The Other Side of the Wall: South Carolina
Troy and South Carolina are two sides of the same coin. For starters, both teams use the exact same color (Pantone 202), just labeled differently.
Both are 2-2, winless in conference and drifting to the bottom of the East division, though other teams will beat them there (Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt). Both have an indomitable defense, and a lackluster offense, so taking the under is a smart call right now.
As a matter of fact, Troy’s offense is No. 4 in the country, Carolina’s is 28. Troy’s offense is 104, and USC’s is 116, but as we learned last week, rankings don’t matter on the field.
That being said, it’s nice to have a level of comparison to work with.
On the offensive side, South Carolina’s offense has nearly 800 yards passing. The quarterback who’s recorded the majority of those (Zeb Noland, 407 yards) is listed as the backup, and the starter (Luke Doty, 311 yards) is plagued by a foot sprain, so we’ll likely see some sort of rotation Saturday.
The running back depth chart looks a lot like Troy’s, too, with four players and almost as many “ORs” listed next to their names. Where Kimani and BJ have basically 200 and 100 yards, Carolina’s backs are all in triple digits for the season. Also, only one has a touchdown on the ground:
- ZaQuandre White – 168 yards, 1 TD
- Juju McDowell – 131 yds
- MarShawn Lloyd – 108 yds
- Kevin Harris – 103 yds
Now to receivers. Like Troy, the Gamecocks have one guy who stands out, another guy who’s also a threat, and a tight end that’s really good, in that order.
- Josh Vann – 298 yards, 2 TD
- Jalen Brooks – 135 yds, 1 TD
- Jaheim Bell (TE) – 61 yds, 1 TD
It’s clear that on offense, the passing game is their bread and butter, but the run game has yet to figure itself out. Troy is 51st in third down conversions, and South Carolina is 84th.
It’s almost like looking in a mirror, even on defense. The only difference is that Troy’s defense is top-ten in nearly every category, which is bad news for an offense that is itself trying to make something happen.
On paper, this is a solid matchup, and Vegas is only favoring South Carolina by a touchdown. Troy’s defense didn’t fall apart last week, but at some point the offense has to show up and help them out. Whichever offense does show up will win the game, and likely by multiple scores.
It’s like two dads, both in cargo shorts, standing at the door to a restaurant and telling each other “no, after you”, as the families begin to order for them.
Just… just walk through the door. Say thank you, join your wife and kids and eat your meal.