Five burning questions for USC-Vandy: Can the Gamecocks take care of business?
Coming off a humbling defeat on the the road to Tennessee, South Carolina football will try to bounce back at home this Saturday against Vanderbilt, traditionally one of the SEC’s worst teams.
Kicking off at 7:30 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium (SEC Network), the Gamecocks are favored to win this matchup by more than two touchdowns over the Commodores, who are coming off an open week and, before that, an upset win over Missouri.
So, here are the biggest questions facing Carolina and coach Will Muschamp this week.
Can South Carolina take care of business?
It’s the overarching question facing the program as a whole and Muschamp in particular after a dispiriting loss that basically erased all the good will built up from upsetting Georgia. After that upset win, it looked like the Gamecocks were on track to make a bowl game, so long as they took care of business. They then proceeded to fall flat on their face against Tennessee.
Now, with USC’s bowl hopes hanging on by a thread, the Gamecocks really, really have to take care of business against their least-intimidating SEC opponent of the year. Tennessee at least has success on the recruiting trail and lots of talent. Vandy does not. And especially at home, any sort of scare, drama or an outright loss could spell trouble for Muschamp.
Will Ryan Hilinski have to throw 50 times?
Freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski has lots of talent and plenty of respect, among South Carolina’s fan base and program as well as opposing coaches. But more throws from him has not led to more success for the Gamecocks — twice he’s attempted more than 50 passes in a game, and both times USC lost, vs. Alabama and Tennessee.
And Muschamp doesn’t want him to keep doing that, because those numbers either mean the Gamecocks are down big and need to desperately rally, or the run game is struggling. Luckily for Hilinski, Vanderbilt allows more than 200 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry.
Can the secondary get its act together?
The defense struggled as a whole against Tennessee, but the most glaring problem was on the backside, where the Volunteers torched the Gamecocks’ defensive backs despite missing their starting quarterback. Seven passes went for more than 20 yards, and nine went for more than 15. Safeties J.T. Ibe and R.J. Roderick were caught out of position on some huge games, and sophomore cornerback Israel Mukuamu had a subpar performance.
Vanderbilt has playmakers in running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and receiver Kalija Lipscomb, but the Commodores are outside the top 100 in total yards and scoring. This should be a favorable matchup for USC’s secondary.
Will the pass protection hold up?
Ryan Hilinski’s health has been the subject of a lot of rumors and speculation ever since his sprained knee against Georgia, despite the fact that Muschamp has insisted he’s fine. But one thing’s for sure — he’s taken a lot of punishment, and South Carolina’s offensive line, which has dealt with its fair share of injuries and player shuffling, needs to do a better job of protecting him.
Vanderbilt is tied for 104th in the nation in sacks per game, but coach Derek Mason has a reputation as a defensive-minded leader, and junior defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo had a solid game against Missouri, registering three quarterback hurries to go with two tackles.
How much will Kevin Harris contribute?
South Carolina’s ground game was far from effective last week against Tennessee — without injured senior Rico Dowdle, the Gamecocks averaged less than four yards per sack-adjusted carry. That put pressure on Hilinski, as noted above.
With Dowdle still out, and Muschamp’s announcement Thursday that freshman tailback Kevin Harris is ready to return from an injury that was previously supposed to keep him out for the season, it will be interesting to see how much the tough young runner can or will contribute. Seniors Tavien Feaster and Mon Denson are still the likely top two, but Harris has flashed potential and could be a nice change-of-pace back.
