GCF South Carolina vs. Auburn Game Preview, Prediction & Discussion Thread
Nov. 09, 2021
South Carolina football gets another shot to earn bowl eligibility as it begins a season-ending home stretch with a meeting with the SEC West’s Auburn Tigers. The Gamecocks failed to build upon their strong win over Florida when they sputtered on the road Saturday in a 31-28 loss at Missouri. Auburn also faltered, giving up a 25-point lead to Mississippi State at home behind poor pass defense that allowed Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers 415 yards and six touchdowns on an 80% completion percentage.
Auburn’s third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix won’t play against South Carolina as he broke his ankle during the Mississippi State game. Nix later confirmed the news in a Sunday night Instagram post. Reports said the Tigers are likely to play LSU transfer T.J. Finley, who led LSU’s 52-24 win over the Gamecocks last season in Baton Rouge.
South Carolina upset Auburn at Williams-Brice Stadium last year, as former defensive back Jaycee Horn had a field day with Nix and picked him off twice. The Tigers lead in the all-time series 10-2-1, with the Gamecocks going 1-3 at home against Auburn.
HOW TO WATCH SOUTH CAROLINA VS AUBURN FOOTBALL GAME
Who: Auburn Tigers (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at South Carolina Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5 SEC)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) in Columbia, S.C. When: 7 p.m. Saturday
BETTING ODDS
Auburn opened as a 10-point favorite on the road over South Carolina, according to the VegasInsider. The Tigers were favored by 10.5, according to Circa Sports.
THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina appeared to turn a corner as it put together season-best performances across its offense and defense in a win over Florida two weeks ago. The Gamecocks weren’t able to replicate any of it against Missouri. Faced with a formidable runner in Mizzou’s Tyler Badie, South Carolina’s defense allowed a fourth opponent to total 200 yards or more on the ground.
Gamecocks couldn’t get its offense rolling steady in Missouri either, as the Tigers’ offense outgained the Gamecocks 438 yards to 250. Quarterback Jason Brown, who impressed in his first South Carolina start against the Gators, was sacked three times and threw an interception, completing 16 of his 30 passes for 193 yards on Saturday. Brown’s 50-yard loss on the stat sheet played a large role in bringing the Gamecocks’ net rushing total down to 57, its lowest total of the season, despite the fact South Carolina actually gained 118 yards on 35 rushing attempts.
The Gamecocks put together a statement but struggled to repeat it just a week later. Despite the messy Mizzou loss, head coach Shane Beamer still has a potential first-year bowl berth just one game away, with South Carolina given two more chances at home vs. Auburn and Clemson.
Perhaps the brief respite will give South Carolina a chance to regroup as it chases down the one win it needs to get bowl eligible in its final two games against Auburn and Clemson. If it doesn’t, South Carolina will spend its holiday season at home for the third consecutive season.
GAMECOCK PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB ZaQuandre White
Apparently he was the only running back on the team that got the memo about Missouri entering this game ranked 129th out of 130 teams in rushing defense. White ran for 60 yards on 10 carries —good for a respectable six yards per carry and had his fingerprints all over the Cocks’ last two touchdown drives in addition to scoring on both of them.
He was responsible for every first down on the nine play, 80-yard touchdown drive that cut the lead to 10 points, highlighted by his 38-yard touchdown reception and his 25-yard run that was decreased to only a nine-yard gain because of a holding calTo put White’s impact more into perspective, he had 102 total yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the team combined for 148 yards and two touchdowns... White managed to shine on a day where not much was working offensively for the Cocks.
QB Jason Brown
I am fully aware he didn’t have the most attractive game ever, completing only 53% of his passes for 193 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble turned touchdown, but the final thing this game taught me was that I believe Brown is undoubtedly the best option in this quarterback room and maybe even for next season.
He perhaps has some decision-making issues made clear on his one pick and two others that got called back because of penalties on the defense, but he is at least to me an accurate thrower of the football who is understandably struggling behind this offensive line. Brown has also demonstrated a bit of that “wow” factor you look for in a quarterback, which is on full display during this 26-yard touchdown pass to Josh Vann. Some quarterbacks struggle making that pass in the pocket with no pressure, and Brown did it in some pretty rough conditions.
THE AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn will come to Columbia reeling from its steepest blown lead in school history last week. The Tigers allowed Mississippi State to come back from a 25-point deficit on Saturday, with the Bulldogs scoring 40 unanswered points in a 43-34 Mississippi State win at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Further complicating matters, third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in the third quarter of the Mississippi State loss, according to Sunday afternoon reports.
Nix, who later confirmed the reports in an Instagram post, won’t play against South Carolina after undergoing surgery Monday. The Gamecocks will face LSU transfer quarterback T.J. Finley in Nix’s absence. Finley played South Carolina last year in Baton Rouge, completing 17 of his 21 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added another touchdown on the ground in LSU’s 52-24 win over USC in 2020.
