2008 College Football Game Preview: South Carolina at Vanderbilt

The South Carolina Gamecocks will look to do battle with the Vanderbilt Commodores in another great SEC matchup for 2008. These teams are fairly evenly matched, after both came away with nice Week 1 victories against their opponents. South Carolina enjoyed a shutout, though their offense sputtered often until the senior quarterback Chris Smelley entered the game.

Here are the impact players that I am watching closely in this great matchup!

South Carolina Gamecocks

Chris Smelley (Quarterback)

Can you name any player in this game who will be examined more closely than Smelley? After sophomore QB Tommy Beecher came in and stunk up the joint (106 pass yards, 4 INT), Smelley came in and provided an instant spark to the Gamecock offense. Was Beecher a little intimidated? Did he get the first game jitters?

Here's what I know about Smelley: he's a SENIOR! If you look at this statistics from last year, they weren't that bad, with a 56.8 completion percentage and a 9-7 TD-INT ratio. He is the starter for the Gamecocks, and I expect a nice game out of him against the Commodores.

The South Carolina Backfield (Running Backs)

Mike Davis established himself as a nice leader for this bunch, averaging a nice 7.2 yards per carry on 14 carries. A 50 yard gain will do that for you. However, I am more focused on SC's backups: Will Taylor Rank or Brian Maddox step up as the full time backup? SC seems very one-dimensional from the RB position, so keep a close eye on how Spurrier utilizes his backup RBs.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Chris Nickson (Quarterback)

Take it from me: Nickson will be one of the SEC's most dangerous passers this season. Why? His ability to run and pass the football characterizes him as a dual-threat machine. If Vanderbilt executes well on offense tomorrow night, it will be in large part due to him. 166 rushing yards on 20 carries? You have to be kidding me!

Sean Walker (Wide Receiver)

One guy fairly under the radar here is Sean Walker, who finished Week 1 as Vandy's top receiving threat. One stat that jumps out to me: Walker recorded an interception in week one. If this guy happens to be a both-sides-of-the-ball player, then watch out. He hasn't recorded much in terms of stats over the past few seasons, but Walker could emerge quickly as the top target for Nickson and this Vanderbilt offense. Watch him closely!

All in all, I really like Vanderbilt's chances here to pull an upset. Their defense looked solid against Miami (OH) despite giving up some points.

Pick: Vanderbilt

Vandy 24, SC 17