Week 1: Vanderbilt

Most years this game would be a given. After 3-9 though, Vegas has the Gamecocks as 4-point underdogs. Vanderbilt didn't have a great season last year either, but they finished ahead of SC by virtue of 2 SEC wins to our 1. Their defense in legitimately good, returns 8 starters, and boasts a likely 1st round pick in LB Zach Cunningham. The Gamecocks don't have anything like that, and are actually one of the most inexperienced teams in the country. Overall I think SC has the talent advantage, and may possibly have better QB play. The biggest factors in this game, however, are punter Sean Kelly and place kicker Elliott Fry. Given the likelihood of offensive ineptitude on both sides, this game will be won on special teams. Prediction: USC 13 - Vanderbilt 10

Bonus prediction: 3 Gamecock QBs will see the field

Watch Shawn Elliott's first and only win as the Gamecocks' head coach below:

2016 Season Preview

OK, so last year didn't go as I expected. Instead of fielding an improved defense under Hoke and beating our 7-win total in 2014, the Gamecocks were one of the worst teams on defense in the entire country and finished dead last in the conference, racking up fewer conference wins than Vanderbilt. Change was required and change is what we got. I may have been one of the few who really liked the Muschamp hire at first. I'll admit that my initial reaction was disappointment, though, but then I remembered how keen I was after 2014 to get him on board as DC and HCIW. This will be the first time since I was in high school that our head coach wasn't an AARP member. I'm looking forward to seeing what a little more energy and engagement can bring.

Muschamp hired the best assistant coaching corps the Gamecocks have ever had. I think the defensive staff are some of the best in the country, and the offensive guys are perfect for the state of South Carolina. Right of the bat these guys proved their worth on the recruiting trail, and we pulled in some immediate help that we would have had no chance with otherwise. Jamarcus King will likely be starting CB after a few games and Kier Thomas will get on the field to improve pass rush from the middle of the line. Keeping Bryan Edwards and Brandon McIlwain in the fold was crucial, and both those guys will be starters this year.

Regardless of how well signing day went in February, the 2016 Gamecocks are a team with serious flaws. The loss of Skai Moore hurts, but the recent news that Rico McWilliams is quitting football may hurt more given the lack of depth at DB. Somehow we're going to have to get through the season with 3 serviceable CBs. I expect us to be better on defense this year, because we basically couldn't get any worse. On offense improved QB play and some young WRs stepping up should make that side of the ball better as well.

Here's my predictions for the season:

@ Vanderbilt - W

@ Mississippi State - L

East Carolina - W

@ Kentucky - W

Texas A&M - L

Georgia - L

UMass - W

Tennessee - L

Missouri - W

@ Florida - L

Western Carolina - W

@ Clemson - L

So, I've got us at 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the conference. I predict the Gamecocks to finish 4th in the East. This is a very uninteresting and safe projection. I should say that we'll lose won we shouldn't, and win one we shouldn't, but given our depth at DB I think the former is more likely than the latter. What I expect to see this year with such a young team and this coaching staff is continuous improvement from week to week. 6 wins should lay the foundation for a strong recruiting finish, more practice time in December, and higher expectations for 2017. Go Cocks.

Back on the Wagon

3-9 was tough to take, so a little time away was needed. But it's football season again, so Teriyaki Chicken will be back at it. Stay tuned.

Week 13: Clemson

It's hard to believe that the final week of the regular season is here. It's even harder to believe that this will be the final game this year for the Gamecocks, and that Clemson comes into Williams-Brice ranked #1 in the nation with an 11-0 record. The spread for the Palmetto Bowl opened 15.5 in favor of Clemson, but that has since moved to 19. According to The State this is the largest point spread in the recorded history of the series, but given the respective performances of these two programs in 2015 it is honestly surprising that the Tigers aren't favored by more. Having said that, I definitely don't think Clemson is the best team in the country this year. The ACC is consistently one of the worst of the Power 5 conferences this year, and the two respectable teams on their schedule met the Tigers without their starting QBs. While they may not be the best team in the country, they have the Gamecocks outmatched on both sides of the ball without a doubt, and moreover they have the Gamecocks beat on the sideline. I think Brent Venables has proven himself to be one of the top defensive coordinators in the country with the job he has done this year dealing with a substantial loss of talent and depleted depth at several position groups. Recent weeks have shown that the Gamecocks have nowhere near the coaching ability that Clemson will bring to Columbia.

