Troy vs. South Carolina: 5 Keys To a Gamecocks Victory

Some of you think that South Carolina should manhandle Troy. You are probably right.

However, I see this game as another "trap" game of sorts.

At times, Troy can play. They took Oklahoma State to the wire. 

Then they turned around and got blown out by Florida International. 

This game will come down to two things: which South Carolina team shows up and which Troy team shows up.

Position	South Carolina Advantage	Even	Troy 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

If the good Carolina team shows up, though, it will be next to impossible for Troy to keep up.

Here are the keys to victory.

1. Take the mindset of a team defending the SEC East crown. 

Usually, teams don't talk about defending a title until the following season. This year? Go ahead and defend it now.

People have a big complaint about how South Carolina won the SEC East. This season, the East doesn't have any major national players, and the momentum has swung to the West.

It is up to Carolina to decimate a lower-level team (like an SEC champion should) and then take out an average ACC team (Clemson) in stylish fashion.

Lose either one of these games and the SEC East crown becomes a little more tarnished in the national picture.

2. Have Troy quarterback Corey Robinson have one of his BAD days.

Corey Robinson is an interesting quarterback. At times, he looks fantastic. Highlights of his game against Oklahoma State (73.7 completion percentage, 272 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions) show a quarterback who throws an excellent ball and has the ability to read defenses.

Then he goes and lays an egg against an awful Louisiana-Monroe team, only completing 42 percent of his passes for 127 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Ouch.

South Carolina is easily the best defensive team he has faced. If South Carolina can continue to rush the quarterback and the defensive backs continue the great play from last week, there is no reason to think this won't be one of Corey Robinson's worst games.

If the defensive backs have another horrible game, this could be Corey's first 300-yard game.

More man-to-man coverage, with one or two safeties deep in zone, should keep him at bay.

3. Have Brian Maddox get involved with Marcus Lattimore.

Brian Maddox is a bruiser of a running back. His style is very similar to Lattimore's. They do not have the same skill set, but Maddox can wear down a defense. 

Lattimore shouldn't get more than 20 carries in this game. If Maddox can get going, Lattimore can rest down the stretch, and rest for him could make the difference between wins and losses in the next three important games.

4. Utilize the diverse skills of the linebackers.

South Carolina has a deep set of fast, strong linebackers who can blitz, stunt and even pass cover. It is up to the coaches to utilize this talent.

As stated previously, Corey Robinson has never seen anything like these guys, and the front four can handle Troy's run game, which is not much of a threat. Confuse Robinson, and they will have a hard time even moving the ball, let alone scoring.

5. Get up fast, then stay aggressive.

I know that coach Steve Spurrier has made it clear that he wants to run, run, run. However, there is no reason to believe that Stephen Garcia, Alshon Jeffery and Tori Gurley can't have huge games. 

If a big play offense develops early and the Gamecocks take a huge lead into the half, there is no reason for them to NOT come out in the third quarter and stay aggressive.

Make a statement. Then allow your starters to rest. The last thing you want is to back off and then find yourself in a surprisingly close game where the starters can't sit.

Prediction

The game may be closer than people think.

Gamecocks win, 49-21.