First look: Storylines, betting odds for USC’s game against Mississippi State
From one group of Bulldogs to another, South Carolina returns home to face its second conference opponent of the season. Here is an early look at the matchup between the Gamecocks and Mississippi State.
South Carolina vs. Mississippi State game, TV/stream info
Who: South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC) vs. Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Stream: via the ESPN app
Series history: South Carolina leads the all-time series 9-7-0, but lost the last matchup against Mississippi State in 2016, 27-14. It’s the first time in 10 years the Gamecocks will host the Bulldogs.
Vegas betting odds
South Carolina opened as a 4.5-point favorite over Mississippi State, according to FanDuel. The over/under for points scored is 52.5.
About South Carolina
South Carolina returns home after its 24-14 loss to No. 1 Georgia. Head coach Shane Beamer said that while he expected the Gamecocks to finish the game better, he’s noticed the team’s steady improvement since Week 1.
The Gamecocks are still missing depth at receiver, with Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. seeing a specialist on Tuesday for his injured foot, according to Beamer. USC is also waiting for Ahmarean Brown to return after being injured in Week 2 against Furman.
Despite the injuries, Spencer Rattler has continued to connect well with the other receivers and is up to 954 passing yards this season with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Rattler’s 265 yards against Georgia marked his sixth-straight game with over 200 passing yards, going back to November last season.
USC is still trying to get its running game going. The Gamecocks have 159 net rushing yards in three games. Compare that with Mississippi State’s 537 yards in the ground game.
About Mississippi State
Mississippi State took its first loss of the season at home Saturday against No. 14 LSU, a 41-14 defeat. The Bulldogs were dominated in nearly every category, being outgained in total yards, 530-201 and having nearly the Tigers 17 minutes more possession time.
First-year head coach Zach Arnett called the loss a “complete, dominant victory” for LSU during his postgame press conference, a game in which his team struggled on both sides of the ball all 60 minutes. Before the loss to the Tigers, Mississippi State picked up a win over FCS program Southeastern Louisiana and an overtime win over Arizona, both home games.
The matchup against South Carolina will be the first road game of the season for the Bulldogs. Last season, MSU was 2-3 in true road games, and 0-1 at neutral sites.
Gamecocks and Bulldogs to watch
USC DB Nick Emmanwori: After returning from an injury, Emmanwori stepped right back into his role as if nothing happened, securing 10 tackles, including four solo tackles. Emmanwori was one of five South Carolina players to record at least four solo tackles Saturday, and finished behind Debo Williams’ 11 total tackles.
USC WR O’Mega Blake: While it wasn’t a breakout performance, Blake led receivers with 86 yards from five receptions against Georgia last week. He’s taken more snaps with Wells Jr. and Brown out with injuries, and Blake becomes another option for Rattler when Xavier Legette isn’t open.
MSU RB Jo’Quavious Marks: Marks has been a consistent force in the Bulldogs’ run game every season, missing just one game in his career. Against LSU, he rushed for 75 yards on eight carries, and he has three touchdowns this season to go with 325 yards.
MSU LB Nathaniel Watson: The graduate student linebacker and 2022 second-team All-SEC honoree had 13 total tackles against LSU, including a half-tackle-for-loss for four yards and a half-sack. Watson was one of seven players to record a TFL and one of three to record a sack in the loss to the Tigers.
2023 football schedule
Sept. 2 – North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17
Sept. 9 – South Carolina 47, Furman 21
Sept. 16 – Georgia 24, South Carolina 14
Sept. 23 – vs Mississippi State – 7:30 pm, SEC Network
Sept. 30 – at Tennessee – TBA
Oct. 14 – vs Florida – TBA
Oct. 21 – at Missouri – TBA
Oct. 28 – at Texas A&M – TBA
Nov. 4 – Jacksonville State – TBA
Nov. 11 – vs Vanderbilt – TBA
Nov. 18 – vs Kentucky – TBA
Nov. 25 – vs Clemson – TBA
This story was originally published September 18, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