The more I thought about this game, the more I realized that this wasn't an entirely hopeless scenario. What we have here is a dare to be great situation, and I believe Lloyd Dobler would concur. Out of all the potential ways Clemson and Carolina could meet at the end of the season, here's how I would rank them (assuming a Gamecock victory of course):

1. Both teams undefeated heading into the final game, ranked #1 and #2. ESPN Gameday is on campus (doesn't matter which) and this is the biggest game of the college football season. Gamecocks win, obviously.
2. Gamecocks come into the game undefeated against a terrible Clemson team. South Carolina proceeds to absolutely crush the Tigers a la West Virginia in 2011, putting a bow on top of an undefeated regular season.
3. A terrible USC teams faces an undefeated Clemson team as a massive underdog, but pulls the upset to wreck the Tigers perfect season and CFP hopes.

Now I must point out that Clemson is has the potential to achieve scenario 2 tomorrow. Up to this point my favorite Palmetto Bowl was the one in 2013, the first ever top-10 match-up between the two teams. If the Gamecocks could pull out the victory tomorrow it would likely replace the 2013 team at the top of my list.

Uploaded by chrism7d4 on 2013-12-07.

I doubt that is going to happen, though. The Gamecocks have proven the past few weeks that they can be competitive with some pretty decent teams, but they haven't proven that they can win against them. Clemson flat out has too much talent at the skill positions on offense for our defense to have a hope of handling, and the Gamecock offense has been varying degrees of terrible all year. I just hope that the Gamecocks keep the game competitive and that the fans show up to support some great Gamecock players who were part of the best teams in program history and will be playing their final game in garnet and black. Prediction: USC 14 - Clemson 35

USC 22 - Citadel 22: Thoughts on Loss #8

Worst Season Since 1999 Confirmed

This one was a disaster from the beginning. The Gamecocks got dominated on both lines of scrimmage from the start, even though they had ~40lbs advantage is size, and ended up losing to an FCS team for the first time since 1990 (also the Citadel). This was the eleventh game this year that the Gamecocks failed to go into halftime with a lead. As was the case in the Florida game, the offense finally showed signs of life in the 2nd Half, only to have the defense give up a huge play late in the 4th (a 56-yard TD run) with little time left. You can argue that the call that negated what would have been a Pharoh Cooper 95-yard (likely game-winning) TD reception with less than a minute to go was totally bogus, but the fact is that the Gamecocks should have never been in that situation to begin with. An SEC team does not give up 3 TDs to the Citadel and only score 2 of their own. I was a proponent of keeping maybe 2 members of the current coaching staff on board after the new head coach is announced in the next few weeks, but after this game I'm of the opinion that a complete house cleaning is in order. Let's hope it will be more than 25 years until our next loss to an FCS team.

Game played November 21, 2015

Week 12: the Citadel

The Citadel brings their triple option attack to Williams-Brice this weekend for a game that the Gamecocks most certainly should win. The Bulldogs don't have anywhere near the size on the lines that South Carolina has, but a lot of FCS schools like the Citadel utilize the option and cut blocking for precisely this reason: it serves as an equalizer. I think the game will be a close one early on. The Citadel will move the ball on our defense in the 1st Half and our offense never seems to show up until the last third of the game. Eventually our talent and size advantage will wear the Bulldogs down, and we'll pull away in the 2nd Half. Prediction: USC 27 - Citadel 14

USC 14 - Florida 24: Thoughts on Loss #7

First Losing Season Since 2003 is Confirmed

This wasn't at all unexpected, but with the 7th loss in 10 games the Gamecocks have now assured their worst season since going 5-7 in both 2002 and 2003. Also with the loss the Gamecocks finish their SEC schedule 1-7, good for dead last in the SEC East and the worst conference record in the SEC.

The Gamecocks take the field in front of an anemic crowd on November 14, 2015.

I was very disappointed in the crowd and overall energy in Williams-Brice on Saturday. I realize that this was another noon kick-off among several this season, and the product on the field has been a huge let down, but I also remember sitting through 1-21 in 1998-1999. I don't recall the crowd being anywhere near as lackluster in the midst of those dark days, although I will freely admit that the passage of time may have dulled my memory. South Carolina fans used to be regarded as the best in the nation, with 80,000+ showing up every Saturday win or lose. I fear that recent successes may have spoiled us.

