First look: Top story lines, betting odds for USC vs Auburn 2020 football game
Coming off its first win of the season, the South Carolina football team will look to build the momentum against Auburn.
South Carolina (1-2) vs. Auburn (2-1)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia
TV: ESPN
Line: Auburn by 3
Three storylines for Gamecocks vs. Tigers
1. Auburn would be 1-2 if not for a late-game officiating decision in Saturday’s 30-28 win over Arkansas. Tigers quarterback Bo Nix appeared to fumble the ball on a backward spike attempt, and Arkansas recovered. However, officials ruled it an incomplete pass, setting up a game-winning field goal. The win came one week after the Tigers managed only two field goals in a 27-6 loss at Georgia.
2. The Gamecocks are 1-10-1 against Auburn all time, with their lone win coming in 1933. The last couple of meetings have been competitive, though. In their last battle in 2014, USC quarterback Dylan Thompson threw for five touchdowns and 402 yards in a 42-35 shootout at Auburn. Their game in Columbia in 2011 was more of a defensive struggle, with the Tigers just narrowly defeating the Gamecocks 16-13.
3. Another shootout seems possible, as the USC offense was humming in a 41-7 win at Vanderbilt — the first win of South Carolina’s season. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has injected new life into the Gamecocks offense, particularly in the running game, as the Gamecocks rank sixth in the SEC with 165 rushing yards per game. They also rank sixth in scoring, with 30.7 points per game. Auburn ranks 11th with 21.7 points per game.
Three Auburn players to watch
1. The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, quarterback Bo Nix should be a tough test for the USC secondary. Through three games, he’s posted modest yardage totals, averaging 199 passing yards per game. But the former five-star recruit has the talent to go off at any moment.
2. The appropriately named running back Tank Bigsby — once a top South Carolina recruiting target — has burst onto the scene as a freshman, leading the Tigers with 200 yards on 34 carries. He forms a strong one-two punch with incumbent running back D.J. Williams.
3. Junior linebacker Zakoby McClain leads the team with 34 tackles and will look to help make up for the loss of senior K.J. Britt to hand surgery.
South Carolina-Auburn, SEC betting odds for this week’s football games
According to point spreads posted by VegasInsider.com
- Auburn (-3) at South Carolina, noon, ESPN
- Kentucky at Tennessee (-5.5), noon, SEC Network
- Ole Miss at Arkansas (-3), 3:30, ESPN2
- Texas A&M at Mississippi State (-3), 4 p.m., SEC Network
- LSU at Florida (-13.5), 3:30 p.m., CBS
- Vanderbilt at Missouri (-18.5), 7:30, SEC Network
- Georgia at Alabama (-4), 8 p.m., CBS
