South Carolina vs Auburn 2021 football game kickoff time, odds, streaming, TV
South Carolina football remains on the cusp of bowl eligibility. The Gamecocks have another shot to collect their sixth win as this Saturday’s matchup against the Auburn Tigers kicks off a season-ending home stretch at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game.
What channel is the South Carolina game on?
Who: Auburn Tigers (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at South Carolina Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5 SEC)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) in Columbia, S.C.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
On-air announce crew: Mark Jones, play-by-play; Robert Griffin III, analyst; Quint Kessenich, sideline
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analyst; Jamar Nesbit, sideline) … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite radio: Sirius 135/XM 192
Series history: Auburn leads the all-time series 10-2-1. South Carolina has a 1-3 home record against Auburn, and the Gamecocks’ upset win last season was the first time they defeated the Tigers in Columbia.
Saturday weather forecast for Columbia, SC
The weather for this week’s game will be partly cloudy and cool, with a high of 59 degrees during the day and the nighttime low dipping to 38 degrees.
South Carolina vs. Auburn game prediction
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Auburn a 76.1% chance to win over the Gamecocks.
Point spread for Auburn vs USC Gamecocks
South Carolina opened as 10-point underdogs to Auburn on Sunday, but the line dropped to 7.5 following the news of Auburn quarterback Bo Nix’s ankle injury. ESPN Chalk gambling writer David Purdum told The State though there had been speculation on Nix’s status before this week’s initial betting line came out, some of the early movement toward the Gamecocks has been in reaction to the confirmation of Nix’s injury.
Week 12 SEC college football betting lines
Odds according to VegasInsider consensus.
South Carolina football injury, status report
- Defensive back Jaylin Dickerson was declared out for the season before the Missouri game as he underwent ankle surgery last week. Dickerson’s injury adds to a list of season-ending injuries suffered by the Gamecocks’ defense this year, including those to linebacker Sherrod Greene and defensive lineman Rick Sandidge.
- Offensive lineman Dylan Wonnum will not return this season as he nurses a back injury, coach Shane Beamer said. The three-year starter hadn’t played since the Tennessee game on Oct. 9.
- Wide receiver Jalen Brooks remains off the Gamecocks’ depth chart as he continues to tend to a personal matter. Brooks’ timetable to return remains unknown, and he hasn’t played since South Carolina’s game at Tennessee on Oct. 9.
Gamecocks vs Auburn Tigers: What to watch for
Both South Carolina and Auburn are looking for a rebound win this week.
The Gamecocks clicked on all cylinders off the bye week, routing Florida and entering a matchup against Missouri with hopes of a bowl berth. But South Carolina wasn’t able to keep the momentum in the other Columbia, falling 31-28 to Mizzou.
Over at Auburn, the Tigers looked to be a formidable presence in the SEC West with wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss at the season’s midpoint, but their hot streak ran cold as they suffered the worst blown lead in school history last week against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs scored 40 unanswered points and overcame a 25-point deficit to beat Auburn 43-34 last week in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn’s three-year starting quarterback Bo Nix underwent ankle surgery this week. In Nix’s absence, the Tigers are deploying LSU transfer T.J. Finley, who led LSU to a 52-24 win over South Carolina last season in Baton Rouge.
South Carolina pieced together an upset win over Auburn last year, but the Gamecocks need to establish a run game behind capable tailbacks ZaQuandre White and Kevin Harris and see another dominant effort from their high-potential defense to earn bowl eligibility before next week’s home finale against Clemson.
South Carolina players to watch
1. Wide receiver Josh Vann is South Carolina’s go-to pass catcher, and he’ll be looking to rebound from the Gamecocks’ loss to Missouri last week. Vann has totaled 604 yards on 36 receptions this season, including three 100-yard performances against East Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
2. Defensive back Cam Smith has picked off an interception in each of the Gamecocks’ last two matchups against Florida and Missouri, and he led the Gamecocks with 10 tackles in last week’s game. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is a leading force in South Carolina’s turnover effort, having also forced a fumble against Vanderbilt.
3. Linebacker Damani Staley sacked Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak as part of his two major tackles for loss last week. Staley has big-play potential in the Gamecocks’ defense, coming up with a fumble recovery and two interceptions this season, including one he took to the end zone against East Carolina.
Three Auburn football players to watch
1. Running back Tank Bigsby made a splash in his freshman campaign last year and ran for 111 yards on 16 carries in the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina in 2020. This year, Bigsby has accumulated 776 yards on 156 attempts, bringing in nine touchdowns, ranking him seventh in the SEC.
2. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson had his first 100-yard game in the Tigers’ loss to Mississippi State, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown on eight catches against the Bulldogs. Auburn’s leading receiver, Hudson has accounted for 490 yards on 37 receptions in 2021 as the 6-foot-1 sophomore cements himself as Auburn’s go-to pass catcher.
3. Linebacker Zakoby McClain lands at third in the SEC with 51 solo tackles in 2021. The senior veteran also deflected four passes this season and totaled two sacks for a loss of 10 yards. McClain’s performance against Mississippi State was one of the few positive spots in Auburn’s loss last Saturday, as he came up with 14 tackles and a pass breakup against the Bulldogs.
South Carolina Gamecocks 2021 football schedule
Home games in bold
South Carolina football projected depth chart vs Auburn
Any position, whether it’s a starter or a backup, is listed with an —OR— designation.
Offense
QB — Jason Brown (Zeb Noland, Colten Gauthier)
RB — ZaQuandre White —OR— MarShawn Lloyd —OR— Juju McDowell —OR— Kevin Harris
WR — Xavier Legette (Trey Adkins)
WR — Dakereon Joyner (Ahmarean Brown)
WR — Josh Vann (E.J. Jenkins)
LT — Jazston Turnetine —OR— Jakai Moore
LG — Vershon Lee (Jaylen Nichols)
OC — Eric Douglas (Vincent Murphy)
RG — Jovaughn Gwyn (Wyatt Campbell —OR— Hank Manos)
RT — Tyshawn Wannamaker (Jaylen Nichols)
TE — Nick Muse (E.J. Jenkins)
TE — Jaheim Bell (Traevon Kenion, Keveon Mullins)
Defense
EDGE — Aaron Sterling (Jordan Burch)
DT — Jabari Ellis (Tonka Hemingway —OR— M.J. Webb)
DT — Zacch Pickens (Alex Huntley)
EDGE — Kingsley Enagbare (Jordan Strachan)
NICK — David Spaulding (Carlins Platel)
MLB — Damani Staley (Debo Williams)
WLB — Brad Johnson (Mo Kaba —OR— Darryle Ware)
CB — Cam Smith (Dominick Hill)
SS — R.J. Roderick (Jahmar Brown)
FS — Jaylan Foster (Tyrese Ross)
CB — Darius Rush (Marcellas Dial)
Specialists
PK — Parker White (Mitch Jeter)
KO — Mitch Jeter —OR— Parker White —OR— Alex Herrera
P — Kai Kroeger (Alex Herrera)
LS — Matthew Bailey (Hunter Rogers)
H — Kai Kroger (Alex Herrera)
KOR — Juju McDowell (Dakereon Joyner)
PR — Josh Vann (Ahmarean Brown)
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