As for the game itself, the final score makes this one seem way closer than it really was. The offense was beyond atrocious, both the playcalling and the execution. Florida is probably the best defense we have or will face this year, but having only 43 yards of total offense (and only 2 yards rushing) at the end of the 3rd quarter is inexcusable. We had 159 yards and 2 TDs in the 4th quarter, and the playcalling was noticeably better and more aggressive as time became limited, but it was another instance of too little too late. The defense played very well considering that the offense put them on the field the entire game. Florida is not a good offensive team by stretch of the imagination, but holding a team to 3.4 yards / carry on 43 carries and 17 points through 3 quarters is not a terrible performance. 3rd down defense could definitely have been better, but the defense had us in position to potentially win late in the 4th quarter before giving up the long run to Taylor. That left us here: with 7 losses and another one to our fiercest rival likely on the horizon.

Watch the entire game again below:

Uploaded by ncaa sportsvids on 2015-11-16.

Week 11: Florida

After watching the Tennessee game in NY last week and staying up there for a few days, I made the trip down to SC yesterday. This will be the first game I've witnessed live since the Clemson game in 2013. Looking forward to seeing Springs Brooks Plaza for the first time, and hopefully a Carolina team that is prepared to face the SEC East champs.

South Carolina has shown the last few weeks that they can be competitive with teams that outclass them. I think there is a good chance that Florida comes into Williams-Brice with a little less fire than usual after they clinched the East title in a tough game against Vanderbilt. Although they will need to keep winning in they want a chance at a making the CFP. They've got the same great defense that Muschamp left them, and a much improved offense under Jim McElwain. Vegas has the Gators as 8-point favorites. I think the Gamecocks will cover the spread for the 3rd consecutive game, with similar ending results. Prediction: USC 16 - Florida 21

The Mason Jar

I had to travel to New York this week so I wasn't going to be able to follow my usual routine of watching the Gamecocks in the middle of the night from the comfort of my apartment. Given the noon kick-offs that have become the norm this season I wasn't going to be able to arrive in time to catch the Tennessee game live with my normal flight, so I took a red-eye connecting through LAX instead and arrived at JFK around 5AM. After a lengthy nap I made way to the Mason Jar, which is the home of the New York City Gamecock Club. The Mason Jar is conveniently located about 2 blocks from my office in the heart of midtown, on 30th Street near Park Avenue, and I had made a point to check it out on a previous visit. This was my first gameday visit, though, and I wasn't sure what to expect.......

The Mason Jar during the Tennessee game on November 7, 2015.

I must say that I was completely surprised by the size of the crowd. Prior to kick-off the area around the bar was packed, and every seat in the place appeared to have been taken. I'd estimate that 99% of the crowd were Gamecocks. I saw a lot of Lattimore jerseys and Jewelry Warehouse 'Beat Tennesee' stickers were being passed around. There's definitely more SC fans out there in the world than I realized.

If you're ever in NY I recommend checking out the Mason Jar. On gamedays they have a special menu available, and I can attest that the regular menu is great as well. Most importantly the beer selection is deep, and they even have a bartender from Irmo. Check it out.

Next week: live from Williams-Brice.

Week 10: Tennessee

I'd be lying if I said that I said that I didn't enjoy seeing Tennessee have the same issues with 4th Quarter collapses that we did last year. Pharoh Cooper delivered one of the best performances in school history against Tennessee in 2014, and choking that game away in the final minutes was difficult to swallow. I wasn't alone:

11.1.14. Steve Spurrier speaks after the team's loss to Tennessee on Saturday.

Considering that Tennessee currently has a 4-4 record, them being 17-point favorites against SC may seem a tad unreasonable. The fact is, however, that Tennessee is the type of team that the Gamecocks just don't appear to match up well against. That is to say that with Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurd in the backfield Tennessee is capable on offense, and any team that is remotely capable on offense will be able to put points up on the scoreboard against the Cocks. I think Tennessee will get at least 250 yards rushing in this game. The Gamecocks offense should be able to score, especially given the recent improvements seen on that side of the ball. If USC can keep it close until the end of the 3rd Quarter, they'll have a chance to win it against a Tennessee defense that lacks depth and tends to fade late. Prediction: USC 24 - Tennessee 35

USC 28 - Texas A&M 35: Thoughts on Loss #5

Better Offense, Same Old Defense

It's fitting that our 5th loss this season came against the Aggies. In just 1.75 seasons beginning from August 28th, 2014, when we opened with an embarrassing loss to Texas A&M at Williams-Brice, we have now precisely matched our loss total for the 4 seasons between 2010-2013. Earlier this century I might have been satisfied coming within a score of beating a 16-point favorite at their 107k+ capacity stadium. One thing the Steve Spurrier years taught me was no more moral victories. We had a chance to win and couldn't finish.

