Around 24 hours from now, South Carolina will be in the midst of an all-important game against Vanderbilt, a game that could help set the tone for the remaining two games before the bye week.

A win while looking good doing it could give the Gamecocks a nice reset button after a tough two games, and a loss could dig the Gamecocks into a much, much deeper hole than they're already in currently.

Before the game starts, though, it's important to know what to look for, and here at GamecockCentral we have you covered on the storylines to follow.

Bringing the "juice"

The word juice has probably been said over the last two months in South Carolina media availabilities more than on a Sunday morning at IHOP. The Gamecocks aren't literally talking about juice but the concept metaphorically discussing players bringing energy to practice or a game.

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They'll need it Saturday. Coming off a tough loss, playing a team they've handled succinctly and playing in front of zero fans would all be reasons to come out flat but all three of those things are happening against the Commodores.

The Gamecocks need to bring their own juice—either orange, apple or energy—to avoid coming out flat and sputtering out of the gate when the game kicks off at noon on the SEC Network.

Back end bounce back

The Gamecocks have struggled through two games defensively, especially on the back end, with the secondary struggling to limit explosive plays.

Luckily, they get a little bit of a palate cleanser with Vandy the worst yards per pass attempt team in the SEC, and could opt to shuffle things around.

It wouldn't be shocking to see John Dixon starting at corner with Israel Mukuamu at safety, something the coaching staff is toying with, and that's something to definitely watch as the Gamecocks try to get things straightened out in the secondary.

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Which receivers will step up?

It's the most glaring issue offensively right now with no receiver outside of Shi Smith able to turn in consistent performances. Smith has 22 catches for 225 yards while the rest of the receiving room has combined for eight catches and 107 yards.

The Gamecocks are going to need someone outside of Smith to step up, and this week could be a perfect opportunity for a young player—Xavier Legette, Rico Powers, Dakereon Joyner or Luke Doty—to step up and earn a starting spot.

Will the Gamecocks shuffle the tackles?

The offensive line has done well in run blocking, but the biggest issue is being able to protect Collin Hill, who's been sacked eight times in two games.

They've started Jakai Moore at right tackle the first two games but could opt to move Dylan Wonnum back there in favor of Jazston Turnetine at left tackle or slide Vershon Lee in there as well at right tackle.

Watching the kinds of combinations the Gamecocks throw out there will be interesting to see while examining which one plays the best.

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Young and restless for playing time

A lot South Carolina's 2020 class hasn't seen consistent time on the field, but the ones who have are showing out.

Both Jordan Burch and Tonka Hemingway are bright spots along the defensive line this season with Will Muschamp said both are in line for more playing time against Vandy.

Whether they see it is another story, but it looks like fans will get a longer look at the future of South Carolina's defensive front.