South Carolina (0-1) vs Charleston Southern (0-1)
When: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 - Noon. ET
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250), Columbia, SC
Television: SEC Network (Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, Dawn Davenport)
Local Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Jamar Nesbit)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 135, XM 190
Odds: USC -40, O/U 50
Weather: 87 degrees, 0 percent chance of rain
COVERAGE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA'S HOME OPENER:
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PODCAST: Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell preview Charleston Southern
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Gamecock Central Staff Predictions
Collyn Taylor: Hoo boy is this one going to get bad. South Carolina is a very pissed off team right now and are probably going to try and put up as many points as possible to wipe the slate clean essentially before Alabama.
They get a pretty good punching bag in Charleston Southern, who's breaking in a new coaching staff and completely overhauling its offense from a triple option to an air raid system. I think the Gamecocks are going to likely run the ball down the Bucs' throat and give Tavien Feaster, Rico Dowdle and Mon Denson a heavy stream of carries and they'll take enough shots to get him in rhythm before the teeth of the schedule. South Carolina 56, Charleston Southern 10.
Wes Mitchell: South Carolina should be able to overmatch CSU up front on both the offensive and defensive lines and this should be an opportunity to correct some of the glaring mistakes from last week while getting Hilinski and Joyner valuable reps. South Carolina 45, Charleston Southern 13
Michael Beckham: After last week, I feel hesitant calling for a blowout, but this is one that the Gamecocks should win going away. Even with a true freshman starting, Carolina should be able to pile up points and defend well. The Gamecocks desperately need to put this away early and get some youth into the game for experience. I think they do just that. South Carolina 44, Charleston Southern 13.
Will Helms: It’s freshman signal-caller Ryan Hilinski’s first start and an easy opportunity for South Carolina to get in the win column ahead of next Saturday’s clash with Alabama. Last time a freshman started, South Carolina won 34-28 over UMass in Jake Bentley’s first start. Hilinski has better pieces around him and coming off a loss in which the Gamecocks’ passing game looked awful, I actually expect the coaches to let Hilinski sling it. As a type of bold prediction, I think Hilinski throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a lopsided win. South Carolina 48, Charleston Southern 13
Select Gamecock Central Content
- Carolina Confidential - Final thoughts on South Carolina vs. CSU
- South Carolina football: Tight end Nick Muse granted immediate eligibility
- The Insider Report - And in-depth look at Charleston Southern
- Five storylines to watch: CSU
- Breaking down the keys: South Carolina Gamecocks football vs. CSU
- Donell Stanley's message to his teammates entering week two
- Thursday night injury update
Quick Notes
** Charleston Southern, out of the FCS Big South Conference, began playing football 1991. It was tough sledding early for the Buccaneers, as they logged 13-consecutive losing seasons before breaking even for the first time in 2004. They joined the Big South Conference in 2002 and went 1-10 through the first three seasons in the league. The Bucs posted their first winning record in 2005, earning their first Big South title along the way. They reached the FCS Playoffs in both 2015 and 2016. They are coming off a 5-6 campaign in 2018, including a 3-2 mark in the Big South.
** South Carolina and Charleston Southern are meeting for the first time ever on the gridiron. ** CSU faces an SEC opponent for the third-consecutive season having previously taken on Mississippi State and Florida. Mississippi State posted a 49-0 win over the Bucs to open the 2017 campaign, while Florida rolled to a 53-6 win in the 2018 season lidlifter for both schools. The Bucs are 0-20 all-time against FBS opponents and 0-7 all-time against the SEC, including losses to Florida (twice), Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Charleston Southern has been outscored 345-65 over their previous seven games against the SEC.
** Charleston Southern was picked to finish third in the 2019 Big South preseason poll behind Kennesaw State and Monmouth. North Alabama was not included in the poll due to not being eligible for the Big South Championship and not counting as a conference opponent this season.
** Autry Denson begins his first season guiding the Bucs' football fortunes. The former Notre Dame standout was named the CSU fifth head coach in program history in January. He spent the last four years as the running backs coach at his alma mater. Other coaching stops include stints at South Florida, Miami (Ohio) and Bethune-Cookman.
** South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp has never faced the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.
** Former Gamecock Darius Douglas is on the Bucs roster. Douglas, a 6-0, 175-pound quarterback from Moncks Corner and Berkeley High School, was a walk-on for the Gamecocks in 2017 and 2018 before transferring to Charleston Southern.