Having said that, however, it was good to see the improvement in our offense. We entered the game with one of the worst red zone offenses in the nation, but we went 3 for 3 against A&M. I thought Mangus's play calling was exceptional and played to our strengths. We had 253 yards rushing, with Wilds getting his 2nd consecutive 100-yard game. And who would have thought Perry Orth would ever be able to get 66 yards on a QB draw? I liked seeing Nunez back on the field, and not at QB. Given the lack of play makers at WR we could use his athleticism in some shape or form, but Orth gives us the best chance to win at QB. Orth needs to play better though; I don't blame him much for the pick-6, that was just a great defensive play call, but he has to know he can't take sacks in the situation he was in on the final drive.

Perry Orth runs to the outside and down the sideline for a huge gain. Video from SEC Network Audio from 107.5 The Game

If the Offense is finally showing signs of life, the same can't be said for the Defense. We consistently put a 5-man box up against 5 O-lineman and a very adept dual-threat QB. I'm not a pro at defensive play calling, but that just seems stupid. Our coaches on that side of the ball continue to let our players down. It will be interesting to see if anything changes when we face Josh Dobbs and Tennessee.......

Watch the game again here:

Uploaded by ncaa sportsvids on 2015-11-02.

Week 9: Texas A&M

Man, we really needed that bye week. A team in disarray got a much needed win and then a week off to diagnose what went wrong in the first half of the season. I like what I've been hearing about Elliott's  preparations during the past two weeks. I expect that we'll see some changes in personnel along with some different formations and play calls on offense that will hopefully play more to our strengths (if we do indeed have any of those this year).

Unfortunately, the team that we'll be facing with these new personnel and formations is a much more talented Texas A&M squad. They are coming off two straight convincing losses, but these against upper-echelon SEC West teams (Alabama and Ole Miss), and will be hungry for a win at home. The amount of talent they have stockpiled on the offensive side of the ball is insane: the #1 ranked pro-style QB in Kyle Allen, the #1 ranked dual-threat QB in Kyler Murray, freak of nature WR Ricky Seals-Jones, and freshman sensation Christian Kirk. They're not nearly as talented on defense, but they do have current SEC sack leader Myles Garrett at DE. It's hard to find a single position group where Texas A&M doesn't have a distinct advantage (SC might have better LBs and punter).

Texas A&M has not looked very good the past few weeks, and QB play has been so bad that they have benched Allen in favor of Murray. Even so, the weapons they have on offense have our defense outmatched. If the Gamecocks want to have any chance of staying in this game they have to establish the run early against a fairly run-porous A&M defense and control the time of possession. I think the Elliott will have our guys excited to play and performing at their best, but given the talent gap I'm not optimistic that that is enough. I've got a feeling that Texas A&M gets back on track against the Gamecocks at home. Prediction: USC 16 - Texas A&M 35

All media rights go to ESPN, i do not own the footage in this video!

USC 19 - Vanderbilt 10: Thoughts on Win #3

At Least We Can Still Count on Vanderbilt

Uploaded by South Carolina Gamecocks on 2015-10-18.

After one of the most tumultuous weeks for South Carolina football that I can remember, it was great to see local boy Shawn Elliott get his first win as Interim HBC. This was a must-win game for a program in the midst of a tailspin, and Elliott was able get his team ready to play in short amount of time. In some sense it was an illustration of how far this program has fallen in 1.5 years that we come out in special all black jerseys to play a Vanderbilt team that hadn't won an SEC game since 2013. It is what it is, I guess. It was the right time for Spurrier to step away, and Shawn Elliott was definitely the best choice to finish out the season.

Defense led the way in this one, forcing 5 turnovers and limiting Vanderbilt to only 10 points. South Carolina's offensive ineptitude eased up to a small degree, but only until the Gamecocks reached the red-zone. I believe after this game SC is now dead last in red-zone scoring in all of Division I football, which is stupid and obscene. A win is a win, however, and given the remaining schedule this team can't take those for granted.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

After every win I'm going to hand out a dozen teriyaki chicken wings to the players with the biggest contributions. Here are the recipients for third win:

Skai Moore - 3 Wings

Skai's stat line for this game was beyond ridiculous: 11 tackles (6 solo), 1 sack, an interception, and forced fumble on his sack that he recovered. He's also been by far the most consistent player on the team this season. As of today he's 5th in the SEC in tackles, and 2nd in interceptions with 4.

