South Carolina-Southern Miss: Five Keys to a Gamecocks Victory

Finally. It is that time of year again. 

South Carolina is set to kick off its much-hyped 2010 season with a matchup against the underrated and capable Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles may not have the hype of coming from a major conference, but they are certainly powerful enough to knock off an ill-prepared football team. 

This season, I will be bringing back my five keys piece, with an added advantage chart at the beginning of each article.

Position	South Carolina Advantage	Even	Southern Miss Advantage
Quarterback		X
Running Backs/Fullbacks	X
Wide Receivers	X
Offensive Line			X
Defensive Line	X
Linebackers			X
Defensive Backs	X
Special Teams	X
Coaching	X

On paper, South Carolina is far more talented than Southern Miss. However, Southern Miss does have some standout players. Martevious Young and Austin Davis are both skilled QBs, and until Stephen Garcia or Connor Shaw shows growth, you have to have an even split at quarterback. As of right now, Southern Miss has a deeper offensive line.

Defensively, South Carolina has the advantage in every category except for linebackers, where Southern Miss excels.

Now, on to the five keys to a South Carolina victory.

1. South Carolina must contain DeAndre Brown, a 6'6" nightmare of a receiver. 

Stephon Gilmore will have his hands full early on. DeAndre Brown is possibly one of the best receivers in the league and will definitely get his share of catches. Luckily for South Carolina, the defensive backfield is potentially its best position set.

Gilmore, Chris Culliver, and Akeem Auguste should be able to keep Brown in check. If they can't, look for this game to be closer than its 14-point spread indicates.

2. Find new ways to pressure the quarterback. 

With Eric Norwood and Clifton Geathers wearing NFL jerseys this season, somebody must step up to rush the quarterback. Both of Southern Mississippi's quarterbacks are quick and shifty. It will take more than the fantastic Cliff Matthews to keep pressure on these guys.

Shaq Wilson, Norwood's replacement, will need to be completely healthy, and Devin Taylor needs to "make good" on the promise he showed last season.

3. Find a way to get Marcus Lattimore involved in the game.

Some rumors are circulating out of Columbia that Marcus Lattimore will actually START this game. His offseason work and scrimmage efforts (he has been the leading scrimmage rusher) and his surprisingly good pass blocking all pave the way for him to be a major force in the SEC for years to come.

If he gets involved early (screen passes, sweeps, wildcat) and gains some big yardage, look for him to have a huge game. The confidence level of not only him, but his offensive line, will skyrocket.

4. Find a sensible rotation for the offensive line.

It has been a very difficult summer for the most maligned section of the football team. With injuries and suspensions, the team is lucky to have five starters that can play. The two-deep will be a mishmash of players. 

Instead of beating a dead horse (it's been stated many times that the line has to improve for this team to be better), the thought here is on the rotation. The coaches must find a way to keep the starters fresh while minimizing the use of backups. This will be difficult, but that's why they pay the coaches the big bucks.

The starters are talented.

5. Don't hold anything back for Georgia. Let it all out on the field.

There is always talk of a vanilla game plan for game one of the season every year. Against NC State last season, South Carolina did not pull out all the stops. While no one actually comes out and admits it, anyone who watched the game could see it.

If South Carolina doesn't give this game their all, they will get beaten. Southern Miss is no cupcake and will be ready to fight.

In fact, Southern Mississippi players and coaches BELIEVE that they will win.

South Carolina better be ready.

However, I am sticking with my original pick, and South Carolina wins this game 28-7.