South Carolina vs Alabama: Keys to Victory for the Gamecocks

Three things South Carolina has to do to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Jalon Kilgore (24) makes an interception to seal a victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs in the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Three things South Carolina has to do to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The South Carolina Gamecocks took a tough loss this past weekend against the Ole Miss Rebels by a final score of 27-3. There isn't much time to dwell on the loss as Alabama is the next game up for the Gamecocks. The Crimson Tide are coming off of a brutal loss to Vanderbilt on the road this past weekend, so both teams are looking to get back into the win column.

In order for South Carolina to pull off the upset and come out of Bryant-Denny Stadium with a win on Saturday, here are three things the Gamecocks have to do:

South Carolina Gamecocks Keys to Victory:

1. Hit the Shots
If you want to take down Alabama this season then you have to make the big plays. Vanderbilt converted crucial third downs, hit deep shots down the field and created a pick-six early in the football game to put them two scores ahead of the Crimson Tide. You can't leave opportunities on the field against Alabama, so South Carolina's offense and defense are going to have to make the big plays when they are available to them.

2. Protect the Football
This is a crucial aspect of every football game but it's especially important against an Alabama team that can score in the blink of an eye. Georgia turned the ball over four times against the Crimson Tide it's a big reason why they ended up losing that football game despite crawling out of a 28-0 deficit. The Gamecocks cannot gift extra possessions to Alabama on Saturday if they want to remain in a position to win the game.

3. Get No. 4 on the Ground
Jalen Milroe has been playing like one of the best quarterbacks in college football this season and he poses a major threat to any defense he faces. It's not just his ability to push the ball downfield with his arm, but also the creativity he provides this offense with via his legs. Alabama is going to have a good number of designed runs for Milroe and it's crucial that you get him on the ground at the first point of contact. You won't be able to completely take Milroe's legs out of the game, but you can certainly maintain the amount of explosive plays he creates with his legs.

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