GAME NOTES: The Vanderbilt Commodores will play their fourth straight game in
Nashville on Saturday night when they take on the 14th-ranked South Carolina
Gamecocks in SEC action at Vanderbilt Stadium.
South Carolina’s season started off in very disappointing fashion, as it was
embarrassed on its home field in a 52-28 loss at the hands of nationally-
ranked Texas A&M. Since then the Gamecocks have rebounded with two straight
wins, including a much-needed 38-35 triumph over SEC Eastern Division foe
Georgia last weekend, which allowed it to catapult 10 spots in the latest AP
Poll.
“Some wins are better than others,” South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier
said. “I think this one was better than most…We feel very fortunate and
blessed and hopefully we can use this as some momentum and start playing a lot
better.”
The start of the Derek Mason era of Vanderbilt football has been rocky to say
the least. It suffered a pair of blowout losses to open the campaign to Temple
(37-7) and Ole Miss (41-3), and while it struggled last week against
Massachusetts, it dodged a bullet when the Minutemen missed a short field goal
that would have sent the game into overtime, as the Commodores held on for
their first win, 34-31.
“I’m so proud of our team,” Mason said. “(Wins) are tough to come by.”
It has been a one-sided rivalry between these two programs, with South
Carolina winning 19 of 23 matchups, including five straight.
The Gamecocks’ offense was efficient in the Georgia win, amassing 447 yards
and 27 first downs. The unit is now averaging 33.0 ppg and 440.3 ypg.
Dylan Thompson’s first year as the starting quarterback has gotten off to a
solid start. He’s completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 903 yards with
nine touchdowns (one rushing) and three interceptions, with four of those
scores coming against Georgia.
Brandon Wilds (37 carries, 187 yards, TD) and Mike Davis (41 carries, 182
yards, two TDs) have been an effective running back duo who split playing time
nearly right down the middle. Davis is dealing with a mild ankle injury but he
is probable for Saturday.
Nick Jones has been a great downfield threat in the receiving game, turning 14
catches into 244 yards and two scores. Shaq Roland (12 receptions, 143 yards,
TD) and Pharoh Cooper (11 receptions, 130 yards, two TDs) have also been
actively involved.
Defensively, the Gamecocks have not lived up to their reputation as one of the
best in the nation. In fact, the unit has performed quite poorly in allowing
36.7 ppg and 513.7 ypg.
“I think we definitely got better (after last week’s win) but we still left a
lot of plays out there,” South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Webb
said. “We still have a lot of things we need to improve on.”
Skai Moore has a team-best 23 tackles and has one of the squad’s three sacks.
T.J. Gurley is the only other notable playmaker with 18 tackles and an
interception.
Vanderbilt’s offense has been a mess this season, as it tallies only 14.7 ppg
and 251.7 ypg. Its 34 points last week are misleading since two of its
touchdowns were scored by the defense and special teams.
After Stephen Rivers (18-of-50, 246 yards, two INTs) proved to be wildly
ineffective, Patton Robinette took over as the starting quarterback and has
been a big improvement, completing 19-of-27 passes for 185 yards and a
touchdown with no picks.
Ralph Webb has been the only consistent positive for the offense, as he’s
turned 58 carries into 281 yards and a score.
Steven Scheu (nine receptions, 98 yards, TD) and C.J. Duncan (six receptions,
130 yards) headline an underwhelming receiving corps.
Mason is a defensive-minded coach, but his scheme has not yet translated with
the team giving up 36.3 ppg and 414.7 ypg, although the unit showed big-play
potential last week with the blocked punt and fumble returns for touchdowns.
Stephen Weatherly and Nigel Bowden anchor the unit with 19 tackles apiece.
Caleb Azubike is an excellent playmaker in the backfield with 5.0 TFL and 4.0
sacks.
Vanderbilt’s confidence is up a bit after earning its first win, but it still
has too many problems that need fixing for it to be a factor in the SEC this
season, especially against a team as strong as South Carolina.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: South Carolina 38, Vanderbilt 10
