The No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Florida Gators on Saturday in an effort to keep pace in the SEC East Division.
South Carolina has been strong at 7-2 despite being bitten by the injury-bug and losing their starting quarterback earlier in the year. The Gamecocks were beat pretty handily by the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks last week, but will look to rebound against Florida.
The post-Tim Tebow era has continued to be a struggle for the Gators, as they sit at 5-4. While Florida has feasted on lower-level competition in the SEC, it will prove interesting to see how they fend off the Gamecocks.
Florida doesn’t stand much of a chance to play in the SEC Championship Game, but it will have the opportunity to play spoiler on Saturday. South Carolina needs the game, but the Gators certainly won’t go down without a fight.
Let’s look at what each team needs to do to win:
SOUTH CAROLINA WILL WIN IF: The offensive line can protect Conner Shaw and open up lanes for the rushing game. The Gamecocks will have to get Brandon Wilds going on the ground as they did two weeks ago. Also, quarterback Connor Shaw has one of the best weapons in the country at his disposal in wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, and if he can find a way to get the ball in his hands, then South Carolina’s chances go up exponentially. Florida’s defense will be looking to pressure Shaw into making mistakes, and the offensive line needs to deliver one their best performances of the season to keep the Gamecocks in the hunt for back-to-back SEC East titles.
FLORIDA WILL WIN IF: They continue to limit mistakes and find effective ways to run the ball on offense. The Gators have been one of the most penalized teams in the country this season, but they were only flagged three times in the 26-21 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators have to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers, Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, in space so they can be effective. If they do that, combined with a effective run game and a big play or two from quarterback John Brantley then you may see lots of “gator chops.”
Look for USC to win this game in a tight, second-half comeback way by the score of 27-23.
