Gator Bowl storylines, betting odds for South Carolina vs. Notre Dame
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Gamecocks will take on Notre Dame on Dec. 30 on ESPN. It’s the sixth-straight bowl appearance for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame finished at No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, while South Carolina ended at No. 19. The teams have not played each other since 1984, when Carolina won 36-32.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NOTRE DAME GAME INFO
Who: No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) vs. No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4)
Where: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.
When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com
USC VS NOTRE DAME BETTING LINE
Notre Dame is an early 1.5-point favorite over South Carolina, according to Action Network.
RATTLER RETURNS FOR BOWL GAME
Quarterback Spencer Rattler will play in the Gamecocks’ bowl game. Rattler joined South Carolina through the transfer portal last December. He caught fire in the last two weeks with his performances against Tennessee and Clemson, capping on an impressive November for him.
Over his last four games, he’s thrown for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns. Rattler started every game this season for South Carolina, giving the team stability it didn’t have at that position last year. The 2021 squad started four different quarterbacks. Should Rattler change his mind and opt to not play, Carolina would turn to one of its other quarterbacks. The team is looking to preserve Luke Doty’s redshirt status. USC could also look to senior receiver Dakereon Joyner, who was the MVP of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as a quarterback last year. Or current third-stringer and freshman Tanner Bailey could be an option.
BEAMER BOWLING ONCE AGAIN
The tide of South Carolina’s football program is shifting with a bowl appearance in Shane Beamer’s second year at the helm. Beamer is now 15-10 as a head coach, with three wins against ranked teams this season. The Gamecocks have earned a few milestones along the way, such as beating Texas A&M for the first time, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Clemson and reaching the Top 25 for the first time in four years.
A win against Notre Dame would make Beamer the first coach in school history to win bowl games in his first two seasons as the head coach. For the Fighting Irish, head coach Marcus Freeman is in his first full season as head coach. He led the team in the Fiesta Bowl last year after Brian Kelly departed for LSU.
PLAYOFF PICTURE DISRUPTION
Both the Gamecocks and the Fighting Irish began the season 1-2 with losses to current College Football Playoff teams. Carolina lost to Georgia, with Notre Dame falling to Ohio State. Both went on to shake up the playoff standings later in the year.
South Carolina defeated Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks to compromise their playoff efforts. Notre Dame accounts for the Tigers’ only other loss, defeating them at home 35-14. The two Gator Bowl teams are battle-tested, and they’ve even found success against some of the top teams in the nation. Notre Dame had a streak of games where it scored at least 35 points before its loss to Southern Cal in the season finale. South Carolina posted 63 points on then-No. 5 Tennessee, the most any unranked team has ever scored against a top five opponent in The Associated Press poll era.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina: Rattler went on a tear for USC in November, helping vault the team to an eight-win season and Gator Bowl appearance. He completed 66.6% of his passes during the season and threw 11 of his 16 touchdown passes in the last four games. This will be Rattler’s first bowl game since he played in the 2020 Cotton Bowl with Oklahoma.
Antwane Wells, WR, South Carolina: Wells finished second in the SEC with 898 receiving yards, adding six touchdowns to his totals. He transferred in from James Madison before this season, and has been the Gamecocks’ best receiver throughout the year.
Audric Estimé, RB, Notre Dame: The leading rusher for the Fighting Irish, Estimé ended the year with 967 yards of offense and 12 total touchdowns. He rushed for 100 yards or more three times in the regular season. Opportunities for Estimé should open up with the quarterback situation not yet resolved.
Based on recent trends, the winning team model predicts Notre Dame will win this game with 57.1% confidence.
Top NCAAF player prop bets for Notre Dame players for Week 18, looking at profitable historical betting trends:
South Carolina has gone 6-6 against the spread this college football season (-0.6 Units / -4.58% ROI).
Notre Dame has gone 6-4 against the spread this college football season (+1.6 Units / 0% ROI).
#19 Notre Dame is undefeated (12-0) when intercepting at least 1 pass since the 2021 season– tied for best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .627
#19 Notre Dame is 13-3 (.619) when averaging more than 5 yards on first down plays since the 2021 season– tied for 7th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .436
#19 Notre Dame is 10-2 (.833) when allowing less than 50% of third down conversion opportunities since the 2021 season– 5th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .561
#20 South Carolina is 9-2 (.818) when in a one score game since the 2021 season– tied for 4th-best in FBS; Average: .494
#20 South Carolina is 10-1 (.769) when rushing for more than 100 yards since the 2021 season– tied for 12th-best in FBS; Average: .542
#20 South Carolina is 5-1 (.625) when rushing more than 30 times — tied for 13th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .466
#20 South Carolina is 5-1 (.625) when making 7 or more explosive plays — tied for 13th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .451
Notre Dame’s TEs has been targeted 105 times this season — fourth-most among P5 TEs. South Carolina’s defense has allowed 2,181 receiving yards this season — fourth-fewest among SEC defenses.
