Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina by the numbers

Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6) at South Carolina (3-6, 1-5)

11 a.m. CST Saturday (SEC Network)

Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina

0 Teams in the nation have played a tougher schedule so far this season than South Carolina has, according to the NCAA ratings. The Gamecocks’ NCAA FBS opponents have a collective winning percentage of .726 against their NCAA FBS opponents in 2023.

8 Teams in the nation have averaged fewer rushing yards per game than Vanderbilt, which has averaged 93.5. One of those teams is South Carolina, which has averaged 86.4 rushing yards per game in 2023. The Vanderbilt defense ranks last in the SEC this season by allowing an average of 180.0 rushing yards per game. South Carolina has allowed 146.9 rushing yards per game in 2023.

8 Consecutive Vanderbilt games have included at least 30 points for the Commodores’ opponent, the longest such streak in SEC history. By losing to Auburn 31-15 last week, the Commodores moved past seven-game streaks by Vanderbilt in the 1978 season and Tennessee in the 2012 season. Before losing to Auburn, the Commodores lost to Wake Forest 36-20, UNLV 40-37, Kentucky 45-28, Missouri 38-21, Florida 38-14, Georgia 37-20 and Ole Miss 33-7.

8 TD receptions for Vanderbilt WR Will Sheppard this season. Sheppard had nine TD receptions in the 2022 campaign. No Vanderbilt player has had nine or more TD receptions in more than one season. Sheppard is among seven Vanderbilt players who have had at least nine TD receptions in a single season.

12 TD passes in four home games and two TD passes in five away games for South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler this season. In 2023, Rattler has completed 93-of-115 passes for 1,345 yards with 12 TDs and two interceptions at home and 119-of-189 passes for 1,171 yards with two TDs and four interceptions in five games away from Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks have played Furman, Mississippi State, Florida and Jacksonville State at home, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas A&M on the road and North Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rattler has an .809 completion percentage and a 210.07 passing-efficiency rating in home games and a .630 completion percentage and a 114.27 passing-efficiency rating away from home this season.

14 Consecutive victories for South Carolina in games against Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks haven’t lost to the Commodores since a 24-17 setback on Sept. 4, 2008, and South Carolina leads the series 28-4 overall, its best record against any NCAA FBS program that it has played at least 10 times. The run against Vanderbilt is South Carolina’s longest winning streak against an SEC opponent.

27 Receiving yards are needed by South Carolina WR Xavier Legette to become the fourth player in the Gamecocks’ SEC era with 1,000 in a season. Legette has 50 receptions for 973 yards and five TDs in 2023. Sidney Rice in 2005 and 2006, Alshon Jeffery in 2010 and Pharoh Cooper in 2014 have recorded 1,000 receiving yards in a season since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992. Before the Gamecocks joined the SEC, they had one 1,000-yard receiving season by Sterling Sharpe in 1986.

49 Solo tackles have been made by South Carolina LB Debo Williams this season, the most in the SEC.

88 Yards on an interception return by South Carolina MLB Stone Blanton during the Gamecocks’ 38-28 victory over Jacksonville State last week. Blanton’s return is the longest in the SEC this season and came with 2:02 left to play to seal the victory over JSU.

12,449 Career punting yards for Vanderbilt P Matthew Hayball, more than any other active player in any of the NCAA’s four divisions of football. Hayball’s average of 48.6 yards on 43 punts this season ranks second in the nation to the 49.8 on 38 punts by Boise State’s James Ferguson-Reynolds.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.