Gameday Guide: South Carolina vs Auburn game details, latest odds, TV and stream info
South Carolina will come home after two weeks on the road, set to take on a ranked Auburn squad. The Gamecocks are coming off their first win of the season. What you need to know:
When does South Carolina play today?
Who: Auburn (2-1) at South Carolina (1-2)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
TV: ESPN (Dave Pasch, play-by-play; Greg McElroy, analysis; Holly Rowe, sideline)
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analysis; Jamar Nesbit, sideline) ... See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite radio: Sirius 133/XM 191
Gamecocks vs Auburn live stream: WatchESPN
Series history: South Carolina trails the all-time series 1-10-1. USC has not beat Auburn since 1933. The teams last met in 2014.
Weather forecast for Columbia, SC on Saturday
Sunny and cool, no chance of rain. Temperature 64 degrees at kickoff, 67 at game’s end. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
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 (-6), noon, SEC Network
- Ole Miss (-1.5) at Arkansas, 3:30, ESPN2
- Texas A&M (-5) at Mississippi State, 4 p.m., SEC Network
- Georgia at Alabama (-5), 8 p.m., CBS
Gamecocks vs. Tigers: What’s at stake
For South Carolina, it’s the first of two chances to pull off upset wins against big-name programs. The Tigers are favored and projected by some to cover the spread, but they’ve also not looked like a high-end world-beater through three games.
This is also a chance for South Carolina’s run defense to get back on track. Former Gamecocks recruiting target Tank Bigsby is coming off a strong game against Arkansas, and it would be a tough pill to swallow if an almost-Gamecock ended up running roughshod in Williams-Brice.
The Tigers lost to Georgia, but they should be favored in every game other than Alabama the rest of the way. Considering that early loss and a close one against Arkansas, Gus Malzahn probably can’t afford an upset or two.
The teams, by the numbers
USC | AUB | |
Points/Game | 30.7 | 21.7 |
Opp. Points/Game | 25.3 | 22.7 |
Yds. Rushing/Game | 165 | 129.7 |
Opp. Yds Rush/Game | 96.3 | 155.3 |
Yds. Pass/Game | 232.7 | 199 |
Opp. Yds. Pass/Game | 234 | 256.7 |
Avg. Yds./Game | 397.7 | 328.7 |
Opp. Total Yds/Game | 330.3 | 421 |
South Carolina players to watch
1. Quarterback Collin Hill will go against an Auburn pass defense that hasn’t been all that special this season. He’s still working with a limited receiver group, and he’s thrown for 698 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in three games. He has also run for three touchdowns.
2. Wide receiver Xavier Legette has flashed skills at points, putting up seven catches and 113 yards. But he’s also dropped some deep balls and not been consistent. If he steps up, it adds a different element to the USC offense.
3. Safety Jaylin Dickerson missed last weekend for undisclosed reasons, but he’s expected to be back, and that could boost the Gamecocks defense along the back end. They’ll be trying to stop former four-star tailback Tank Bigsby and dangerous QB Bo Nix.
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 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 football depth chart
x-denotes true freshman
Offense
QB: Collin Hill (Ryan Hilinski)
RB: Kevin Harris (Deshaun Fenwick, Zaquandre White)
FB: Adam Prentice
WR: Dakereon Joyner (Josh Vann)
WR: Xavier Legette (x-Rico Powers)
WR: Shi Smith (x-Luke Doty)
TE: Nick Muse (Keshawn Toney)
TE: Keveon Mullins (Will Register)
LT: Dylan Wonnum (Jazston Turnetine)
LG: Sadarius Hutcherson (Jordan Rhodes)
C: Eric Douglas (Vincent Murphy)
RG: Jovaughn Gwyn (Wyatt Campbell)
RT: Jakai Moore (x-Vershon Lee, Jaylen Nichols)
Defense
DE: Aaron Sterling (x-Tonka Hemingway)
DT: Keir Thomas (Zacch Pickens)
DT: Jabari Ellis (Rick Sandidge)
Buck: Kingsley Enagbare (x-Jordan Burch)
SLB: Brad Johnson (Spencer Eason-Riddle)
MLB: Ernest Jones (Damani Staley)
WLB: Damani Staley (Mo Kaba)
CB: Jaycee Horn (John Dixon)
S: Jammie Robinson (Shilo Sanders)
S: RJ Roderick (Jaylin Dickerson)
CB: Israel Mukuamu (Cam Smith)
N: Jammie Robinson (Jaycee Horn)
Dime: R.J. Roderick
Special Teams
PK: Parker White (x-Mitch Jeter)
P: x-Kai Kroeger (Christian Kinsley)
DS: Matthew Bailey (Nick Muse)
H: x-Kai Kroeger (Christian Kinsley)
PR: Jammie Robinson
KR: Shi Smith
The State’s Michael Lananna contributed to this report
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 3:15 PM.
