1-3 against the Gamecocks, with all four games coming during his first stint in Chapel Hill. The Gamecocks defeated the Tar Heels by scores of 31-10, 27-20 and 27-5 from 1988-90, before Brown and the Heels tallied a 21-17 win during the 1991 season.

CHAMP AND MACK GO WAY BACK: Will Muschamp was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas from 2008-10 under Mack Brown. During those three years, the Longhorns went 30-9 and went to the BCS National Championship Game following the 2009 season.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: The Gamecocks and Tar Heels opened the 2015 season at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 3, with South Carolina posting a 17-13 win. The Tar Heels took a 13-10 lead into intermission, but Shon Carson broke a 48-yard run to paydirt early in the fourth quarter for the only score in the second half, lifting the Gamecocks to victory. Linebacker Skai Moore intercepted a pair of passes in the endzone, including one in the game's final minutes to preserve the win. South Carolina did most of its damage on the ground, rushing for 254 yards. The announced attendance was 51,664.

CAROLINA ON MY MIND: The Gamecocks have 14 players who played their high school ball in the Tar Heel State: Rico Dowdle (Asheville); Nick Muse (Belmont), Eric Douglas, Max Durschlag, Jovaughn Gwyn and Jaylen Nichols (Charlotte); Derek Boykins-Brooks and Rick Sandidge (Concord); Traevon Kenion (Monroe); Donovan Wirt (Raeford); Connor Jordan and Spencer Eason-Riddle (Raleigh); Sherrod Greene (Rocky Mount); and Jaylin Dickerson (Southern Pines).

BREAKING IT DOWN: The 115-man roster (as of August 23) consists of 21 seniors, 25 juniors, 24 sophomores, 17 redshirt freshmen and 28 true freshmen.

THEY'RE BACK: The Gamecocks have 47 returning letterwinners to begin the 2019 season. That consists of 20 offensive players, 22 defensive players and five special teams players.

RETURNING STARTERS: The Gamecocks list 16 returning starters from the 2018 squad, seven on offense, seven on defense and two specialists. The returning offensive starters are Jake Bentley, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards, Sadarius Hutcherson, Shi Smith, Donell Stanley and Dylan Wonnum. The returning defensive starters are T.J. Brunson, Sherrod Greene, Jaycee Horn, Javon Kinlaw, R.J. Roderick, Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas. The two specialists are Joseph Charlton and Parker White.

EVERY TIME OUT: The Gamecocks had four players start every game in 2018, and all four return in 2019. The quartet includes LB T.J. Brunson, LB Sherrod Greene, OG Sadarius Hutcherson and OC Donell Stanley.

STATS FROM USC MEDIA RELATIONS

Click here to read the depth chart (PDF)

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

19 Jake Bentley - Sr.

3 Ryan Hilinski - Fr.

7 Dakereon Joyner - RsFr.

RUNNING BACK

5 Rico Dowdle - Sr.

OR

4 Tavien Feaster - Sr.

OR

34 Mon Denson - RsSr.

WIDE RECEIVER (outside)

89 Bryan Edwards - Sr.

83 Chavis Dawkins - Sr.

WIDE RECEIVER (outside)

6 Josh Vann - So.

18 OrTre Smith - RsSo.

WIDE RECEIVER (slot)

13 Shi Smith - Jr.

8 Randrecous Davis - RsJr.

LEFT TACKLE

50 Sadarius Hutcherson - RsJr.

55 Jakai Moore - Fr.

LEFT GUARD

72 Donell Stanley - RsSr.

76 Jordan Rhodes - RsSo.

CENTER

70 Hank Manos - RsFr.

74 Vincent Murphy - Fr.

RIGHT GUARD

71 Eric Douglas - RsSo.

OR

54 Jovaughn Gwyn - RsFr.

RIGHT TACKLE

79 Dylan Wonnum - So.

71 Eric Douglas - RsSo.

TIGHT END

84 Kyle Markway - RsJr.

82 Keshawn Toney - Fr.

TIGHT END

31 Chandler Farrell - RsJr.

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE END

15 Aaron Sterling - Jr.

52 Kingsley Enagbare - So.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

3 Javon Kinlaw - Sr.

26 Zacch Pickens - Fr.

OR

90 Rick Sandidge - So.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

95 Kobe Smith - Sr.

OR

5 Keir Thomas - Sr.

BUCK

8 D.J. Wonnum - Sr.

35 Daniel Fennell - RsSr.

MIKE LINEBACKER

53 Ernest Jones - So.

42 Rosendo Louis Jr. - So.

WILL LINEBACKER

6 T.J. Brunson - Sr.

30 Damani Staley - Jr.

SAM LINEBACKER

44 Sherrod Greene - Jr.

OR

40 Jahmar Brown - Fr.

SAFETY

21 Jamyest Williams - Jr.

10 R.J. Roderick - So.

SAFETY

29 J.T. Ibe - RsSr.

7 Jammie Robinson - Fr.

CORNERBACK

1 Jaycee Horn - So.

22 John Dixon - Fr.

CORNERBACK

24 Israel Mukuamu - So.

25 A.J. Turner - RsSr.

NICKEL

7 Jammie Robinson - Fr.

10 R.J. Roderick - So.

SPECIAL TEAMS

PLACE KICKER

43 Parker White - Jr.

48 Will Tommie - Sr.

PUNTER

20 Joseph Charlton - Sr.

85 Michael Almond - Sr.

DEEP SNAPPER

39 Matt Oliveira - Sr.

69 Matthew Bailey - Fr.

HOLDER

20 Joseph Charlton - Sr.

PUNT RETURNER

89 Bryan Edwards - Sr.

13 Shi Smith - Jr.

KICKOFF RETURNER

25 A.J. Turner - RsSr.

13 Shi Smith - Jr.

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