No. 23 South Carolina-Vanderbilt: Five Keys to a Gamecocks Victory

South Carolina is coming off of a difficult loss to the No. 2 team in the country.

Vandy is coming off another sub-par performance against a good SEC opponent.

Both teams get the opportunity to make up for it this weekend.

South Carolina needs a big SEC win to become bowl eligible and take revenge on a team that has beaten them two straight years. Vanderbilt needs to prove that it can compete with a good SEC team. 

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier says that South Carolina "lines up pretty well" with Vandy. Spurrier has to hope so, because Carolina will be entering its most brutal stretch of schedule. 

Five Keys to a South Carolina Victory

1. Implement More Than Just One Play in the Red Zone

Fade to Alshon...it is now a phrase ingrained in every South Carolina fan's head.  Steve Spurrier really reinvented his red zone offense, obviously scratching every play but the corner fade to Alshon Jeffrey. 

In theory, it really is a great play, but South Carolina has to balance itself out by attacking the middle of the field.

Maybe Steve Spurrier is setting something up for Florida. Keep throwing fades until that game, then FAKE the fade, and get an easy touchdown on a slant route. Who knows?

That was supremely strange last weekend. 

2. Get the Running Game Back on Track

Garcia has been throwing a lot here lately.  South Carolina needs Giles, Miles, and Maddox to get back to the three headed beast that they were early on in the season. 

Vandy is no slouch, and they can keep it close if South Carolina becomes one dimensional.

3. Get Constant Pressure on the Vanderbilt QB

If Norwood, Matthews, and co. can get constant pressure on the Vanderbilt QB's, then they should be able to create turnovers again, like they did against Alabama, which has the better offense. 

The only way that this will truly be effective is if...

4. Make Sure the Offense Takes Advantage of Vanderbilt Mistakes

... the South Carolina offense does a better job of making Vanderbilt pay. Intelligent play calling and ball security must be the name of the game. 

Stephen Garcia needs to have a great bounce back game against Vanderbilt's porous defense. The running game should fare better as well, which should lead to more points being scored.

5. Forget the Past, and Prepare for the Future 

This game needs to be the game that shows that South Carolina will not falter down the stretch. With difficult games against Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Clemson, South Carolina needs a big win to establish itself as an SEC contender. 

Win out the season, and it really is possible for South Carolina to meet Alabama in the SEC championship game (if SC can beat Florida and Florida stumbles somewhere else along the line). 

I do not quite think the team is there yet, but a big win will go a long way.

Prediction:  USC 31- Vandy 10