First-year head coach Bryan Harsin is grappling with disappointment as the Tigers slog through the second half of their slate. After getting off to a 4-1 start in its first five games, Auburn has gone 2-3 in in its most recent half, including two consecutive losses to SEC West foes Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Inconsistency has plagued the 2021 Auburn Tigers, and the Gamecocks’ best shot at a second-consecutive upset likely requires some of Auburn’s problems to surface once again at Williams-Brice Stadium.
AUBURN PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB Tank Bigsby
Bigsby made a splash in his freshman campaign last year and ran for 111 yards on 16 carries in the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina in 2020. This year, Bigsby has accumulated 776 yards on 156 attempts, bringing in nine touchdowns, ranking him seventh in the SEC.
WR Kobe Hudson
Auburn’s leading receiver had his first 100-yard game in the Tigers’ loss to Mississippi State, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown on eight catches against the Bulldogs. Hudson has accounted for 490 yards on 37 receptions in 2021 as the 6-foot-1 sophomore cements himself as Auburn’s go-to pass catcher.
LB Zakoby McClain
A senior veteran in Auburn’s linebacker corps, McClain lands at third in the SEC with 51 solo tackles in 2021. He’s also deflected four passes this season and totaled two sacks for a loss of 10 yards. McClain’s performance against Mississippi State was one of the few positive spots in Auburn’s loss last Saturday, as he came up with 14 tackles and a pass breakup against the Bulldogs.
Auburn vs South Carolina Prediction
And there’s the South Carolina offense going back to being the South Carolina offense.It actually hasn’t been all that bad throughout the season, but the running game failed to do much of anything before ripping up Florida for close to 300 yards. Last week against Missouri’s awful defense?
Auburn QB Bo Nix is out for the rest of the regular season with a foot injury, and now the offense has to perk up despite the loss of its growing star. Finley is hardly new to the SEC spotlight, but he’ll have to avoid mistakes against a South Carolina defense that’s great at taking the ball away. Finley will be more than fine. The massive 6-7, 250-pound bomber won’t be asked to win the game all bit himself, but he already proved this year that he could step in and come through, saving the day in the Georgia State thriller. Last year against South Carolina, he completed 17-of-21 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns with a pick, when he played for LSU. He won’t do that, but he’ll overcome a few picks to keep things moving, and the running game and defense will take it from there.
Auburn 34, South Carolina 20
Nov. 09, 2021
South Carolina football gets another shot to earn bowl eligibility as it begins a season-ending home stretch with a meeting with the SEC West’s Auburn Tigers. The Gamecocks failed to build upon their strong win over Florida when they sputtered on the road Saturday in a 31-28 loss at Missouri. Auburn also faltered, giving up a 25-point lead to Mississippi State at home behind poor pass defense that allowed Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers 415 yards and six touchdowns on an 80% completion percentage.
Auburn’s third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix won’t play against South Carolina as he broke his ankle during the Mississippi State game. Nix later confirmed the news in a Sunday night Instagram post. Reports said the Tigers are likely to play LSU transfer T.J. Finley, who led LSU’s 52-24 win over the Gamecocks last season in Baton Rouge.
South Carolina upset Auburn at Williams-Brice Stadium last year, as former defensive back Jaycee Horn had a field day with Nix and picked him off twice. The Tigers lead in the all-time series 10-2-1, with the Gamecocks going 1-3 at home against Auburn.
HOW TO WATCH SOUTH CAROLINA VS AUBURN FOOTBALL GAME
Who: Auburn Tigers (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at South Carolina Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5 SEC)
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) in Columbia, S.C. When: 7 p.m. Saturday
BETTING ODDS
Auburn opened as a 10-point favorite on the road over South Carolina, according to the VegasInsider. The Tigers were favored by 10.5, according to Circa Sports.
THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina appeared to turn a corner as it put together season-best performances across its offense and defense in a win over Florida two weeks ago. The Gamecocks weren’t able to replicate any of it against Missouri. Faced with a formidable runner in Mizzou’s Tyler Badie, South Carolina’s defense allowed a fourth opponent to total 200 yards or more on the ground.
Gamecocks couldn’t get its offense rolling steady in Missouri either, as the Tigers’ offense outgained the Gamecocks 438 yards to 250. Quarterback Jason Brown, who impressed in his first South Carolina start against the Gators, was sacked three times and threw an interception, completing 16 of his 30 passes for 193 yards on Saturday. Brown’s 50-yard loss on the stat sheet played a large role in bringing the Gamecocks’ net rushing total down to 57, its lowest total of the season, despite the fact South Carolina actually gained 118 yards on 35 rushing attempts.
