THE MAIN EVENT
South Carolina at Mississippi State
Time:
8:00
TV: ESPN
Line: South Carolina by 6.5
Importance of
the game to South Carolina: The Gamecocks are
holding onto hopes that they might win the SEC this season. That seems
to be dreaming a little big for these ‘Cocks, but Spurrier has the fans
fired up about the season. After coming so close to the East Division
title a year ago, SC fans think there is nowhere to go but up. If they
plan on winning the SEC East, they must win games like this one in a
hostile environment against a team they should be superior to. With
Georgia coming up next Saturday to show the Gamecocks where they really
stand, they certainly do not want to find out in this one that they do
not stand a chance in the East this year.
Importance of
the game to Mississippi State: Croom has
finally put together a team with a little bit of depth. The talent is
still not up to the level of many other SEC schools, but there is at
least more depth now. This could be a year of big things happening in
Starkville, as the fans are very optimistic that this could be a
breakout year for the Bulldogs. That optimism could be fed with a solid
upset of a good South Carolina team in the first game. With Auburn
coming up next Saturday in Starkville, an 0-2 start could be staring
them in the face if they don’t get a win in this one, which would make
Croom’s goal of a bowl game that much tougher to achieve.
Quote from Steve Spurrier, South Carolina’s head coach:
“We
are looking forward to see what kind of team we have. Like all of you
know, we are playing a lot of new players, players that haven't played
much before. We think they are good players and we are going to find out
how good or how much work we need to do when the game is over Thursday
night. We'll see what happens out there."
Quote from
Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State’s head coach:
“I think our players and
myself are at a point now where we are tired of talking - its time to
play. It's a great opportunity for us to have a chance to play on
national television to open the season, opening a conference game at
home. If you love the game of football, it doesn't get much better than
this.”
Breakdown:
South
Carolina’s Offense vs. Mississippi State’s Defense:
Blake Mitchell is back to lead the Gamecocks offense. He
completed 59 percent of his passes a year ago and had 17 touchdowns. He
is a dynamic quarterback, that Spurrier is expecting to be much improved
this year. That could spell trouble for opposing defenses. Sidney Rice
is his stud wide receiver. Rice caught thirteen touchdowns and had 1173
yards receiving a year ago, truly remarkable for a freshman. The rushing
offense is hoping to be much better behind Mike Davis, who came through
late last year for the Gamecocks, and Cory Boyd, who sat out last year
due to a suspension. The offensive line is a small concern, but Spurrier
thinks they will be just as good as last year. The Bulldogs defense gave
up 3.7 yards per rush a year ago and allowed opponents to complete 61
percent of their passes for 11.1 yards per catch. They return nine
starters though and are a very experienced group. Quinton Culberson is
the team’s most important defensive player at linebacker. He is the
senior leader of the team. The defensive line returns three starters,
which is a big plus for this team. It looks like the Bulldogs should be
improved defensively, and if they can get some pressure on Mitchell and
make him uncomfortable and find a way to control Rice, they should be
able to hold the Gamecocks offense down.
Mississippi
State’s Offense vs. South Carolina’s Defense:
The Bulldogs have an improving offensive line. That’s
where it all begins for Mississippi State. If they get good offensive
line production, then they have a shot against almost anyone on their
schedule. Michael Henig returns at quarterback. He has potential and is
now a sophomore that is more comfortable in the system. Who will replace
Jerious Norwood? That’s a good question, as the solid running back is
now gone. Brandon Thornton and Derek Ambrose will do their best to lead
the way. Keon Humphries and Omarr Conner are the leading returning
receivers. Both have potential to be playmakers, particularly Humphries
who averaged more than eighteen yards per catch last year. The Gamecocks
defense has lost seven starters, and only one of the four returning
starters figures to start to open this season. Fred Bennett is the lone
returning starter on defense, and he is in the secondary. The secondary
took a major hit when Ko Simpson went early to the NFL. Stanly Doughty
and Jordin Lindsey are the other returning defensive starters, but both
are slated for back up duty. Both play on the defensive line. The line
is a little undersized, which means they could get pushed around a bit.
Last year they gave up 4.1 yards per rush, and allowed opponents to
complete nearly 56 percent of their passes for 11.0 yards per
completion. This defense could struggle early in the year, but they have
the talent to be good later on. The Bulldogs are looking for answers on
offense as well, so this is a very interesting match-up and is the
deciding factor in this game.
Prediction:
Starkville will be rocking and this game seems
primed for an upset. The Gamecocks will be good, but they are very
inexperienced in some key spots right now. Still, Mississippi State is
yet to prove they can win a game like this under Croom. South Carolina
will throw a quick strike early, and quiet the crowd, only to see the
Bulldogs get the crowd back into it late. The Bulldogs will come up just
short because Rice and Mitchell are just too much.
South Carolina 24, Mississippi State 20.
THE UNDERCARD
Boston College
at Central Michigan (6:00 ESPN2): It is very
tough to go into a MAC stadium at night in a nationally televised game
as a team from a powerhouse conference and win. That is what Boston
College must do. Matt Ryan is the starting quarterback, and the
offensive line features Josh Beekman. The running game should be very
solid with a nice one-two punch of Andre Callender and LV Whitworth. The
Boston College defense, on the other hand, is just OK. The Eagles are
traditionally solid on defense, but against the Chippewas, they may
struggle. Ontario Sneed is a very solid running back and could move the
ball against an inexperienced defense. Brian Brunner is the starting
quarterback, but is very inexperienced, throwing just two passes a year
ago. The CMU defense is not particularly good, but they do have a solid
end in Daniel Bazuin. This game is going to be way more exciting that BC
is hoping for. Sneed will have a monster game, but in the end, Callender
and Whitworth will each rush for 100 yards and that will be the
difference. Boston College 31, Central Michigan
21.
If you have any
questions, comments, or concerns, please e-mail me at
JohnRoberts_CFN@yahoo.com.