(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
NCAA Football Betting Preview by Jay of BangTheBook.com
No. 4 Mississippi Rebels (2-0) at South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1)
Thursday September 24th, 7:30PM Eastern
Bookmaker opening betting line – Mississippi -3.5
The Mississippi Rebels reached the number 4 ranking in America this week and now they will head on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks this Thursday Night. The Rebels have been stellar in their first two games outscoring the opposition 97-20.
The Rebels high powered offense is led by quarterback Jevan Snead and a host of playmakers on the outside. However, most of the nation is ready to see how the 4th ranked Rebels will handle a tough SEC opponent.
South Carolina is a solid football team and is just starting to click on the offensive side of the ball. Steve Spurrier’s offense has struggled over the past few seasons ranking in the bottom of the SEC in terms of production.
However, the Gamecocks put up 37 points against Georgia in a close loss and also backed that up with 38 at home in a victory over Florida Atlantic. The Gamecocks have had success both on the ground and through the air, but will it be enough to hang with the Rebels this Thursday?
Mississippi returns nearly all starters from one of the best offenses in the SEC in 2008. Led by quarterback Jevan Snead who had a big sophomore campaign racking up 2,762 yards, the Rebels passing game leads the offensive attack.
Snead throws a beautiful pass and can put throws in the right places. However, Snead has not looked as sharp early on in the season displayed by two picks thrown against Memphis in the opener.
The Rebels offense did not come on strong until the latter part of the 2008 season and if that happens against the SEC will be in trouble. Mississippi is already averaging over 400 yards per game in their first two games. WR Shay Hodge is a big play threat on the outside while Dexter McCluster is a proven talent as well.
Tailback Brandon Bolden is the primary runner on the ground and had 105 yards in last week’s blowout over Southeastern Louisiana. However, the passing game will determine if the Rebels are able to escape without being upset in Columbia this week.
South Carolina was supposed to have one of the better defenses in the conference. The pass defense ranked 2nd in the country while the Gamecocks ranked 13th overall in 2008. While the unit lost many starters, there are some young talented players stepping onto the field.
Still, the Gamecocks have looked vulnerable over the last few weeks. South Carolina allowed 41 points from Georgia and had a difficult time stopping Florida Atlantic in the first half last week before pulling away to a 38-16 win. Perhaps even more important area of focus is the South Carolina secondary.
The Gamecocks have some talent in their back 4, but they are all sophomores and freshmen. It may be ideal to have an experienced secondary when a superior passing game comes rolling into town and it will be interesting to see how those young guys hold up throughout the course of the game.
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