No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks at Mississippi State Bulldogs
Saturday, 10/15/11, 12:20 PM EST, TV: SEC Network
Opening Point Spread: South Carolina -5.5
Current Betting Line: South Carolina -3
Opening Total: 48
Current Total: 47
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
South Carolina is set to take to the road for the first time since its 45-42 win over the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 2. The Gamecocks are coming off a 54-3 blowout victory over the Kentucky Wildcats as 20.5-point home favorites. The big story around campus this week was the removal of former starting quarterback Stephen Garcia, who failed an alcohol test, which wasn’t surprising due to his past problems. “We all feel like we’ve given Stephen numerous opportunities to be a student-athlete here at South Carolina,” commented Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier. “We wish him the best.” It’s not sophomore Connor Shaw’s team, as he completed 26 of 39 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns last week. South Carolina is 8-2 ATS as a road favorite of three points or less.
The Gamecocks will be playing the Bulldogs for the 14th time in the series, leading 7-6, including wins in the last five meetings since the 2000 campaign. Spurrier has tallied a 6-2 all-time record against Mississippi State, including a 2-0 mark while on campus here. Defensively, the team has been outstanding since surrendering 79 points in the season’s first two games. Their opponents’ scoring average has moved down from 39.5 points per game to 20.3 over the course of the season. Running back Marcus Lattimore shouldn’t be ignored, entering the week as the sixth-best rusher in college football.
Mississippi State will be playing its fourth morning game in the first seven weeks of the season, which actually could be an advantage. The Bulldogs have also played four of their first six games away from home, but will close out the season in playing four of the final six tilts in Starksville. Talk around campus is squarely on the quarterback position, as sophomore Tyler Russell is pushing senior Chris Relf. “Whoever gives us the best chance to win, we’ll go play with them,” commented head coach Dan Mullen. Mississippi State is 1-5 ATS on the season.
The Bulldogs rely heavily on a ground game that has rushed for over 100 yards in 28 of 31 games under Mullen. Senior Vick Ballard has rushed for 531 yards and five touchdowns, ranking fifth in the SEC in yards per game. Turnovers are a key to any team’s success, especially this one, posting a plus-six margin in victory and minus-one when falling in defeat.
Bettors will likely back the Bulldogs due to their 12-5-1 ATS mark as an underdog of three points or less, while the Gamecocks are 2-6 ATS following a spread victory.
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