South Carolina Football 3 Keys: Auburn

Three-keys-USC

South Carolina (5-5) could use a win here to secure bowl eligibility and not leave themselves having to win their final game of the regular season to confirm a postseason berth. Here are your three keys to an Auburn Tigers (6-4) win.

By Steve Wright

1 – Start fast

Auburn is reeling. The Tigers were thinking potential SEC title two weeks ago with their offense humming along and a date with Alabama in the Iron Bowl looming to given them a shot at winning the SEC West. Since then they have lost two straight, including dropping a game last week against Mississippi State when they were up 28-3 before capitulating to lose 43-34. This is a game where scoreboard pressure will be a big deal. If the Gamecocks can get up a couple of scores early I’m not sure the Tigers can react.

2 – Get after TJ Finley

A contributing factor to the defeat against the Bulldogs was the Bo Nix broke his ankle, yet still kept playing as he hobbled around trying to will his team back into the game. Nix has been lost for the season and he will be replaced under center by former LSU quarterback TJ Finley. Finley actually beat the Gamecocks while playing for LSU last season in a game where he threw two touchdowns and ran for another. South Carolina, however, is better at taking the ball away this year – they are really good at it – and a couple of picks of Finley will make things interesting.

3 – Rush for 175 yards

The running game averages just 128 yards a game but there have been flickers of what this game can be during the season. Part of the issue has been that the blocking hasn’t always been there, but both ZaQuandre White and Kevin Harris are better players than their stats for the year would suggest. Jason Brown will be fine at quarterback with a running game to support him against a team that feels beatable. Grinding out yards and clock will help with that.

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