The South Carolina Gamecocks may be 2-0 but so is Navy. The Midshipmen lead the country in rushing thru two games at 400 yards per game, thanks to a well-executed triple-option. USC coach Steve Spurrier was clear at his news conference this past Tuesday regarding the amount of respect he has for Navy.
South Carolina enters Saturday’s home opener with Navy ranked as high as 10th (AP Poll) and favored by 18.5 points. Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier has never lost to a team outside of a BCS automatic qualifier conference but Navy leads the all-time series against USC, which began in 1920, with a 4-3 record. Navy lost the last game versus USC by the score of 19-8 in 1988. USC is 5-5 all-time against the three primary service academies.
There are five keys for USC to taste revenge and avoid an upset, they are:
1. USC Must Play Disciplined Defense
The Gamecocks will have their work cut out for them and must play solid defense. At the point of attack, USC must win. When it comes to tackling, USC must wrap up and for the love of God don’t buy the fake on the pitch.
2. Stephen Garcia Must Shine and Not Disappoint
Not saying the USC quarterback has to have a career day, just a day of minimum mistakes. Garcia needs this game to prove to the fans he can lead the Gamecocks to SEC glory because the first two games have not proven that.
3. Feed Lattimore
The Gamecocks running back is always the key to a USC win and this game is no different. Navy’s defense is ranked 39th in the country, giving up 320 yards of offense per game. South Carolina should be able to run the football well against Navy.
4. Looking at You USC Linebackers
Not sure where the Gamecocks linebackers have been through the first two games but against Navy they will be needed more than the production they have done so far. They must play their assignments and fill the gaps.
5. Focus on Navy
The Gamecocks must not look past Navy for one second or load the box as Navy can hurt you in many ways. The Gamecocks need to come out ready to play ball as Navy will be looking for another 1984.
So there you have it, five keys to a USC win. The clash happens at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Navy will make it interesting but expect the Gamecocks to win at least by two touchdowns.
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This blog post first appeared on Holy Turf, as part of our weekly writing for that site. Do check out the complete article – HERE.
