South Carolina at Mississippi State Preview

The South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1, 3-1) will travel to Starkville, Miss. this Saturday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-3, 0-3) for a 12:20 pm ET kickoff.

The Gamecocks are coming off of their best offensive outing of the season and their best game against a SEC opponent in school history.  South Carolina destroyed Kentucky last Saturday, 54-3, to move to 3-1 in the conference.

New starting quarterback Connor Shaw led the offense with 311 yards through the air and four touchdowns as the Gamecocks racked up 639 yards of total offense on the Wildcats.

“It was just time to call some plays and see what happened,” Spurrier said after the game. “I didn’t know if we could move it like this or not, but I knew we had to try.”

Shaw also showed an ability to scramble away from pressure when the pocket collapsed.  He carried the ball 15 times for 42 yards.

"We had a very good game plan as far as different formations, different strategies," Shaw said. "I wasn't as nervous as last time. I'd been there, done that. My offensive line came to me and told me they had my back."

One player who had to be happy to see Shaw throwing the ball around was Alshon Jeffery.  He was finally able to make a few plays on Saturday with the improved quarterback play.  He finished the game with six catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

"When the week started, (Spurrier) told us we were going to throw the ball a lot, we were going to air it out," said Jeffery post-game. "So that's what I expected."

Marcus Lattimore was able to reach the 100-yard mark, despite not seeming to be a main part of the initial gameplan for Coach Spurrier. He carried the ball 22 times for 102 yards.

Bruce Ellington was able to break open a big play, taking a direct snap 61 yards down the Kentucky sideline for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.  This is the kind of versatility that Spurrier and the coaching staff knew Ellington could bring to the table.

"It was a great run," Ellington said after the win. "The line did a great job blocking and when I got into the endzone Alshon met me and the crowd was screaming, it was exciting."

The defense played another great game, holding Kentucky to just 96 yards of offense and three points.  It was the second time this season that the defense held a team to just three points.

"I know what we are and I know how we practiced this week," said Ellis Johnson after the game. "I know some things we do well and some things we don't do well and it's about their attitude.  I think they stepped up today."

Mississippi State is coming off of a 21-3 road win over non-conference opponent UAB, in a game which they trailed 3-0 at halftime.

Bulldog starting quarterback Chris Relf was replaced by Tyler Russell in the second half of Saturday's game and Russell threw for three touchdowns.  Russell finished the game 11-13 for 166 yards through the air.

RB Vic Ballard, the SEC's fifth leading rusher, was able to remain effective for Mississippi State, carrying the ball 19 times for 101 yards on the ground.

If the Bulldogs are going to be successful against South Carolina, they will need Ballard to have a strong game on the ground.  Carolina's defense has moved up into the top 10 defensively in the nation, so the Mississippi State offense may find it difficult to score points against the Gamecocks this weekend.  A balanced attack is what the Bulldogs will need and Vic Ballard will be the key to that.

I see the Gamecocks playing a hard fought road game this weekend, Marcus Lattimore getting more of a workload this Saturday, Connor Shaw managing the game well, and South Carolina winning a close one.

Prediction:
#15 South Carolina 24  Mississippi State 20

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The Gamecocks dismissed former QB Stephen Garcia from the team on Tuesday after he failed to meet requirements of his reinstatement with the program.  A mix of alcohol and marijuana was found in his system after a drug test, and the oft-suspended fifth year senior is now gone for good.  Garcia finished his career with over 7,500 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 41 interceptions.  He was 20-14 as a starter and finishes as the third best statistical quarterback in school history.