The University of South Carolina football team’s upcoming tilt against the Vanderbilt Commodores will kick off at 4:00 p.m. EDT from Williams-Brice Stadium in downtown Columbia, S.C., the Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced this week.
The SEC Network will provide national television coverage of the game, which pits second-year head coach Will Muschamp‘s Gamecocks (5-2, 3-2 SEC) against fourth-year head coach Derek Mason‘s Commodores (3-4, 0-4 SEC).
South Carolina enjoys a commanding 22-4 all-time lead in the series – including last year’s season-opening 13-10 victory (Muschamp’s first win as the Gamecocks’ head coach). Following a pair of back-to-back losses to the Commodores in 2007 and 2008, the Gamecocks have won eight in a row against their SEC East rivals from Nashville.
This was supposed to be a breakthrough year for Mason’s program, but Vandy has lost four in a row to start its SEC slate and must win three of its five remaining games just to become bowl eligible.
As for South Carolina, Muschamp’s team has arguably exceeded expectations in terms of wins and losses – but offensive struggles continue to keep the Gamecocks from reaching their full potential.
Despite the emergence of a ground game in the second half of last weekend’s 15-9 victory over Tennessee, South Carolina still ranks No. 114 out of 129 NCAA Division I squads in rushing offense. The Gamecocks aren’t doing much better when it comes to third down conversions (No. 76), scoring offense (No. 91) or total offense (No. 111).
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our stories? Please feel free to submit your own guest column or letter to the editor via-email HERE. Got a tip for us? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question? CLICK HERE. Want to support what we’re doing? SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Banner via Travis Bell Photography