Players to watch, keys to victory versus South Carolina

After surrendering a 25-point lead in a home loss to Mississippi State last week, Auburn (6-4, 3-3 SEC) will visit South Carolina for the Tigers’ final road game of the season. The Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5 SEC) suffered a 31-28 loss at Missouri last week.

It will be a matchup of first-year head coaches, as Auburn’s Bryan Harsin will face off against South Carolina’s Shane Beamer. For Auburn, a win could provide momentum heading into the Iron Bowl and could improve its bowl placement. For the Gamecocks, a win allows them to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2018.

Here are some players to watch and keys to victory for both teams.

Players to Watch

Auburn

T.J. Finley

After losing Bo Nix for the season due to a broken ankle, Auburn is turning to sophomore T.J. Finley to lead the offense. Last year, while Finley was at LSU, he made his first career start against South Carolina. Finley and the Tigers won that game 52-24. In that game, Finley was 17-for-21 for 265 yards passing and two touchdowns. If Finley can perform as he did against the Gamecocks last year, Auburn stands a good chance to earn a third road win this year. 

Finley needs to avoid making major mistakes, like the three interceptions thrown by Auburn in last year's game against the Gamecocks. The quarterback that makes the fewest mistakes is likely to come out on top.

Auburn’s Offensive Line

As Finley is making his first start this year, Auburn could be expected to call run plays more often. The offensive line is going to have to provide openings for Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter and Shaun Shivers through which to run. In the past two losses, Auburn has averaged 89.5 yards rushing per game. Auburn cannot afford another subpar rushing performance.

In passing downs, Auburn’s line cannot let the tackle box collapse for Finley, as he will be much more prone to making mistakes while under pressure. Finley, who is far less mobile than Nix, will need to have time to make good decisions. The pressure to give him the time he needs will fall on the offensive line.

South Carolina

Josh Vann

Despite a revolving door of starting quarterbacks for South Carolina this season, Vann has been a consistent threat in the Gamecocks’ receiving corps. Vann has emerged as a favorite target for Zeb Noland, Luke Doty and Jason Brown. He's South Carolina’s leading receiver with 604 yards receiving, which is 290 more yards than South Carolina’s second-leading receiver. 

On average, Vann averages 60.4 yards receiving per game, accounting for over 29% of South Carolina’s yards receiving on average each game. South Carolina will need him to have a big game against Auburn’s defense, which ranks 89th nationally in passing yards allowed.

Jaylan Foster

Foster is sixth in the SEC with 80 tackles, but more importantly, leads the SEC with five interceptions. Foster, as an individual, has the same number of interceptions as Auburn’s defense as a whole. With Auburn starting a new quarterback, Foster could be able to capitalize on any mistake Finley makes. 

Foster is one of the leaders of South Carolina’s pass defense, which is ranked 14th nationally in yards passing allowed and sixth nationally with 14 interceptions. 

Keys to Victory

Auburn

Pressure the Quarterback

The amount of time Will Rogers had to throw during Mississippi State’s comeback last weekend allowed him ample time to find his receivers. Auburn recorded zero quarterback hurries during the game. A common theme in Auburn’s losses had been the lack of pressure on the opposing quarterback.

In the Tigers’ six victories, they have accounted for 23 total quarterback hurries, an average of 3.83 per win. In Auburn’s four losses, that number drops to a total of three, an average of 0.75 per loss. While many are talking about Auburn’s Finley making his first start this year, South Carolina’s Jason Brown is making only his third. The Tigers will need to put pressure on him and force him into making mistakes in order to have success on the road.

Avoid Costly Penalties

In the loss to Mississippi State, Auburn was called for nine penalties, six of which were on the defense. Five of those defensive penalties directly resulted in a Mississippi State first down. Auburn cannot afford to give away downs to a team that struggles offensively like South Carolina.

In addition, Auburn was called for two penalties on kick returns against the Bulldogs. Against Ole Miss, Auburn was called for three penalties on kick returns. Auburn cannot give up any field position due to penalties on kick returns, as any mistakes could be costly if made deep in Auburn’s own territory.

South Carolina

Start Strong

South Carolina is 4-1 this season when scoring first, and with the home-field advantage, a strong start could be critical for the Gamecocks. In addition, the crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium will be electric for the primetime kickoff. If South Carolina is to get ahead early, the reaction by the fans, who are hoping for and expecting a bowl appearance, could make for a true advantage for the Gamecocks.

Put the Game in Finley’s Hands

South Carolina is only 90th in the nation in defending the run, allowing just over 169 yards rushing per game. The Gamecocks need to focus on limiting the damage Auburn can do on the ground and force T.J. Finley to beat their defense, which allows less than 186 passing yards per game, with his arm.