Notre Dame’s WRs have just 94.4 receiving yards per game this season — second-worst among Power 5 WRs. South Carolina’s defense has allowed just 198.3 receiving yards per game this season — fourth-best among SEC defenses.
#19 Notre Dame TEs have caught 4 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter this season– tied for most among Power 5 Teams
#19 Notre Dame WRs have averaged 21.0 yards per reception (505 yards/24 catches) on 3rd and long since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 15.0
#19 Notre Dame TEs have been targeted 23 times with 4-6 yards to go this season– most among Power 5 Teams
#19 Notre Dame TEs have caught 4 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter this season– tied for most among FBS Teams
#19 Notre Dame TEs have picked up first downs on 10 receptions in the Red Zone this season– most among Power 5 Teams
#20 South Carolina Skill Players have caught 61 of 80 passes (76% Reception Pct) in the 4th quarter this season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 62%
#20 South Carolina WRs have averaged a touchdown every 4.0 receptions (16 Rec/4 TDs) in the Red Zone this season– tied for 3rd worst Receptions Per TD among Power 5 Teams; Average: 2.0
#20 South Carolina Skill Players have fumbled 14 times this season– most among Power 5 Teams
#20 South Carolina WRs have averaged just 3.0 yards per reception (9 yards/3 catches) on 3rd and short since last season– worst among Power 5 Teams; Average: 10.7
#19 Notre Dame has allowed passes of 40+ yards on just 1 of 312 attempts (0%) this season– tied for 2nd best in FBS; Average: 2%
#20 South Carolina has allowed a Completion Pct of just 40% (39 completions/97 attempts) in close and late situations since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 58%
#20 South Carolina has allowed a passer rating of just 69.2 in close and late situations (97.0 Pass Attempts) since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 125.4
#20 South Carolina has allowed a passer rating of just 69.2 in close and late situations (97.0 Pass Attempts) since last season– best in FBS; Average: 125.5
#20 South Carolina has not tackled opponents for a loss on any of 38 rushing attempts on 3rd and short this season– tied for worst in FBS; Average: 12%.
#20 South Carolina has allowed opponents to catch just 39 of 97 passes (40% Reception Pct) in close and late situations since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 58%
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Gamecocks will take on Notre Dame on Dec. 30 on ESPN. It’s the sixth-straight bowl appearance for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame finished at No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, while South Carolina ended at No. 19. The teams have not played each other since 1984, when Carolina won 36-32.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NOTRE DAME GAME INFO
Who: No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) vs. No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4)
Where: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.
When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com
USC VS NOTRE DAME BETTING LINE
Notre Dame is an early 1.5-point favorite over South Carolina, according to Action Network.
RATTLER RETURNS FOR BOWL GAME
Quarterback Spencer Rattler will play in the Gamecocks’ bowl game. Rattler joined South Carolina through the transfer portal last December. He caught fire in the last two weeks with his performances against Tennessee and Clemson, capping on an impressive November for him.
Over his last four games, he’s thrown for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns. Rattler started every game this season for South Carolina, giving the team stability it didn’t have at that position last year. The 2021 squad started four different quarterbacks. Should Rattler change his mind and opt to not play, Carolina would turn to one of its other quarterbacks. The team is looking to preserve Luke Doty’s redshirt status. USC could also look to senior receiver Dakereon Joyner, who was the MVP of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as a quarterback last year. Or current third-stringer and freshman Tanner Bailey could be an option.
BEAMER BOWLING ONCE AGAIN
The tide of South Carolina’s football program is shifting with a bowl appearance in Shane Beamer’s second year at the helm. Beamer is now 15-10 as a head coach, with three wins against ranked teams this season. The Gamecocks have earned a few milestones along the way, such as beating Texas A&M for the first time, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Clemson and reaching the Top 25 for the first time in four years.
A win against Notre Dame would make Beamer the first coach in school history to win bowl games in his first two seasons as the head coach. For the Fighting Irish, head coach Marcus Freeman is in his first full season as head coach. He led the team in the Fiesta Bowl last year after Brian Kelly departed for LSU.
PLAYOFF PICTURE DISRUPTION
Both the Gamecocks and the Fighting Irish began the season 1-2 with losses to current College Football Playoff teams. Carolina lost to Georgia, with Notre Dame falling to Ohio State. Both went on to shake up the playoff standings later in the year.
