Scouting South Carolina’s first opponent: North Carolina
South Carolina (7-6, 4-4 SEC in 2018) vs. North Carolina (2-9, 1-7 ACC)
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
TV: ESPN
Line: South Carolina by 8
Three storylines
1. The 2019 season opener will have both coaches flashing back to late 2000s. Will Muschamp was not only Mack Brown’s defensive coordinator at Texas, he was named Brown’s future successor in 2008. Such a plan never came to fruition, however, as Muschamp eventually left the Longhorns for Florida in 2010. On Saturday, Muschamp will be on one sideline with the Gamecocks and Brown will be on the other, beginning his second stint as North Carolina’s head coach. This will be the first matchup of this magnitude between the longtime friends.
2. While Muschamp feels like he has his deepest team since he arrived at USC, Brown’s in Year 1 of a rebuild. After an ACC Coastal Division championship in 2015, the Tar Heels got progressively worse under Larry Fedora, going from 8-5 to 3-9 to 2-9. UNC was the media’s preseason pick to finish sixth in the seven-team Coastal. This is a must-get for the Gamecocks, especially with what lies ahead on a brutal schedule.
3. USC is 3-0 in season openers under Muschamp, including a 35-28 win over N.C. State in Charlotte in 2017. Bank of America Stadium, however, was not kind to the Gamecocks during their last visit. That 28-0 stinker against Virginia in last December’s Belk Bowl is bound to creep into the minds of returning players and coaches when they enter the building for a second time in eight months.
Four North Carolina players to watch
1. Brown hasn’t yet made an official call on UNC’s starting quarterback, but he mentioned recently that Sam Howell has been taking first-team reps. All signs point to the Gamecocks facing a freshman behind center. Howell is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound pro-style QB who was a four-star prospect coming out of Sun Valley High School in Monroe, North Carolina. The former Florida State pledge flipped to UNC in December.
2. Phil Longo, formerly in charge of Ole Miss’ offense, is now the offensive coordinator for Brown. His Rebel offense in 2018 averaged nearly 34 points per game. He inherits a UNC unit that has strength in running backs with Michael Carter and Antonio Williams. The duo combined for 1,101 yards on 175 carries and seventh touchdowns last season.
3. UNC’s defense was among the country’s worst last season, allowing over 34 points and 447 yards a game. There’s a bright spot with defensive tackle Jason Strowbridge. The senior is coming off a season of 5.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and an honorable mention for All-ACC.
