What Else To Watch: Week 2

South Carolina's Football team will be taking the field on Saturday night, but what other games and storylines should Gamecock fans pay attention to?

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a crucial game against the Furman Paladins on Saturday night, where they must aim to take care of business and show improvement in multiple areas that were lacking in week one. However, a few of the Gamecocks' future 2023 opponents will also be playing games on Saturday, showcasing their ability to potentially exceed national expectations or fall short of meeting them. Which three games should South Carolina fans pay attention to on Saturday?

Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest

As you could probably tell by the games I picked last week, I won't always choose the more marquee matchups. This matchup for Vanderbilt is a great example, as they'll be playing their first "big-boy" matchup on the season against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest is a team that has gotten the most out of their talent for years under head coach Dave Clawson and run a slow-mesh offense under Warren Ruggiero that gave the Commodores fits in 2022. This is a barometer-setting game for Clark Lea and his program and could provide Gamecock fans insight into the challenges they could bring come November.

Jacksonville State @ Coastal Carolina

Jacksonville State has gotten off to a great start in a season that's witnessed a lot of new surrounding the program, with the Gamecocks now playing at the FBS level while being led by first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez. Rich Rod has Jacksonville State clicking two weeks in, as the Gamecocks won a close game against UTEP in week one and annihilated an FCS power in East Tennessee State in week two.

However, the Grayson McCall-led Chanticleers are sure to be a much bigger challenge this weekend in a game with State listed as the underdogs. Can Rich Rod scheme his way to a win over one of the best programs in the Sun Belt?

Mississippi State vs. Arizona

It took a while for the Zac Arnett-led Mississippi State Bulldogs to get going against Southeast Louisiana in week one, and they won't have the luxury of playing an outmatched FCS program on Saturday night. Jedd Fisch has something cooking over in Tuscon, with recruiting seeing an apparent uptick and the Wildcats being as competitive as they've been in recent memory. With the LSU Tigers coming up in week three, will Arnett have the Bulldogs mentally ready for what could be a dangerous trap game in Starkville?

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