South Carolina defeated Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks to compromise their playoff efforts. Notre Dame accounts for the Tigers’ only other loss, defeating them at home 35-14. The two Gator Bowl teams are battle-tested, and they’ve even found success against some of the top teams in the nation. Notre Dame had a streak of games where it scored at least 35 points before its loss to Southern Cal in the season finale. South Carolina posted 63 points on then-No. 5 Tennessee, the most any unranked team has ever scored against a top five opponent in The Associated Press poll era.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina: Rattler went on a tear for USC in November, helping vault the team to an eight-win season and Gator Bowl appearance. He completed 66.6% of his passes during the season and threw 11 of his 16 touchdown passes in the last four games. This will be Rattler’s first bowl game since he played in the 2020 Cotton Bowl with Oklahoma.
Antwane Wells, WR, South Carolina: Wells finished second in the SEC with 898 receiving yards, adding six touchdowns to his totals. He transferred in from James Madison before this season, and has been the Gamecocks’ best receiver throughout the year.
Audric Estimé, RB, Notre Dame: The leading rusher for the Fighting Irish, Estimé ended the year with 967 yards of offense and 12 total touchdowns. He rushed for 100 yards or more three times in the regular season. Opportunities for Estimé should open up with the quarterback situation not yet resolved.
South Carolina vs. Notre Dame Odds, Spread, Over/Under:
| Spread | Total (O/U) | Moneyline | |
| South Carolina | +2.5-110 | 52-110 | +115 |
| Notre Dame | -2.5-110 | 52-110 | -135 |
Notre Dame vs South Carolina Prediction:
Based on recent trends, the winning team model predicts Notre Dame will win this game with 57.1% confidence.
Notre Dame vs South Carolina Spread Prediction:
Based on recent against-the-spread trends, the model predicts South Carolina will cover the spread with 51.0% confidence.Both predictions factor in up-to-date player injuries for both South Carolina and Notre Dame, plus offensive & defensive matchups, recent games and key player performances this season.Best South Carolina Player Prop Bets Today
We’ve highlighted some favorite college football player prop bets for South Carolina players for Week 18, looking at profitable historical betting trends:Best Notre Dame Player Prop Best Bets Today
Top NCAAF player prop bets for Notre Dame players for Week 18, looking at profitable historical betting trends:
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- Spencer Rattler has hit the Passing Yards Under in 11 of his last 14 games (+6.95 Units / 41% ROI)
- Spencer Rattler has hit the TD Passes Under in 9 of his last 13 games (+5.75 Units / 27% ROI)
- Spencer Rattler has hit the Rushing Yards Under in his last 3 games (+3.00 Units / 73% ROI)
- Antwane Wells Jr. has hit the Receiving Yards Over in 4 of his last 5 games (+2.80 Units / 47% ROI)
South Carolina Best Bets & Trends for ATS, Moneyline & Totals
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- Notre Dame have covered the 1H Spread in 16 of their last 20 games (+11.55 Units / 52% ROI)
- Notre Dame has hit the 1H Moneyline in 9 of their last 10 away games (+11.20 Units / 47% ROI)
- Notre Dame has hit the 1Q Game Total Under in 16 of their last 22 games (+9.25 Units / 36% ROI)
- Notre Dame has hit the Moneyline in 8 of their last 10 away games (+7.05 Units / 21% ROI)
- Notre Dame has hit the Game Total Over in their last 6 games (+6.00 Units / 91% ROI)
Notre Dame Best Bets & Trends for ATS, Moneyline & Totals
- South Carolina has hit the Moneyline in 9 of their last 15 games (+26.55 Units / 127% ROI
- South Carolina has hit the 1H Moneyline in 7 of their last 11 games at home (+13.50 Units / 48% ROI
- South Carolina has hit the 1H Game Total Over in 14 of their last 20 games (+7.45 Units / 34% ROI
- South Carolina has hit the 1Q Game Total Over in 13 of their last 19 games (+6.15 Units / 28% ROI)
- South Carolina have covered the Spread in 5 of their last 7 games (+2.80 Units / 36% ROI)
South Carolina Against the Spread (ATS) Record
South Carolina has gone 6-6 against the spread this college football season (-0.6 Units / -4.58% ROI).
- South Carolina is 8-4 when betting on the Moneyline for -17.65 Units / -21.02% RO
- South Carolina is 7-4 when betting the Over for +2.6 Units / 19.7% RO
- South Carolina is 4-7 when betting the Under for -3.7 Units / -28.03% ROI
Notre Dame Against the Spread (ATS) Record
Notre Dame has gone 6-4 against the spread this college football season (+1.6 Units / 0% ROI).
