The South Carolina Gamecocks will hit the road this weekend, heading up to Nashville for a matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Perhaps the biggest surprise team of the season, Vandy has become a truly formidable opponent for any program. With a win over Alabama and a narrow loss to Texas, Vandy has shown they can hang with the SEC heavyweights.
The Gamecocks have also shown they can hold their own against the SEC’s best, and last week’s blowout win against the then league-leading Texas A&M Aggies proves it. Can Carolina take down the upstart Commodores, and in doing so secure bowl eligibility? As we dive into this week’s South Carolina football matchup preview, let’s find out.
Vandy on a Roll
Vanderbilt is currently putting together one of the best seasons in program history. Currently sitting at 6-3, the Commodores have already reached bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2018 season, and they need just one more win to secure their first winning campaign since the 2013 season.
Worth mentioning still is while they weren’t listed in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, they are ranked in the AP Poll at 24. This marks the first time that Vandy has been ranked in any major poll since the 2013 postseason, and their first in-season ranking since 2008.
Head coach Clark Lea has found a spark in his fourth year at the helm that hasn’t been seen in Nashville since James Franklin roamed the sideline. This spark has led them to their first win over Bama in 31 years, their first win against Auburn at Jordan-Hare ever, and their brink of knocking off top-ranked Texas.
The results have been nothing short of astounding, but the formula Vandy has used to reach them is far less complicated. They’ve relied on a mix of veterans and transfer portal additions. Their use of the portal in particular has played a pivotal role in their success, and it all starts on offense.
Commodore’s New Offense
In the age of the transfer portal quarterback, few have become as impactful for their respective teams as Diego Pavia has for Vanderbilt. The senior transfer from New Mexico State has become the lynchpin of the entire team’s success.
Through nine games, Pavia has thrown for 1,677 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only three interceptions while completing just over 60% of his passes. He also leads Vandy in rushing with 563 yards and a further four touchdowns. Pavia has become the heart of the Commodores, a fact that Shane Beamer noted on Tuesday while previewing the matchup.
“He’s a dynamic player, dynamic athlete, dynamic leader,” Beamer said. “Their team goes as he goes. A ton of respect for the way he goes about things on and off the field.”
The Commodores also boast dynamic playmakers at the skill positions, most notably Pavia’s leading target and fellow New Mexico State transfer Eli Stowers. The athletic tight end has put up 516 yards on 38 receptions thus far, with four of them being touchdowns. Junior Sherill, the team’s second-leading receiver, also poses a real threat downfield with his blistering speed.
Lastly, Vandy’s leading running back, Sedrick Alexander, poses a significant threat with his fast-twitch ability, and bruising downhill run style. Overall, the Commodores boast one of the more dynamic offenses the Gamecocks will face, and their defense is also nothing to scoff at either.
Sneaky Good Defense
While on paper Vanderbilt’s defense may seem like nothing special, they do pose a threat if not handled carefully. As a unit, they currently rank in the bottom half of the conference in just about every metric but do sit near or at the top in several key categories.
Firstly, they excel at getting after the quarterback, sitting fourth in the conference in sacks with 22. They also rank first in the conference in time of possession by a significant margin. Lastly, they are extremely opportunistic when it comes to turnovers, ranking second in the conference there. These three factors are what make the Commodores so dangerous.
Simply put, Vanderbilt’s entire game plan revolves around getting after the quarterback on defense and keeping him on the sideline for as long as possible. They executed this to perfection against Alabama and had success against Texas although to a lesser extent.
For Carolina, a team that has struggled all season with protecting the quarterback and football, this could spell disaster if not headed properly. Coming off a career day, quarterback LaNorris Sellers will have to avoid taking sacks in crucial moments along with committing untimely turnovers.
Final Thoughts
After a massive win like last week’s, going on the road against a formidable opponent has the potential to be a massive landmine at this point in the season. Vandy is a tremendously disciplined team that excels at exploiting many of the weaknesses the Gamecocks have shown over the course of the season.
If Carolina wants to secure their third consecutive win and bowl eligibility, then they’ll have to play an extremely disciplined game against a disciplined opponent. The offensive line has to give Sellers adequate protection, and in turn, Sellers must protect the football. The Gamecocks cannot let the Commodores enforce their style of play onto them.
If Carolina allows Vandy to establish their style of play, then it becomes very hard to see a potential win. If, however, they can protect the ball and do just enough to keep Pavia off the field then they should secure the victory.
