FOOTBALL. NOVEMBER 4, 2022
The South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3, 2-3 SEC) are back on the road this week as they travel to Nashville, Tenn. for an SEC Eastern Division battle with the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5, 0-4 SEC). Game time from Vanderbilt Stadium (40,375) is set for 7:30 pm ET (6:30 pm local).
OVER THE AIRWAVES: This week’s contest will be televised by SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Deuce McCallister (analyst) will be in the booth while Andraya Carter works the sidelines for the network. The Gamecock Radio Network features Todd Ellis as the play-by-play voice with Tommy Suggs providing the color commentary. Jamar Nesbit patrols the sidelines for the radio network.
GAMECOCK REWIND: The Gamecocks opened the season with a non-conference win over Georgia State, then dropped a pair of SEC contests to ranked opponents, first at No. 16 Arkansas, then at home to top-ranked Georgia. The Gamecocks then put together a four-game winning streak, their longest since winning six in a row to end the 2013 season, including back-to-back conference wins at No. 13 Kentucky and at home to preseason top-10 Texas A&M. South Carolina looks to get back to its winning ways after they dropped a 23-10 decision last week at home to Missouri in the annual battle for the Mayor’s Cup. The Gamecocks will have a second chance to secure bowl-eligibility when they face Vanderbilt this week.
WINNING ON THE ROAD: The Gamecocks are coming off a win at Kentucky in their last SEC road contest. Carolina is looking for its second SEC road win of the season, something they haven’t done since 2018. They are also looking for back-to-back SEC road wins in the same season for the first time since the 2012 campaign when they won at Vanderbilt and at Kentucky in their first two SEC road games.
ON BOWL ALERT: A win over Vanderbilt this week would be the Gamecocks’ sixth win of the season, making them bowl-eligible. The Gamecocks have played in 24 bowl games, posting a 10-14 record in those contests. They dropped their first eight bowl appearances, but are 10-6 since that time, including wins in six of their last eight bowl games. Head coach Shane Beamer is looking to become the third Gamecock head coach to take his team to a bowl game in each of his first two seasons, joining Steve Spurrier (2005-06) and Will Muschamp (2016-17). If the Gamecocks are able to secure a sixth win and earn a bowl invitation, Coach Beamer will have an opportunity to become the first Gamecock head coach to win a bowl game in each of his first two seasons at the helm.
POLL POSITION: Coming off back-to-back SEC wins at No. 13 Kentucky and against preseason No. 6 Texas A&M, South Carolina moved into the Top-25 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls last week, coming in at No. 25 in both rankings. It marked the Gamecocks’ first A.P. ranking since Sept. 4, 2018, when they checked in at No. 24 after a season-opening win over Coastal Carolina.
Gamecocks travel to Vanderbilt for Saturday Night Showdown
The South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3, 2-3 SEC) are back on the road this week as they travel to Nashville, Tenn. for an SEC Eastern Division battle with the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5, 0-4 SEC). Game time from Vanderbilt Stadium (40,375) is set for 7:30 pm ET (6:30 pm local).
OVER THE AIRWAVES: This week’s contest will be televised by SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Deuce McCallister (analyst) will be in the booth while Andraya Carter works the sidelines for the network. The Gamecock Radio Network features Todd Ellis as the play-by-play voice with Tommy Suggs providing the color commentary. Jamar Nesbit patrols the sidelines for the radio network.
GAMECOCK REWIND: The Gamecocks opened the season with a non-conference win over Georgia State, then dropped a pair of SEC contests to ranked opponents, first at No. 16 Arkansas, then at home to top-ranked Georgia. The Gamecocks then put together a four-game winning streak, their longest since winning six in a row to end the 2013 season, including back-to-back conference wins at No. 13 Kentucky and at home to preseason top-10 Texas A&M. South Carolina looks to get back to its winning ways after they dropped a 23-10 decision last week at home to Missouri in the annual battle for the Mayor’s Cup. The Gamecocks will have a second chance to secure bowl-eligibility when they face Vanderbilt this week.
WINNING ON THE ROAD: The Gamecocks are coming off a win at Kentucky in their last SEC road contest. Carolina is looking for its second SEC road win of the season, something they haven’t done since 2018. They are also looking for back-to-back SEC road wins in the same season for the first time since the 2012 campaign when they won at Vanderbilt and at Kentucky in their first two SEC road games.
ON BOWL ALERT: A win over Vanderbilt this week would be the Gamecocks’ sixth win of the season, making them bowl-eligible. The Gamecocks have played in 24 bowl games, posting a 10-14 record in those contests. They dropped their first eight bowl appearances, but are 10-6 since that time, including wins in six of their last eight bowl games. Head coach Shane Beamer is looking to become the third Gamecock head coach to take his team to a bowl game in each of his first two seasons, joining Steve Spurrier (2005-06) and Will Muschamp (2016-17). If the Gamecocks are able to secure a sixth win and earn a bowl invitation, Coach Beamer will have an opportunity to become the first Gamecock head coach to win a bowl game in each of his first two seasons at the helm.
POLL POSITION: Coming off back-to-back SEC wins at No. 13 Kentucky and against preseason No. 6 Texas A&M, South Carolina moved into the Top-25 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls last week, coming in at No. 25 in both rankings. It marked the Gamecocks’ first A.P. ranking since Sept. 4, 2018, when they checked in at No. 24 after a season-opening win over Coastal Carolina.
