Scouting report on Tennessee: What to know about South Carolina’s first 2020 opponent
South Carolina will open its season at home against No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
No. 15 Tennessee (0-0) at South Carolina (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia
TV: SEC Network
Line: Tennessee by 3
Three storylines for Gamecocks vs. Vols
1. Led by third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, the Vols are trending up as a program. After a 5-7 2018 season, Tennessee went 8-5 last year and got especially hot in the second half of the season. The Vols won their last five games, starting with a 41-21 defeat of South Carolina in Knoxville, and they currently sit at No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25. Prior to last year, Tennessee hadn’t beaten the Gamecocks since 2015.
2. Defense is a clear strength for the Vols, who return the bulk of last year’s starters, including safety Theo Jackson and linebacker Henry To’o To’o. After the Gamecocks put up points early against Tennessee last season, the Vols shut out USC in the second half and carried that defensive momentum through the end of the year. In 2014, Pruitt served as defensive coordinator on the same Georgia coaching staff as current USC offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, which could create an interesting chess match. “I feel like he’s one of the best offensive coordinators in the country,” Pruitt said recently. “So, it’ll definitely be challenging for us to be able to handle what they do offensively.”
3. Much like the Gamecocks, Tennessee will be trotting out a new-look receiving group. Gone are veteran wideouts Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, who torched the USC defense last year for a combined 10 catches, 276 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The Vols will likely lean on senior Josh Palmer, who was second on the team with 34 receptions and posted 457 yards last year. Four-star freshman Malachi Wideman and highly touted sophomore Ramel Keyton could both be factors at wide receiver, but the group as a whole is considerably younger than it was in 2020.
Tennessee players to watch
1. When the Gamecocks played Tennessee last year, the Vols featured a two-quarterback attack. Redshirt senior Jarrett Guarantano projects to be Tennessee’s starter, given his 25 career starts and 5,062 career passing yards, but quarterback is a deep group for Tennessee, and it’s worth monitoring whether sophomores Brian Maurer or J.T. Shrout see action like they did a year ago. The addition of four-star prospect Harrison Bailey adds extra intrigue.
2. Whoever plays quarterback will have the benefit of playing behind one of the best offensive linemen in the country in senior left guard Trey Smith, who is a common first-round pick in 2021 NFL mock drafts.
3. Linebacker Henry To’o To’o had an outstanding freshman season, earning All-America and SEC All-Freshman honors. He finished second on the team with 72 tackles last season.
SEC betting odds for Week 1 football games
- Kentucky at Auburn (-8)
- Florida (-13) at Ole Miss
- Mississippi State at LSU (-18.5)
- Georgia (-26) at Arkansas
- Alabama (-28) at Missouri
- Tennessee (-3) at South Carolina
- Vanderbilt at Texas A&M (-30)
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
