Three Biggest Keys for Vanderbilt Commodores to Defeat South Carolina Gamecocks
The Vanderbilt Commodores are looking to continue their excellent season as they slowly move toward the top of the SEC standings.
After a big win against the Auburn Tigers, the Commodores, led by head coach Clark Lea, have not only turned the program around in less than a year, but they continue to be seen as a contender for the new formatted 12-team College Football Playoffs. After picking up their sixth win of the season and clinching a bowl-eligible season for the first time since 2018, they will turn their attention to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
With only three games left on the schedule, the Gamecocks are currently the only team not ranked in the AP Top 25. Based on team record, the best chance the Commodores have at clinching a winning record would be this weekend in Nashville.
Here are three keys Vanderbilt will need to do in order to beat the Gamecocks on Saturday.
Diego Pavia needs to continue to play with a ‘chip on his shoulder.’ After defeating Auburn this past week, Pavia is now 3-0 against a Hugh Freeze coach-led team. He needs to carry some of that energy to this week's game against South Carolina. He will need to find a way to improve his running attack; however, he only found 26 yards on 12 carries.
South Carolina has a dual threat of its own. The Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers, like Pavia, is also a player you need to watch out for both the run and the pass. This past week against Texas A&M, the freshman signal caller ran for 106 yards and threw for 244 more. Doing so against the tenth-ranked team in the country is impressive, and Vanderbilt will need to find a way to slow him down. The Commodores did a great job slowing down both the Texas Longhorns and Auburn’s rushing game over the past two weeks, so it's possible.
Vanderbilt needs to limit turnovers. We can go even further and say that the Commodores must ensure they don’t commit a single turnover. In both big SEC wins from the Dores this season against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn, they played clean football. With the Gamecocks coming off a vital win against Texas A&M, every possession is going to matter.
Kickoff from FirstBank Stadium in Nashville is scheduled for 4:15 PM ET on Saturday and will be available on SEC Network.
