Game Day a Week Away For Gamecocks- What Fans Should Want to See

After what seems like an eternity since the National Championship between Miami and Indiana, college football officially kicks off today. For the South Carolina Gamecocks, the wait has been even longer, as their season ended after their disappointing loss to Clemson on rivalry week and also kick off next Saturday. Nonetheless, fans are ready to see their Gamecocks in their new Nike uniforms take the field.

Beginning the season against Kent State, the Gamecocks look to make a statement in their opening game. In a game where they are a five touchdown favorite, what should Gamecock fans want to see in a game that is set up to be more of a formality rather than a competitive game?

Disciplined Football

Last season, the Gamecocks were plagued by mental lapses that quickly turned into an ocean of silly penalties, especially on the offensive line. The trend slowed down after coach Shawn Elliot was moved to offensive line coach, who currently serves as the run game coordinator and tight ends coach. Now led by coach Randy Clement from TCU, hopefully this game will serve as a chance to get acquainted with the offense and environment without the pressures of playing a power four opponent.

No Injuries

Though the team is coming off the vaunted fall camp period, all teams are a bit rusty after being out of competition for such a long time. While fans want to see their best players make big plays, the last thing anyone wants to see is an injury, regardless of its severity. Being so early in the season, the Gamecocks, who have already been bitten by injuries, need to keep all of their guys healthy as they get ready to endure a schedule that features some of the best teams in the season. Dylan Stewart, arguably one of the best players in the country, is expected to miss time early in the season, and the Gamecocks certainly don’t want to add any more players to that list.

See Young Guys Get Playing Time

One of the bright sides for fans in blowout games involves seeing some of the guys lower in the depth chart make an appearance on the field. With spring games being limited from television access, these games are some of the few moments for fans to truly see the depth their team possesses. If the score gets out of hand quick enough in favor of the Gamecocks, we could see some of these unsung heroes get their chance to experience the environment of a college football game.

One of the most intriguing places to see the backups take snaps at quarterback. With LaNorris Sellers likely leaving for the NFL next year, there certainly will be an offseason competition to see who will be the signal caller for the Garnet and Black next season. Some names to watch for at the position are redshirt freshman Cutter Woods, junior Lucian Anderson III, and freshman Landon Duckworth.

The Gamecocks will kick off against Kent State next Saturday at 12:45 PM ET on SEC Network.

Add us as a preferred source on Google