It’s the South Carolina Gamecocks vs the Old Dominion Monarchs to open their respective 2024 campaigns. South Carolina will be hosting the Monarchs in their premiere game of the season.
South Carolina vs Old Dominion History
These two teams have never faced off before. The last time the Monarchs played an SEC opponent was in 2014 against Vanderbilt. Anticipating the season opener, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said, “Really excited to get out there and play on Saturday afternoon. Our guys have been nothing but fantastic since January. Love what we have done as a team and how we have grown since January.”
Key Players for South Carolina
This year’s South Carolina starting defense looks similar to last year’s unit. Since they kept so many key pieces, the players know each other and how to work well together. As a result, look for sacks, quick series, and even a few turnovers from the Gamecocks defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, plenty of new faces have arrived in Columbia. A key newcomer is running back Rahiem (Rocket) Sanders. The transfer from Arkansas found the endzone 12 times in his last healthy season, which was his sophomore year.
Now a senior, South Carolina welcomes him in as their primary running back. In the first game of the season, look for him to take some pressure off the passing game. He’ll be the primary running back in short-yardage situations, too.
Leading the offense will be redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers. He features a strong arm and great mobility. At 6-feet 3-inches and 245 pounds, the run game is where Sellers excels. The 2024 Gamecocks offense will likely feature more quarterback sneaks, options, and motion.
As coach Beamer put it, “[Sellers] and Robby Ashford (QB2) both have an element [of athleticism] at the quarterback position that we’ve never seen before. The fact that you’re talking about guys that are 240 pounds and can run … That wasn’t neccesarily [2023 QB1] Spencer’s [Rattler] game if you will.”
Key Players for Old Dominion
ESPN projects the Monarchs to finish second-to-last in the Sunbelt, a non-Power 5 (really Power 4 now) conference. Last year, they were 11th in points per game and 13th in yards per game in their conference.
The Monarchs defense is led by senior linebacker Jason Henderson. During the last two seasons, he has racked up 346 total tackles (109 solo), and five sacks. Expect Henderson to make many big plays on Saturday, as he tries to rally a defensive unit that will no doubt have its struggles against an SEC offense.
Grant Wilson will be under center for the Old Dominion offense. A season ago, the junior threw for over 2,100 yards, paired with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s got quick feet and can make defenders miss when he takes off from the pocket. Wilson’s running ability should serve as a test to see how disciplined the South Carolina defense is about tracking and containing the quarterback.
Keys to Game for South Carolina
This will be Sellers’ first game as the starting quarterback for the Gamecocks. As he takes on the QB1 role, he doesn’t need to make every play. The first few offensive series will likely feature a lot of conservative play-calling, such as checkdowns, screens, and runs.
As the game progresses, once Beamer and his staff believe Sellers is ready, look for South Carolina to take more shots down field. As long as the Gamecocks’ offense can sustain drives and avoid big mistakes, it could be a long day for the Old Dominion defense.
While the betting line for this game favors South Carolina by 20 points, this game could be an even bigger blowout.
