Coming off their bye week, the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1)(1-1) will have a major chance to prove their identity as they face the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels (4-1)(0-1). The Rebels are coming off a huge upset loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, 20-17, dropping them six spots in the Week 6 AP Polls. Just four weeks ago, the Gamecocks dismantled that same Wildcat team, 31-6.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Ole Miss Rebels Matchup History
Ole Miss barely edges out South Carolina in this matchups all time history, leading the series with a record of 9-8. However, the Gamecocks have won three out of the last four matchups.
South Carolina Key Players
As of right now, Gamecocks fans got promising updates from the recent injury report. Jared Brown, Rocket Sanders, and LaNorris Sellers are all listed as probable to play in Saturday’s game. While the Gamecocks took care of business in their last game against Akron without these three, it would be more of an uphill climb if one or more of them aren’t able to go this Saturday.
If Sellers can play, he may not be able to run into defenders and take the hits that make him a dangerous threat. This would set up more of the quick passing game to avoid an excessive amount of hits. Additionally, the Gamecocks offensive plan maybe hinge on the number of snaps that Sanders will be able to play.
Defensively, South Carolina will need a strong performance from their marquee front. A huge part of that group is Dylan Stewart who has a 90.4 pass rush grade this season according to PFF, which leads all freshman. This defense has been the cornerstone of the team all year, and a lockdown game from them is a major key for a possible upset for USC.
Ole Miss Key Players
Jaxson Dart has rampaged across defenses all year, throwing for over 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns. The senior from Kaysville, UT has a strong arm and can strike with big plays.
Dart’s favorite target in the passing game is Tre Harris. He has 49 receptions on the season – more than triple their second leading receiver Cayden Lee with 16. Harris has 804 receiving yards and is averaging 16.4 yards per catch with five touchdowns. He is one of the top receivers in the SEC and the Gamecocks secondary will be facing their biggest challenge of the season to limit his impact on the game.
Gamecock’s Keys to Win
South Carolina’s best chance to pull off the upset relies on the ability of the offense to have sustained drives and win the battle of field position.
Expect a lot of aggressive play calling from head coach Shane Beamer and his staff. This could mean going for it on fourth and short situations, not settling for field goals, and possibly getting into his bag of tricks with things like fake punts and such on special teams. After all, Beamer Ball runs on special teams magic.
