‘We’ve got our hands full.’ These Gamecocks are standing out to Troy head coach
Troy University head football coach Chip Lindsey offered a laundry list of compliments to South Carolina.
Lindsey’s impressed with how Shane Beamer has “molded” the Gamecocks into his personality. He’s been impressed with defensive coordinator Clayton White since his previous stop at Western Kentucky. He had high praises for offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s scheme.
“We’ve got our hands full,” Lindsey said during his weekly press conference. “But at the same time, it’s an exciting challenge for us. It’s something we look forward to here at Troy, getting the opportunity to play these Power 5 or SEC schools, and we’ll have to play very well to have the opportunity to win.”
A top priority for Lindsey this week will be keeping an eye on South Carolina senior edge Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare. Enagbare leads the Gamecocks with 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
“Man, he’s a dynamic pass rusher,” Lindsey said. “Explosive, big-time player. (Will) play in the NFL for a long time. ... Just a really disruptive player and plays extremely hard.”
He’s also scouting the Gamecocks’ leading wide receiver Josh Vann. Vann didn’t see as much production in last week’s loss to Kentucky as he did in the East Carolina and Georgia games, where he caught eight receptions for a combined 255 yards across two games.
“In my mind, he’s their guy,” Lindsey said. “He’s explosive and a really good route runner. We’re gonna have to have a great plan to try to neutralize him as much as we can.”
Lindsey is familiar with quarterback Luke Doty, who Lindsey recruited while he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Gus Malzahn at Auburn.
“I know him very well,” Lindsey said. “He’s a really good athlete and a competitor. I’m sure they’re happy to have him back.”
Troy (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) has played opponents from the Southeastern Conference 25 times. The Trojans won as recently as 2017, when it upset a then-No. 25 LSU, 24-21, in Baton Rouge.
They’ve changed head coaches since then, and Lindsey’s Trojans fell to Missouri in his first and only SEC contest in 2019.
Defensively, Troy will be one of South Carolina’s more formidable opponents. The Trojans are ranked fourth in the country in total defense, allowing 243.5 yards through their first four games, and are tied at the top of the nation with 18 sacks.
The Trojans are coming off a 29-16 loss to conference foe Louisiana-Monroe, a game where they had been favored by bettors to win by 24 points. Troy’s offense struggled to move the ball on the ground, rushing for 67 yards on 23 attempts, and quarterback Taylor Powell threw a late interception returned for a 96-yard touchdown.
“Obviously, this is going to be a challenge for us, and we need to play physical,” Lindsey said. “If we do that, and we get ourselves going offensively a little bit, I think we’ll have a great opportunity.”
How to watch South Carolina vs Troy football game
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) vs. Troy Trojans (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Line: USC by 7
