The No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3) have concluded their SEC schedule for the 2024 season. They finished on a high note, moving up four spots in the AP Poll Top-25 rankings this week. That comes after wins in their last four games (all versus SEC opponents, three against ranked teams). This week, a new test in the Wofford Terriers (5-6, 3-5) comes to Columbia. Here’s everything you need to know, and what to watch for in Saturday’s contest.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Wofford Terriers football history
South Carolina dominate the win column in this matchup’s history. The Gamecocks are 20-4 all-time Wofford. And, South Carolina has won the last 17 matchups between these two teams.
Key players for South Carolina
LaNorris Sellers, Quarterback
LaNorris Sellers has surpassed all expectations entering this season. The redshirt freshman put his slow start behind him, leading Carolina to their best season in the Shane Beamer era. So far, he’s racked up 1,803 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. Sellers has a passer rating of 149.2, which falls just short of what is considered a “perfect passer rating” at 158.3. While he most likely won’t play in the second half of this contest, a strong start to build a healthy lead early on is what Gamecocks fans hope to see.
Vicari Swain, Defensive Back
He only has nine total tackles on the season, but Vicari Swain is likely to get much more action than usual assuming the Gamecocks have a comfortable lead by halftime. Despite the limited playing time, we’ve seen bright flashes from the freshman. This is a great opportunity for the coaching staff to get a good look at what he can do, and to see if he can be a bigger contributor next season.
Key players for Wofford
Amari Odom, Quarterback
For Wofford to have a chance at pulling off a miracle win over a ranked opponent, quarterback Amari Odom will need to have a flawless game. So far this season, the true freshman has passed for 1,350 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions.
Ryan Ingram, Running back
Ryan Ingram has 650 rushing yards and six touchdowns so far on the season. He is coming off two of his best collegiate games ever, combining for 222 yards and a touchdown. If Wofford wants to keep this game close, Ingram must play well.
Jalen Marshall, Linebacker
As a junior, Jalen Marshall has stepped into his role of becoming a leader for the Terriers’ defensive unit. Marshall has made his name known around the Southern Conference (SoCon) with 88 total tackles, 60 of those being solos. Additionally, Marshall is credited with six pass deflections and one each of a sack, interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery.
Keys to victory for the Gamecocks
Avoid the trap game
Don’t give in to the trap game mentality. Despite coming in as 42.5-point favorites, South Carolina must not play overly relaxed – at least to start. The Gamecocks must take this game seriously because only winning by a narrow margin could influence The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee on whether South Carolina is in or out of the playoffs.
Take control early
As non-conference underdogs on the road, Wofford’s only realistic chance will be to start off extremely hot. For South Carolina, they have to make sure they’re settled in early, and take control of the game and its tempo.
Flawless defense
The Terriers haven’t scored 20 or more points against a SoCon defense all season. Against one of the best in the nation, there isn’t any reason Wofford should score more than a couple of field goals in this game.
Offensive field day
Although more than a half of football from the starters seems unrealistic, the backups shouldn’t have any problem either against an FCS-level defense. The Terriers are giving up 337.8 yards per game (38th in FCS play). It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Carolina offense go for over 600 yards as a unit.