Elliott Fry - 3 Wings

Fry accounted for 13 of the Gamecocks 19 points, hitting 4 FGs on 6 attempts, one of which was a 47-yarder.

Pharoh Cooper - 1 Wing

Cooper had a drop in the end-zone, but led led the team in receiving with 7 catches and 160 yards. His 78-yarder was a thing of beauty, and the Gamecock's only TD of the game.

Bryson Allen-Williams - 1 Wing

One of the all-time best recruits finally began to live up to his potential in relief of T.J. Holloman after his ejection for targeting. BAW's pick was the his first of the season, but the 6th the Gamecocks have had from the MIKE LB position, which has been very productive within Hoke's scheme this season.

Chris Lammons - 1 Wing

Lammons is without a doubt the best cornerback on the team. You get a pick you get a wing.

Marquavius Lewis - 1 Wing

Qua has been getting better by the week, and got his 2nd sack in as many games against Vanderbilt., in addition to multiple QB pressures.

Brandon Wilds - 1 Wing

Wilds didn't find the end-zone, but his 24 carries for 119 yards against a fairly decent Commodore defense led the team in rushing.

Perry Orth - 1 Wing

Orth completed 17 of 28 for 278 yards and a TD, although he did have 1 INT. His stat line would have been much better without multiple drops by his receivers. Orth has demonstrated through 7 games that he gives the Gamecocks the best chance to win.

Watch Shawn Elliott's first victory as head ball coach here:

Copyright to ESPN

Week 7: Vanderbilt

This is a game that was marked down as a sure win in the preseason, and as such this was selected as the homecoming game. Now, after a 2-4 start and a legendary coach calling it quits mid-season, the Gamecocks are only a 2.5 point favorite at home. Home field usually gets you 3 points, so the consensus is that a team that lost to Western Kentucky and hasn't won an SEC game since 2013 would beat the Gamecocks by half a point on a neutral field. Less than 2 years ago we were the #4 team in the nation, so props for Spurrier for realizing that a change needed to be made and it was time to hang it up.

Full game recap: http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092114aad.html

Last year Vandy returned two kick-offs for TDs against us. This year our special teams play is lone bright spot and I don't think we've allowed a return of more than 30 yards. Given our woeful offense the kick-off coverage hasn't been getting the most work, but still......I don't think Vandy scores on special teams this year.

Vandy's strength is their defense. Derek Mason is a highly regarded defensive coach, and he has personally taken the reins on that side of the ball. On offense they have a big 6'4", 220lbs dual-threat QB in McCrary that isn't great yet but is getting better. Ralph Webb is a good RB. On paper South Carolina is much more talented across the board, but Vanderbilt seems to be getting the most out of their talent while SC is most certainly not.

The biggest story of the game is obviously how the team will respond to Spurrier's departure and Shawn Elliott being named interim head coach. G.A. Mangus is now the sole play caller on offense and we finally get Brandon Wilds back from injury. I think we will finally realize that we need to stick with the run, as that is what best suits our current personnel, and we'll run the ball at least 60% of the time. After the first half of this season I should stop picking the Gamecocks to win, but I just can't force myself to pick Vanderbilt. Prediction: USC 17 - Vandy 14

The End of an Era

Back on a cold November day in 1995 my dad took me and a few buddies to Williams-Brice to see Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and the #3 Florida Gators throw one of the worst beat downs I've ever witnessed on Brad Scott and the Gamecocks. The final score was 63-7, and from my vantage point I must say that the game was nowhere near as close as the score would lead you to believe. I'm pretty sure I had a case of mild hypothermia after the game, and as I shivered myself to sleep that night the only thing colder than the blood in my veins was my hopes for the Gamecocks to ever being relevant in football.

Before the game my dad told us an off-color joke. He said, "Hey, why does Steve Spurrier wear a turtle neck? It's to hide his circumcision scar." Now, I don't recall if Steve Spurrier ever actually wore a turtle neck, but it was the mid-90s so there's probably a non-zero chance that he did. The point was, however, that if you were a fan of a Southeastern college football team back then you absolutely hated Spurrier. He was the best coach around: you knew it, he knew, he knew you knew it, and he never passed up an opportunity to let you know that he knew that you knew it. When he wasn't running up the score he was running his mouth. As a Carolina fan I despised this man and I was absolutely terrified of the teams he coached.

South Carolina press conference announcing Steve Spurrier as head football coach for the Gamecocks.

