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Gee, anything happen for South Carolina (2-4) this week? The week started with a head Ball Coach, and it’s going to end with the program in a holding pattern after Steve Spurrier flat-quit on the team he put together. Will this serve as a rallying cry for the Gamecocks? Vanderbilt (2-3) won’t be crying for a team without its big toe, needing to come up with a win to keep any hopes of a bowl season alive. Check out the South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt prediction and game preview.

South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt Game Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Game Time: 4:00 pm
Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Network: SEC Network

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Why You Need To Care

It’s been a strange and sudden week for the South Carolina football program, but it has to rally in a hurry and win this game or it’ll be time to back up the truck on the 2015 season. There’s no offense, a mediocre defense, and no consistency. Worst of all, there aren’t any real breaks after this outside of a home game against Citadel. The next two weeks are on the road against Texas A&M and Tennessee, and there’s still Florida and Clemson to deal with. Good luck with that.

Vanderbilt hasn’t actually been all that bad. 2-3 is never good, but it played Georgia and Ole Miss relatively tough, and time simply ran out in the loss to WKU. This is still a young, growing team making young, growing mistakes, and now it has to live life on the road with three of the next four games away from Nashville, and with Missouri up next. Every team left on the schedule will end up going bowling, so there’s no real break – this might be it. Try this one out – ten of Vandy’s 12 games are against teams almost certain to go bowling. Austin Peay is one, this is probably the other.

Why Vanderbilt Will Win

The Vanderbilt defense has been terrific. The high-powered WKU offense was held to just 246 total yards and 14 points. Georgia and Ole Miss each cracked the 400-yard mark, but there was a lot of bending without a ton of breaking. Considering the offense isn’t really helping the cause to keep the defense off the field, this group has done a good job against everyone but Georgia’s Nick Chubb running the ball and Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly throwing it. South Carolina doesn’t have a Nick Chubb or a Chad Kelly – struggling way too much to put points up on the board. This is going to be a low, low scoring game with points at a premium.

Why South Carolina Will Win

The Gamecocks need plenty of breaks and lots of easy opportunities, and they’ll almost certainly get them against a Vandy offense that’s turning the ball over way too often. The Commodores have lost the ball 11 times with three turnovers in three of the five games and two in the win over Austin Peay. The Gamecocks haven’t come up with a takeaway in the last two games, but it cranked up seven in the first four. Expect the defense to come out roaring because …

Player Who Matters

New head coach Shawn Elliott is going to get this group jacked up. A fiery sort, the interim South Carolina head man is a ball of energy who’s normally in charge of dealing with parts of the offense, and now his job will be to bring the passion apparently lacking at the end of the Spurrier tenure. You don’t think these players are going to want to make a huge statement after their coach upped and left? Get ready for a very, very strong effort.

What’s Going To Happen?

The Gamecocks will bring the fire, but they’re still not all that good. Vanderbilt will keep it close with a strong passing game that’ll get yards, but will give it up in two key moments.

South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt Prediction

Final Score: South Carolina 23, Vanderbilt 17, Line: South Carolina -3, o/u: 44.5

Must See Rating: 5: Trojan War – 1: The Muppets … 2.5

MORE: College Football Bowl Projections After Week 6