The Gamecocks put together a statement but struggled to repeat it just a week later. Despite the messy Mizzou loss, head coach Shane Beamer still has a potential first-year bowl berth just one game away, with South Carolina given two more chances at home vs. Auburn and Clemson.
Perhaps the brief respite will give South Carolina a chance to regroup as it chases down the one win it needs to get bowl eligible in its final two games against Auburn and Clemson. If it doesn’t, South Carolina will spend its holiday season at home for the third consecutive season.
GAMECOCK PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB ZaQuandre White
Apparently he was the only running back on the team that got the memo about Missouri entering this game ranked 129th out of 130 teams in rushing defense. White ran for 60 yards on 10 carries —good for a respectable six yards per carry and had his fingerprints all over the Cocks’ last two touchdown drives in addition to scoring on both of them.
He was responsible for every first down on the nine play, 80-yard touchdown drive that cut the lead to 10 points, highlighted by his 38-yard touchdown reception and his 25-yard run that was decreased to only a nine-yard gain because of a holding calTo put White’s impact more into perspective, he had 102 total yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the team combined for 148 yards and two touchdowns... White managed to shine on a day where not much was working offensively for the Cocks.
QB Jason Brown
I am fully aware he didn’t have the most attractive game ever, completing only 53% of his passes for 193 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble turned touchdown, but the final thing this game taught me was that I believe Brown is undoubtedly the best option in this quarterback room and maybe even for next season.
He perhaps has some decision-making issues made clear on his one pick and two others that got called back because of penalties on the defense, but he is at least to me an accurate thrower of the football who is understandably struggling behind this offensive line. Brown has also demonstrated a bit of that “wow” factor you look for in a quarterback, which is on full display during this 26-yard touchdown pass to Josh Vann. Some quarterbacks struggle making that pass in the pocket with no pressure, and Brown did it in some pretty rough conditions.
THE AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn will come to Columbia reeling from its steepest blown lead in school history last week. The Tigers allowed Mississippi State to come back from a 25-point deficit on Saturday, with the Bulldogs scoring 40 unanswered points in a 43-34 Mississippi State win at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Further complicating matters, third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in the third quarter of the Mississippi State loss, according to Sunday afternoon reports.
Nix, who later confirmed the reports in an Instagram post, won’t play against South Carolina after undergoing surgery Monday. The Gamecocks will face LSU transfer quarterback T.J. Finley in Nix’s absence. Finley played South Carolina last year in Baton Rouge, completing 17 of his 21 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added another touchdown on the ground in LSU’s 52-24 win over USC in 2020.
First-year head coach Bryan Harsin is grappling with disappointment as the Tigers slog through the second half of their slate. After getting off to a 4-1 start in its first five games, Auburn has gone 2-3 in in its most recent half, including two consecutive losses to SEC West foes Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Inconsistency has plagued the 2021 Auburn Tigers, and the Gamecocks’ best shot at a second-consecutive upset likely requires some of Auburn’s problems to surface once again at Williams-Brice Stadium.
AUBURN PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB Tank Bigsby
Bigsby made a splash in his freshman campaign last year and ran for 111 yards on 16 carries in the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina in 2020. This year, Bigsby has accumulated 776 yards on 156 attempts, bringing in nine touchdowns, ranking him seventh in the SEC.
WR Kobe Hudson
Auburn’s leading receiver had his first 100-yard game in the Tigers’ loss to Mississippi State, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown on eight catches against the Bulldogs. Hudson has accounted for 490 yards on 37 receptions in 2021 as the 6-foot-1 sophomore cements himself as Auburn’s go-to pass catcher.
LB Zakoby McClain
A senior veteran in Auburn’s linebacker corps, McClain lands at third in the SEC with 51 solo tackles in 2021. He’s also deflected four passes this season and totaled two sacks for a loss of 10 yards. McClain’s performance against Mississippi State was one of the few positive spots in Auburn’s loss last Saturday, as he came up with 14 tackles and a pass breakup against the Bulldogs.
Auburn vs South Carolina Prediction
And there’s the South Carolina offense going back to being the South Carolina offense.It actually hasn’t been all that bad throughout the season, but the running game failed to do much of anything before ripping up Florida for close to 300 yards. Last week against Missouri’s awful defense?
Auburn QB Bo Nix is out for the rest of the regular season with a foot injury, and now the offense has to perk up despite the loss of its growing star. Finley is hardly new to the SEC spotlight, but he’ll have to avoid mistakes against a South Carolina defense that’s great at taking the ball away. Finley will be more than fine. The massive 6-7, 250-pound bomber won’t be asked to win the game all bit himself, but he already proved this year that he could step in and come through, saving the day in the Georgia State thriller. Last year against South Carolina, he completed 17-of-21 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns with a pick, when he played for LSU. He won’t do that, but he’ll overcome a few picks to keep things moving, and the running game and defense will take it from there.
Auburn 34, South Carolina 20