A funny thing happened on November 23, 2004. Three days prior I had trekked into the wilderness all the way to the upstate school for the big rivalry game. After witnessing the brawl on the field and reading about the theft of football facility equipment by some of the players on the following Sunday, my faith in the Gamecocks was at an all-time low. We had hired a coaching legend in Lou Holtz and in 6 years were only able to manage 3 winning seasons and a 33-37 record. Holtz had announced his retirement on November 18, and there were a lot of rumors flying around about who the next head coach would be. One of the names being thrown around was Steve Spurrier, but given my perception of our current status that just seem ludicrous. That Tuesday I got a call from my dad and he says, "We hired Spurrier." It's amazing how quickly our opinions of someone can change.

Spurrier's first season was my penultimate one as a spectator in the stands, as I began to live in Japan on a semi-regular basis from 2006. The results were immediate. While we only had a 7-5 record that year, we had a 5-game SEC winning streak that included our first ever win in Knoxville and a win against Urban Meyer's #12 Gators for the first time since 1939. We finished 2nd the SEC East, matching our peak from 2000. The next 4 seasons weren't significantly better or worse than the first, but we slowly built momentum in recruiting and finally put the best South Carolina teams in history on the field in 2011-2013. Here's some highlights of Spurrier's first 10 years as HBC:

• 10 straight seasons with a winning record
• 5 wins each over Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida
• 6 wins over the upstate school, including the 5-game streak
• 19 wins against Top 25 teams, including 6 wins against Top 10 teams
• Undefeated in the SEC East in 2011
• SEC East Championship in 2010
• 35-21 victory over #1 Alabama in 2010
• 4 straight bowl wins over Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Miami
• Back-to-back-to-back 11-win seasons, resulting in final rankings of #9, #8, and #4

For someone who grew up watching every single game of the Brad Scott era that list above is nothing short of remarkable. We weren't able to achieve our ultimate goal of winning the SEC under Spurrier, but he brought us closer than I could have imagined. After 123 years of playing football we finally have a football program that can win. Before Spurrier arrived the only victory we could expect when a Top 25 team came to town was of the moral variety. Now we expect our team to be competitive with anybody and win more of those battles than we lose. This will be Spurrier's biggest legacy as HBC at South Carolina.

It's always a good time to poke Clemson in the eye.

Week 6: LSU

Leonard Fournette. This guy has 864 rushing yards in only 4 games this season, which is an insane 216 yards / game. He's averaging 8.7 yards per carry and has 11 TDs. He does this to people:

まるでマッデンのHIT STICKです。

So yeah, it's going to be a long game.

This game was of course supposed to be played in the friendly confines of Williams-Brice. The devastation wrought by the flooding in and around Columbia last week necessitated a move to Death Valley, which is largely regarded as the most intimidating place to play in all of college football. The graciousness that's been on display from the LSU athletic department has been has been nothing but commendable: they're sending the plane they chartered for the game to pick us up and take us back, giving us the gate receipts minus expenses, the band is playing the alma mater, and supposedly they'll even play some Finnish EDM prior to kick-off. I remember traveling to Baton Rouge with my man Dr. Dallas for an away game back in 2002. On the way into campus we passed an LSU tailgate next to a big, old oak tree, and hanging from a branch by a noose was an effigy of Corey Jenkins, our black quarterback. So, yeah, I'm not expecting the fans to give us the same kind of welcome the AD has.

We get Brandon Wilds back from a rib injury for this game, but Nunez is unlikely to play due to his shoulder injury sustained last week. Perry Orth will get his 2nd start and Spurrier has promised that Scarnecchia will play. This is a game that I had us losing back when I was still optimistic about this team. Since then LSU has only exceeding expectations, while the Gamecocks have not. Fournette will get his 200 yards, while South Carolina will struggle to make it into the end zone. LSU is a 19.5 point favorite. Prediction: USC 6 - LSU 28

USC 10 - Missouri 24: Thoughts on Loss #3

And the Wheels have Fallen Off

What's most disappointing about the Gamecocks this year is that we are only 2 years removed from what was arguably the best squad we have ever fielded, and only 1 year removed from the record setting offensive performance of the 2014 squad. After 3 11-win seasons in the SEC there's nothing wrong with a rebuilding year or two, and in fact a period of rebuild is to be expected. What's distressing is that given the current trajectory it is obvious that we are not in the middle of a rebuild, but rather in the middle of a rapid decline, the bottom of which has yet to be determined.

