Kirk Herbstreit: South Carolina must take advantage of home field environment vs LSU

The nation will have eyes on South Carolina vs. LSU in Week 3, having been the choice for ESPN College GameDay to host after the Gamecocks dominated Kentucky 31-6 on the road last weekend.

Despite winning the SEC opener in impressive fashion, South Carolina is still an underdog to the Tigers on their home turf. With the odds stacked against them, College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit believes South Carolina’s efforts on Saturday begins with the fans in the stands.

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“That’s the key,” Herbstreit said, motioning to the crowd piled around the ESPN College GameDay set. “They’ve got to be able to have their defense playing with their hair on fire, and they’ve got to win special teams. But Shane beamer is known for it, it’s got to be that kind of game for South Carolina where they play complimentary football. They get turnovers, they get a short field.

“They run the football with Rocket Sanders. Their quarterback plays smart, but it is going to start with their defense.”

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South Carolina didn’t have have the full force of Williams-Brice Stadium backing their abilities against Kentucky in Week 2. They were still able to controll the game in every phase, particularly in the second half.

Sanders took 13 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown during the contest, while quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw his first two touchdown passes of the season.

Defensively, it was the defensive line that made the game so lopsided. True freshman EDGE Dylan Stewart led the way, forcing the Wildcats to call 18-straight run plays due to the fact quarterback Brock Vandagriff had no time to breathe in the pocket. The unit finished with five sacks on the day.

“In the SEC, the defensive linemen, they can be game changers,” Herbsreit continued. “They’ve got eight guys they rotate trying to stay fresh. Allow this defense to do what they do, make it tough on Garrett Nussmeier and this LSU offense. You’re asking me how they win the game? That’s what they have to do, is take advantage of being right here in Columbia, South Carolina.”

The Gamecocks escaped their home opener in Week 1 with a 23-19 win against Old Dominion, but Herbstreit’s fellow College GameDay host, Nick Saban, said that South Carolina is the most improved team from Week 1 to Week 2.

How they’ll fare against their stiffest competition yet in the LSU Tigers remains to be seen. Kickoff is set for Noon ET live on ABC.