First look at South Carolina vs. Akron: Gamecocks a big betting favorite at home

South Carolina football is coming off a heartbreaking 36-33 home loss to LSU. Now comes a tune-up game in which they can bounce back.

The Gamecocks are set to host Akron, their second mid-major opponent of the season. The Zips are well-coached and creative, but they are not particularly talented.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. AKRON GAME, TV INFO

Who: South Carolina (2-1) vs. Akron (1-2)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

TV: ESPNU

VEGAS ODDS, POINT SPREAD

The Gamecocks are 27.5-point favorites against the Zips, according to the Action Network. The over/under is 46.5 points.

LAST MEETING, TRENDS

The Gamecocks won the last and only meeting between the teams, a chilly 28-3 victory in a cold and wet game in 2018 that was played in December as a makeup when a hurricane canceled an early-season contest.

STATE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

South Carolina let one slip away Saturday, blowing a 17-0 lead to LSU and losing late in an avalanche of mistakes and ill-timed penalties. The Gamecocks were painfully close to pulling off a 2-0 start in conference play.

The offense showed more potential, with more than 350 yards of explosive plays. The defense had some good moments but seemed to wear down and struggle with tackling down the stretch. The offensive production came despite QB LaNorris Sellers missing half of the game with an ankle injury.

Missing the chance to get to 3-0 means Shane Beamer’s team will still need to pull one SEC or Clemson upset to reach a bowl game. Had they won last week, they’d be in pole position to make the postseason and almost guarantee minimal uncomfortable questions in the offseason.

State of the Akron Zips

In Year 2 under Joe Moorhead, the Zips are trying to make progress after consecutive 2-10 seasons. They took a pair of brutal losses (outscord 101-23 by Ohio State and Rutgers) before topping FCS Colgate.

Moorhead, a former ace Penn State offensive coordinator and failed Mississippi State head coach, has been scheming things up to take most advantage of what he has. His quarterback, Ben Finley, bounced back from getting knocked out of the Ohio State game and torched Colgate. The defense plays hard and gets after it, but they were at such a talent disadvantage the first two weeks that the numbers were ugly.

Life for the Zips program is always going to be difficult and an uphill battle. Since returning to Division 1-A/FCS in 1988, they’ve posted only eight winning seasons and played in three bowls.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers: In less than a half of work, Sellers had some moments against LSU. The second-year player hit a few nice passes and broke off a 75-yard run before tweaking an ankle. He’ll probably be fine for the Zips and could probably use a game where he can slow down a bit.

South Carolina RB Rocket Sanders: The former Arkansas star started the season slowly, then got lathered up against LSU. He posted 143 yards, including a 66-yarder. The Zips give up 5.9 yards per carry to power conference opponents, so Sanders might have a chance to feast.

South Carolina DE Kyle Kennard: The LSU game featured a lot of positives for the veteran pass rusher, but he also committed a (controversial) penalty that took a potential game-icing score off the board. He’s already been terrorizing offensive linemen, and Akron has a decidedly struggling pass protection situation.

Akron QB Ben Finley: After stints at N.C. State (where his brother starred) and Cal, Finley has finally found a place in a lineup. He just got hammered by Ohio State, but he finally got going with 358 yards and four scores vs. Colgate.

Akron DE C.J. Nunnally: A quick and tough defensive end at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, Nunnally can be a dangerous pass rusher for the Zips. He’s already got a sack and 1 .5 tackles for loss after posting seven and 13.5 last season.