Missouri is not a good football team in 2015. Faurot Field is the 2nd least intimidating venue in the SEC. Yet for some reason mediocre teams continue to look good against the Gamecocks. The putridity of our offense cannot be overstated: only 298 yards of total offense, the sole TD coming off of a fluke tipped pass that should have been intercepted, back-to-back-to-back interceptions in the 3rd Quarter. When Nunez wasn't actually being chased out of the pocket he was imaginarily getting chased out of the pocket. Nunez again led the team in rushing for the 3rd consecutive game with only 60 yards on the ground, which doesn't say much for our recent production at RB.

On defense we actually weren't that bad. We gave up too much in the run game and didn't put much pressure on the QB, but the defense forced punts on 5 of 10 possessions and wasn't the liability it has been in the past. Missouri only out-gained us by 1 yard, but was able to get 24 points out of their 299. 3 interceptions will do that.

What is evident in the first 5 weeks is that our coaches have completely failed the players. We've recruited 6 4-star WRs the last years (counting Pharoh Cooper), and yet our starting line-up at the position included 2 walk-ons. I don't say that to disparage Belton and Heard, but every other team seems to be able to take young, highly regarded skill position players and get them producing early, while we can barely get ours onto the field. Missouri started their own true freshman QB in this game, and look at the difference in results. Nunez was not prepared to play in this game, and unlike Missouri we appear to be unable to put together a game plan that protects our inexperienced QB from the chance of making a mistake. In the aftermath of the game there was a lot of talk about how Missouri had cracked our signaling and therefore knew what plays we were running. This wouldn't be that distressing if not for the fact that this very thing was discussed in a pre-season press conference. We apparently only had two different running plays in the game and one guy was sending in the signals. Our coaches get paid a lot of money, and we need need to be searching for more bang for our buck come December.

Watch the full game below (NOT RECOMMENDED):

Copyright to ESPN

Week 5: Missouri

Last year Gameday was on campus in Columbia, SC, for what must have a been dreary weekend for college football. After the best defensive performance to that point in the season through 3 quarters, the Gamecocks gave up 2 TDs in the last 7 minutes and lost 21-20, the first of 3 4th Quarter collapses in 2014. The Mayor's Cup was sent to Columbia, MO for the first time.

Gamecock Productions highlights - Full recap: http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092714aab.html

Just like last year, Missouri enters the game after taking their first loss of the season the week before. Whereas South Carolina has faced North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and UCF in the first 4 games, Missouri's slate has featured SE Missouri St., Arkansas St., Connecticut, and Kentucky. You could argue that there's not much difference between SC's 2-2 and Mizzou's 3-1, and the fact is that both of these teams look decidedly mediocre in 2015.

On offense both of these teams are struggling. If you've been watching the Gamecocks this season you may not believe this, but SC is actually performing better than Missouri through 4 games. South Carolina is currently 10th in the SEC in Total Offense, while Missouri is 13th. Against Kentucky, Missouri rolled up 338 yards of offense, compared with South Carolina's 417. Missouri's best RB, Russell Hansbrough, is likely out of this game with an injury, and starting QB Maty Mauk is out due to suspension. Mauk's suspension is interesting in that Mauk is in actuality a terrible QB. Through the first 4 games he's only completing 51.8% of his passes getting 5.95 yards per attempt. Blue chip true freshman Drew Lock will be replacing Mauk as the starter, and the truth is that Missouri is probably better off for it. Still, based on performance so far this year I've got to give a slight edge to South Carolina on offense.

On defense Missouri has the definite edge. The Missouri defensive coaching staff continually takes 2- and 3-star recruits and turns them into all-Americans and high draft picks. Missouri is currently leading the SEC in Total Defense. South Carolina is 13th. Enough said.

Missouri opened as 4 point favorites in this game, but the spread shrank to 3 after Mauk's suspension was announced. The smart money would be on the 2-time defending SEC East champions. Both of these teams have been dreadful on offense in 2015, but I think Lorenzo Nunez's athleticism makes the difference in this one. Prediction: USC 17 - Mizzou 14

USC 31 - UCF 14: Thoughts on Win #2

Sweet Relief of Victory

Todd Ellis and Coach Steve Spurrier review the UCF game.

I must start by congratulating myself on my accurate prediction of the final score. Although it was obviously more luck than anything: the original prediction of 31 points for the Gamecocks was based on an assumption of 4 TDs and a FG, not 3 FGs, a safety, and 2 TDs with a missed extra point. But whatever, I'll enjoy the fleeting appearance of prescience while it lasts.

