Below is a look at Tennessee’s national stat rankings side-by-side with the corollary rankings for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The nutshell is that the run game is going to be extremely important for both teams, and the Gamecocks appear to have the advantage there on both sides of the ball.
Details below.
When the Vols have the ball
Where’s the opportunity?
South Carolina’s defensive resume is more impressive than Tennessee’s offensive resume, almost across the board. The only things that are sort of even matchups are third downs and passing yards.
Where’s the danger?
Throwing the ball against South Carolina appears to be a huge risk for the Vols. Tennessee ranks 109th in interceptions thrown, and the Gamecocks rank 11th in getting interceptions. They’re also much better in most other categories.
Gameplan for the Vols on offense
Run the ball. It’s the safest strategy. There are opportunities in the passing game, but there are also great risks.
Vols on defense
Where’s the opportunity?
The opportunities for the Vols on defense are found in the passing game. The Gamecocks are not generally earning many yards through the air, nor are they especially efficient or careful, and Tennessee is generally good on the opposite sides of all of those things. The Vols also appear to be in pretty good shape across the board on defense, with the exception of a couple of categories.
Where’s the danger?
The worst combination of them being good on offense and the Vols being vulnerable on defense is found in the run game. South Carolina ranks 36th in rushing yards per game, and the Vols rank only 67th in rushing yards allowed per game.
Gameplan for the Vols on defense
Devote more manpower to stopping the run.
Special teams
There’s an opportunity for the Vols on special teams, especially when returning punts, as they currently rank 9th in the nation while the Gamecocks rank 108th in the nation at defending punt returns. On the other hand, their punter can flip the field better than ours can.
Turnovers and penalties
Tennessee and South Carolina look pretty even in turnovers and penalties.