- Notre Dame is 6-4 when betting on the Moneyline for +14.8 Units / 94.57% RO
- Notre Dame is 6-5 when betting the Over for +0.5 Units / 4.13% ROI
- Notre Dame is 5-6 when betting the Under for -1.6 Units / -13.22% ROI
South Carolina: Keys to the Game vs. Notre Dame
#19 Notre Dame is 12-2 (.857) when not losing a fumble since the 2021 season– 3rd-best in FBS; Average: .510#19 Notre Dame is undefeated (12-0) when intercepting at least 1 pass since the 2021 season– tied for best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .627
#19 Notre Dame is 13-3 (.619) when averaging more than 5 yards on first down plays since the 2021 season– tied for 7th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .436
#19 Notre Dame is 10-2 (.833) when allowing less than 50% of third down conversion opportunities since the 2021 season– 5th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .561
Notre Dame: Keys to the Game vs. South Carolina
#20 South Carolina is 9-2 (.818) when in a one score game since the 2021 season– tied for 4th-best in FBS; Average: .494
#20 South Carolina is 10-1 (.769) when rushing for more than 100 yards since the 2021 season– tied for 12th-best in FBS; Average: .542
#20 South Carolina is 5-1 (.625) when rushing more than 30 times — tied for 13th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .466
#20 South Carolina is 5-1 (.625) when making 7 or more explosive plays — tied for 13th-best among Power 5 Teams; Average: .451
Matchup Notes for South Carolina vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s TEs has 64 receptions in 11 games (5.8 per game) this season — fourth-best among P5 TEs. South Carolina’s defense has allowed just 16.2 receptions per game this season — third-best among SEC defenses.Notre Dame’s TEs has been targeted 105 times this season — fourth-most among P5 TEs. South Carolina’s defense has allowed 2,181 receiving yards this season — fourth-fewest among SEC defenses.
Notre Dame’s WRs have just 94.4 receiving yards per game this season — second-worst among Power 5 WRs. South Carolina’s defense has allowed just 198.3 receiving yards per game this season — fourth-best among SEC defenses.
South Carolina Offensive Stats & Trends
#19 Notre Dame TEs have caught 4 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter this season– tied for most among Power 5 Teams
#19 Notre Dame WRs have averaged 21.0 yards per reception (505 yards/24 catches) on 3rd and long since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 15.0
#19 Notre Dame TEs have been targeted 23 times with 4-6 yards to go this season– most among Power 5 Teams
#19 Notre Dame TEs have caught 4 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter this season– tied for most among FBS Teams
#19 Notre Dame TEs have picked up first downs on 10 receptions in the Red Zone this season– most among Power 5 Teams
Notre Dame Offensive Stats & Trends
#20 South Carolina RBs have averaged 63.1 rushing yards per game (694/11) this season– 2nd worst among FBS Teams; Average: 131.8#20 South Carolina Skill Players have caught 61 of 80 passes (76% Reception Pct) in the 4th quarter this season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 62%
#20 South Carolina WRs have averaged a touchdown every 4.0 receptions (16 Rec/4 TDs) in the Red Zone this season– tied for 3rd worst Receptions Per TD among Power 5 Teams; Average: 2.0
#20 South Carolina Skill Players have fumbled 14 times this season– most among Power 5 Teams
#20 South Carolina WRs have averaged just 3.0 yards per reception (9 yards/3 catches) on 3rd and short since last season– worst among Power 5 Teams; Average: 10.7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Stats & Trends
#19 Notre Dame has allowed passes of 40+ yards on just 1 of 312 attempts (0%) this season– tied for 2nd best in FBS; Average: 2%
South Carolina Gamecocks Defensive Stats & Trends
#20 South Carolina has allowed a Completion Pct of just 40% (39 completions/97 attempts) in close and late situations since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 58%
#20 South Carolina has allowed a passer rating of just 69.2 in close and late situations (97.0 Pass Attempts) since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 125.4
#20 South Carolina has allowed a passer rating of just 69.2 in close and late situations (97.0 Pass Attempts) since last season– best in FBS; Average: 125.5
#20 South Carolina has not tackled opponents for a loss on any of 38 rushing attempts on 3rd and short this season– tied for worst in FBS; Average: 12%.
#20 South Carolina has allowed opponents to catch just 39 of 97 passes (40% Reception Pct) in close and late situations since last season– best among Power 5 Teams; Average: 58%