W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
** With it seeming more and more likely that senior quarterback Michael Scarnecchia will get his first career start Saturday afternoon, obviously that is the biggest storyline going into this football game. Based on what I know about Scarnecchia's skillset, I doubt you will see the actual structure of the offense change much if that is indeed the case. He's a pass-first quarterback who throws a catchable ball and gets the football out fast, even if that means just dropping it off to the underneath route. It's interesting that he's the last Steve Spurrier quarterback on the roster, because in many ways his footwork and dropback with the football high at his ear will remind you of a classic Spurrier-trained quarterback.
I'm not going to predict that Scarnecchia definitely goes out and lights the world on fire, but I can tell you that he's taken his job as the backup quarterback seriously over the last few years and has busted his tail to find a comfort level in the offense and thus has the respect of his teammates. I imagine they'll tweak the playcalling a bit and rely on the running game a little more to an extent, but frankly Missouri is much better at defending the run than pass, so coming out throwing and giving Scarnecchia some easier throws to build confidence and makes the Tigers defense back off may actually be the best plan of action. This Missouri defense offers some opportunities for Carolina to hit plays in the passing game, Scarnecchia is just going to have to play within himself and the receivers are going to have to help him out more than they did Jake Bentley last week.
** While the chances that Bentley would play have gotten progressively worse as the week has progressed, I expect that wide receiver Bryan Edwards will play Saturday as his status has improved throughout the week and he practiced on Thursday. They'll check it on gameday, for sure, but the expectation is he's in the lineup.
** I also predict that freshman quarterback Dakereon Joyner will make his in-game debut on Saturday. As a true freshman, I don't believe Joyner is ready to go handle the entire offense yet, but he's made some improvements in practice and it just makes sense to give Missouri another skillset to have to defend this week. Joyner has made some big plays in practice with his legs and could provide a spark, especially in short yardage or goal line situations.
** Ever since Drew Lock took over at quarterback, Missouri's offense has shown the ability to put up big numbers and score points in bunches. But the last two seasons, Carolina has seemed to have the recipe to slow the Tigers. That's involved making the Tigers dink and dunk down the field by taking away the deep shots that they've been able to hit against other teams, which also serves to keep the clock moving.
Pair that with a ball-control offense and the Gamecocks have been able to shorten those two games, make enough plays on offense or special teams, and force Missouri turnovers. They'll need the game to play out similarly this week. As much as the attention this offseason was on an uptempo offense, I think given the situation that Carolina is in this week, it will have to find a way to stay on the field on offense and keep the clock moving. Giving Lock and the Mizzou offense too many opportunities will result in a bad outcome.
** Obviously, this isn't an ideal situation if South Carolina doesn't have its starting quarterback Saturday, but it's also an opportunity not only for Scarnecchia but for his teammate to rally around him and step up in a tough scenario. This is gut check time for this football team and the season can still be turned around but it's going to have to start Saturday with better execution and smarter play from top to bottom. The Gamecock wide receivers are going to have to bounce back from last week and make some extra plays for their quarterback and the defense is going to have to get back to doing what it did for two seasons and that's turning their opponent over. That ultimately is going to be one of the biggest keys in South Carolina winning this game.
Also see: Matt O'Brien's three keys to getting back on winning track
Also see: Senior handicapper Brian Edwards: USC/Mizz thoughts and this week's wagers
Also see: Josh Low's Weekly Thoughts on College Football
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