This was definitely a must win game, and therefore it's nice to be able to sit here and write about a victory. But let's not kid ourselves, beating a now 0-4 team from the AAC is not something to crow about. Considering we trailed at the Half 8-14 to a team with the worst offense in FBS, getting to 6 wins this year continues to look like an uphill battle. The Defense had their third 2nd Half shutout in 4 games (which is better than not having 2nd Half shutouts I guess....) and limited UCF to 230 yards of offense (about 20 yards below their average heading into the game). We had our best QB play so far this year with our 3rd starting QB in as many games, and as such Nunez has staked his claim on being the starter for the foreseeable future. I guess the best thing you can say about this game is that it could have been much worse.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

After every win I'm going to hand out a dozen teriyaki chicken wings to the players with the biggest contributions. Here are the recipients for the second win:

Lorenzo Nunez - 3 Wings

2 passing TDs and 1 rushing. Led the team in rushing for the 2nd consecutive week with 123 yards. Against better competition he likely would have had at least 2 passes intercepted, but that wasn't the case, and his performance was the best we've seen from the QB position so far this year. Had a great block on Cooper's rushing TD in the 3rd Quarter. He's currently averaging an insane 8.0 rushing yards per carry on 30 carries this season.

T.J. Holloman - 3 Wings

Holloman's stat line in this game was ridiculous: 6 takles, 1 TFL, 2 interceptions on back-to-back plays, 1 pass break-up, and 2 QB hurries. After a lackluster 2014, calling Holloman's performance in his first action in 2015 a surprise is a massive understatement. We continue to get an amazing amount of production from the MIKE position this year.

Boosie Whitlow - 2 Wings

The true freshman had a TFL for a safety and sack for a loss of 10 yards. Boosie needs to play more.

Jacob "Dan" August - 1 Wing

Local boy and walk-on TE gets his first career TD, celebrates like a doofus, gets a teriyaki chicken wing.

South Carolina tight end scored his first touchdown as a Gamecock vs. UCF. Here's how he celebrated.

Pharoh Cooper - 1 Wing

Pharoh would have gotten more wings if he didn't have that bone-headed muffed punt that gave UCF the ball on the 1-yard line and led to a UCF TD and lead at the Half. He recovered well and had 2 TDs (1 rushing and 1 receiving), with his rushing TD on a busted play being a thing of beauty.

Elliot Fry - 1 Wing

Kicked 3 FGs on 4 attempts, including a career long 52-yarder.

Sean Kelly - 1 Wing

"Man, we've got a great punter!" is something I never imagined myself typing, but here we are. His punt pinning UCF on the 2-yard line led to Boosie's safety.

OK, that's it for the UCF game. As always, re-watch the game at your leisure below:

Copyright to ESPN

Copyright to ESPN

Week 4: UCF

This is not the 2013 UCF team that went 12-1 and won a shootout vs Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl (the only loss coming at home against a South Carolina team playing Dylan Thompson at QB for most of the game after an injury to Connor Shaw). That team had 2 1st Round draft picks and a total of 13 players that went on to play in the NFL. This year's team is 0-3 and has racked up losses to FIU and Furman (!). So, yeah, this team is going to be somewhat of step down in terms of competition from what we've seen in the first 3 weeks. Having said that, however, it's interesting to note that Vegas only predicts the Cocks winning by 15, which tells you more about their opinion of USC than UCF.

Despite the struggles on both sides of the ball in the first quarter of the season, USC has the definitive advantage on offense and defense here. They SHOULD come out with an easy victory. The most interesting aspects of this game are the changes being made to Gamecocks' personnel. Lorenzo Nunez will be starting the game at QB in hopes of providing a spark to an anemic offense. Other true freshmen that will be making their first starts are D.J. Neal at WR and Zack Bailey at Center. On the defensive side of the ball, T.J. Holloman will be starting at MIKE with Skai Moore moving over to WILL. David Johnson will be at DE opposite Lewis in place of Cedrick Cooper. I'm optimistic to see what Nunez can do when he gets a majority of the snaps. We already know that he can run the ball, but let's see if he can put it in the air when needed as well. Hopefully the shake-up on defense will improve consistency there, but I'll reserve judgement until I see it. Prediction: USC 31 - UCF 14

South Carolina Football hung on in Orlando for a 28-25 over previously undefeated UCF, including a standout performance by sophomore running back Mike Davis who recorded a school-record tying three rushing touchdowns. Full recap: http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092813aab.html# ***Video by Gamecock Productions, South Carolina Athletics. All rights reserved. If you like it, great!