First look: Top story lines, betting odds for South Carolina vs Vanderbilt football game
South Carolina football returns home this week to host Vanderbilt in what will be one of its best chances to secure first-year head coach Shane Beamer’s first Southeastern Conference win.
The Gamecocks fell 45-20 to Tennessee last Saturday after an abysmal first-half performance in Knoxville that included poor offensive execution, a failed trick play and an uncharacteristically bad defensive showing. South Carolina allowed 38 points and 373 yards to the Vols by halftime, pumping the breaks on an explosive Tennessee offense for the second half but unable to generate enough points to mount a realistic comeback on Rocky Top.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, continues to struggle in the basement of the SEC. The Commodores sit at the bottom of the conference in total offense, passing yards and points per game, and they’re next-to-last in total defense and points-per-game allowed behind ailing Missouri. Vandy was shut out by two conference opponents, Georgia and Florida, and has eked out wins over Mountain West Colorado State and now 0-7 UConn.
South Carolina carries a 12-game winning streak into this week’s homecoming matchup against the Commodores and has won 26 of the matchup’s 30 all-time meetings. The Gamecocks came up with a 41-7 victory over Vanderbilt last year in Nashville, one of their two wins in 2020.
Saturday’s afternoon kick coincides with the the first weekend of the S.C. State Fair.
How to watch South Carolina vs Vanderbilt football game
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 0-3 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-4, 0-2 SEC)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
This week’s SEC betting odds, TV times
South Carolina opened as a 16-point favorite against the Commodores, but the line shifted to favoring the Gamecocks by as many as 20 points in other sportsbooks. The VegasInsider consensus was up to USC by 20 Sunday evening.
College football point spreads, according to VegasInsider.com
- Noon: Auburn at Arkansas (-3.5)
- Noon: Florida (-10) at LSU
- Noon: Texas A&M (-9) at Missouri
- 3:30 p.m.: Kentucky at Georgia (-22.5)
- 4 p.m.: Vanderbilt at South Carolina (-20)
- 7 p.m.: Alabama (-17.5) at Mississippi State
- 7:30 p.m.: Ole Miss (-3) at Tennessee
The state of the Gamecocks
South Carolina still needs to sort out its struggles on offense. The Vanderbilt game may be its best chance to get things going before the slate intensifies with Texas A&M, Florida, Missouri, Auburn and Clemson closing out 2021.
Vanderbilt is at 14th of 14 SEC programs in terms of total offense, averaging 310.7 yards and 13.3 points per game, but South Carolina is barely ahead, at 13th in the conference with 335.3 yards and 22 points per game. Take away the 46-0 Week 1 game against now 1-5 FCS opponent Eastern Illinois, and the Gamecocks have mustered just 17.2 points per game.
South Carolina had opportunities to score and could’ve kept last week’s Tennessee game within their reach if they had executed a first-quarter goal-line trick play. Instead, it ended with defensive lineman Jordan Burch throwing an interception and a 14-0 deficit quickly turned into 28-0 after a quick Volunteer touchdown drive and a fumbled snap in USC’s next possession.
South Carolina improved in the second half of last week’s game but still has plenty of room to grow in terms of consistency and offensive identity. The good news is that Vanderbilt has a laundry list of its own problems, giving the Gamecocks a great chance to sort things out.
The state of the Vanderbilt Commodores
First-year Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea inherited a program with few — if any — expectations, but Vanderbilt hasn’t shown much proficiency in any phase of competition, especially in conference play.
The Commodores have yet to score a single point against an SEC team in 2021. Granted, their first meetings were with top-ranked Georgia and on the road at Florida. Combined, they were outscored 104-0 and outgained 1,011-364 in total offense regardless. Vanderbilt’s 62-0 loss to Georgia was the fifth-worst margin in the football program’s history and the loss to Florida included three missed field goal attempts from 39, 41 and 33 yards.
Silver linings aren’t necessarily easy to come by for Vanderbilt. But if there’s anything, it’s that the most recent trip to Florida on Oct. 9 showed a glimmer of hope. The Commodores pressured Gator quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson fairly well, totaling six quarterback hits, and came up with two interceptions.
Vanderbilt’s offense, meanwhile, drove all the way to Florida’s 1-yard line before halftime. Vandy’s best touchdown opportunity fizzled out when receiver Chris Pierce lost possession of an end zone reception as he hit the ground on fourth-and-goal. Initially ruled a touchdown, the touchdown was overturned after review.
3 Vandy players to watch
Will Sheppard, WR: Sheppard is the SEC’s 11th-best receiver through six games, splitting receptions with teammates Chris Pierce, Devin Boddie and Cam Johnson. Sheppard has totaled 333 yards on 31 catches with two touchdowns, averaging 10.7 yards per catch. The 6-foot-3 sophomore’s best game included a 38-yard touchdown reception in Vanderbilt’s 30-28 win over UConn on Oct. 2.
Dashaun Jerkins, S: Jerkins intercepted Florida quarterback Emory Jones at the Gators’ 30-yard line last Saturday and has created turnovers throughout his time with Vanderbilt. Last season, the Commodores’ safety forced two fumbles and recovered one, finishing 2020 tied for fifth in the SEC in forced fumbles per game.
Ken Seals, QB: Seals is in his second year at the helm of Vandy’s offense and has passed for 1,086 yards through the Commodores’ first six games. In his best game of 2021 against UConn, Seals completed 27 of his 40 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He went 22-of-43 passing for 192 yards with two interceptions against Florida.