** CSU Athletics Director Jeff Barber is a former member of the Gamecock Athletics administration, serving a 10-year stint from 1996-2006 in development and as executive director of the Gamecock Club.
** The Gamecocks are 31-9 in their last 40 non-conference games, with five of the nine losses in that stretch coming against Clemson. Carolina has another formidable non-conference slate in 2019, with ACC opponents North Carolina and Clemson, along with Sun Belt champion Appalachian State and Charleston Southern on the docket. ** Since the turn of the century, the Gamecocks have a 45-3 mark against teams not currently in a Power 5 conference. The only three losses in that stretch came to UConn in the 2010 Papajohns.com Bowl, to The Citadel in 2015 and to South Florida in the 2016 Birmingham Bowl. It should be noted that UConn was in the Big East, which was a BCS automatic qualifier during the 2009 season.
** Carolina has won 30 of its last 33 home games against non-conference foes. The Gamecocks had won a school-record 22-straight home games against non-conference opponents before dropping the final two games of the 2015 regular season to The Citadel and Clemson. They were 3-0 against non-conference opponents at Williams-Brice Stadium last season, with wins over Coastal Carolina, Chattanooga and Akron. The remaining non-conference home games are against Appalachian State and Clemson.
** The Gamecocks opened the 2019 season at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and suffered a 24-20 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Gamecocks took a 20-9 advantage into the fourth quarter, but surrendered 98-yard and 95-yard scoring drives, as the Tar Heels rallied for the win. It was just the Gamecocks' second season-opening loss in the last 20 years (also 2014 against Texas A&M).
** True freshmen cornerback John Dixon and nickelback Jammie Robinson both started in the secondary in the season opener against North Carolina. They became the eighth and ninth true freshman to start a season opener for the Gamecocks since the 2009 season, joining Stephon Gilmore (2009), Marcus Lattimore (2010), Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Bryson Allen-Williams (2014), Al Harris Jr. (2014), Bryan Edwards (2016) and Jaycee Horn (2018). In addition to John Dixon and Jammie Robinson, offensive guard Eric Douglas and linebacker Ernest Jones made their first collegiate starts last week.
NOTES PROVIDED BY USC MEDIA RELATIONS
Depth chart
While the South Carolina football team doesn't release an updated depth chart each week, Gamecock Central will do its best to update our own projected depth chart based on the Gamecocks' injury news, playing time trends in the most recent game, public information from Tuesday press conferences, and behind-the-scenes info we've gathered.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
3 Ryan Hilinski - Fr.
7 Dakereon Joyner - RsFr.
(OUT - 19 Jake Bentley - Sr. - Foot - 6-8 weeks minimum)
RUNNING BACK
5 Rico Dowdle - Sr.
OR
4 Tavien Feaster - Sr.
34 Mon Denson - RsSr.
WIDE RECEIVER (outside)
89 Bryan Edwards - Sr.
83 Chavis Dawkins - Sr.
81 Jay Urich - RsSO.
WIDE RECEIVER (outside)
6 Josh Vann - So.
18 OrTre Smith - RsSo. (PROBABLE - Shoulder)
17 Xavier Legette - Fr.
WIDE RECEIVER (slot)
13 Shi Smith - Jr.
7 Dakereon Joyner - RsFr.
(OUT - 8 Randrecous Davis - RsJr. - Ankle - Should return next week)
LEFT TACKLE
50 Sadarius Hutcherson - RsJr.
55 Jakai Moore - Fr.
LEFT GUARD
76 Jordan Rhodes - RsSo.
54 Jovaughn Gwyn - RsFr.
CENTER
72 Donell Stanley - RsSr.
70 Hank Manos - RsFr.
RIGHT GUARD
54 Jovaughn Gwyn - RsFr.
71 Eric Douglas - RsSo.
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. (QUESTIONABLE - Swelling in knee)
OR
52 Kingsley Enagbare - So.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
3 Javon Kinlaw - Sr.
90 Rick Sandidge - So.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
95 Kobe Smith - Sr.
26 Zacch Pickens - Fr.
(OUT - 5 Keir Thomas - Sr. - Infection in ankle - Out 1-2 more weeks or longer)
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.
NOTES: No changes at linebacker.
SAFETY
21 Jamyest Williams - Jr.
OR
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
13 Shi Smith - Jr.
25 A.J. Turner - RsSr.
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