Miami vs. South Carolina: Biggest X-Factors in 2014 Independence Bowl

The Miami Hurricanes and South Carolina Gamecocks will battle for an Independence Bowl victory, and a few X-factors will help decide the postseason matchup.

Although two players are undoubtedly common suspects, the weaknesses of their respective opponents make them difficult to overlook.

Before those athletes are addressed, however, a collective effort will provide the difference between a win or loss for both teams.

Note: Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 27, and ABC will broadcast the game.

Third-Down Conversions

The Hurricanes succeed when their defense gets off the field quickly. It sounds and is obvious, but it's still the truth.

Georgia Tech slammed the door on Miami by sustaining drives and tallying more than 40 minutes of possession. That kept the Canes' potentially explosive offense on the sideline.

In six wins, Miami scored 31 touchdowns and averaged 39.3 points per game, and its defense ceded just 16.2 points. During six losses, however, the team tallied just 14 touchdowns and 20.5 points and surrendered 32.5 per contest.

Conversely, South Carolina's attack maintained its explosiveness regardless of result, tallying 36.7 points in victories and 30.0 throughout its losses. The Gamecocks defense was the clear problem, considering it allowed 22.3 points compared to 40.0.

Time of possession is a negligible difference, since Steve Spurrier's team controls the ball for nearly 31 minutes per game, whereas Miami is a shade above 29.

But unless Brad Kaaya hits Phillip Dorsett downfield, the Canes don't have a quick-strike attack. If South Carolina can improve upon its already respectable 42.9 percent third-down conversion rate, the Gamecocks will control the ball, the clock and the Miami offense.

Otherwise, the Hurricanes will receive multiple chances to exploit a South Carolina defense that has been shredded on numerous occasions.

Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds should put together a solid performance on the ground, and the Gamecocks have the SEC's leading passer in Dylan Thompson.

The most important player, though, is sophomore wide receiver and all-around weapon Pharoh Cooper. He racked up 60 receptions for 966 yards and eight touchdowns this season, adding 24 carries for 198 yards and two scores.

Plus, Cooper has thrown a pass in five consecutive games—two of which resulted in touchdowns—and he also has returned punts.

"Pharoh can throw, run, catch. He's a ballplayer that can do a lot," Spurrier said, per Josh Kendall of The State. "We've used him a lot lately. Looking back, should have used him more in some games at certain times."

Cooper isn't simply a big-play threat—though he certainly provides that deep option. His longest reception during eight of South Carolina's 12 games was 30 yards or fewer.

Miami's secondary only allowed 10 passes of 30-plus yards, which ranked sixth-best in the nation, so Cooper will be limited in that regard.

However, the Canes employ a two-deep zone defense, which opens vacant areas at the intermediate level. As long as Thompson locates those soft spots, Cooper will shred the underneath coverage.

The Gamecocks consistently find ways to get their electric athlete the pigskin, so Cooper needs to take advantage of those opportunities.

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

He's the unquestioned star, and South Carolina will be looking to contain the running back, but Miami needs another terrific performance from Duke Johnson.

After all, the Independence Bowl may be the final time Johnson—the school's newly minted career rushing leader—wears a Hurricanes jersey. The junior is expected to declare for the NFL draft.

Consequently, Johnson would surely love to end his Miami career on a dominant note, and South Carolina's run defense—or lack thereof—may afford him that chance. The Gamecocks surrendered 214.4 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 109th out of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

Now granted, a running back relies heavily on his blockers, so the Miami offensive line must dominate the trenches, too.

The Ereck Flowers-led unit has done that before, evidenced by the 30-6 win over Virginia Tech in which the Hurricanes called 53 runs compared to 16 passes. Johnson finished the rivalry meeting with a career-best 249 yards.

Steve Helber/Associated Press

But his offensive line carries additional responsibilities in the upcoming matchup. Clive Walford—Brad Kaaya's season-long security blanket—may be sidelined, as noted by Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post.

Beyond Walford, Johnson and Dorsett, the Miami offense hasn't had another legitimate threat to catch passes. In order to make up for the tight end's possible absence, the Canes must create manageable, short-yardage third-down situations.

And that all starts up front on the offensive line, opening running lanes for Johnson on initial snaps. Then, it's up to the school's best running back to attack the empty spaces.

Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com and HurricaneSports.com.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.