Sun Belt Sports Fans

The South Carolina Gamecocks have won the SEC East, and they’re looking forward to their big in-state rivalry game against Clemson. They need to pay attention to the Troy Trojans this week.

For the first time in the 18 years that the Southeastern Conference has used divisional play, the South Carolina Gamecocks have won the SEC East Division championship. This historically downtrodden and typically snake-bitten program has finally claimed the milestone achievement it has yearned for with such considerable hunger and desperation. For five full seasons, coach Steve Spurrier – one of the best and most iconic coaches in the history of the Southeastern Conference – manifestly failed to change the subculture in and around the South Carolina program. Many commentators and observers felt that Spurrier would retire before winning an East Division crown, and that he would join his predecessors – including decorated coach Lou Holtz – as the latest man to fail on the job in Columbia, South Carolina. However, when the Gamecocks went into The Swamp and thumped Florida by a 36-14 score, South Carolina finally broke through and punched a ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4 against Auburn (or perhaps LSU if Cameron Newton’s eligibility issues affect Auburn’s status). Now, as the Gamecocks face the Troy Trojans, the challenge is to pay attention on the field and not get caught looking ahead to a rivalry game against Clemson on Nov. 27.

Troy is smarting after losing control of the Sun Belt Conference last weekend. Troy has won three of the last four Sun Belt titles, but on Nov. 13, the Trojans – playing at home against a sub-.500 Florida International team – simply crumbled. Troy allowed 668 yards to the visiting Golden Panthers and coughed up four turnovers in a 52-35 loss. This is a wounded team that will play with passion, and South Carolina needs to be on alert.

The Trojans lost two Sun Belt games this year. In one loss, they scored only 14 points (against Louisiana-Monroe), and in their other loss – to Florida International – they gave up 52 points. This is an inconsistent team whose problems extend in multiple directions. Ultimately, the key for Coach Larry Blakeney’s group is to cut down on turnovers. The defense was fragile against Florida International, but the four turnovers created sudden-change situations which left the defense on the field for overly long stretches of time. Freshman quarterback Corey Robinson has posted big numbers in many games this season, but he has to play his very best game – a no-turnover game – for the Trojans to have a chance on Saturday.

The Gamecocks simply need to bring energy and focus to this contest. The SEC East champions will be tempted to look ahead to Clemson, a hated rival, and we’ve seen how “look-ahead” games can turn into ambush losses. The Gamecocks should be able to bludgeon Troy with the running game and not use an overly complex playbook. Spurrier doesn’t want to show anything new; he wants to keep things under wraps for Clemson.

South Carolina is feeling full of itself; Troy is feeling full of frustration. If the Gamecocks aren’t careful, an irritated opponent could spoil their rare and newfound bit of satisfaction on Saturday. We’ll see how (and where) emotions carry each of these two teams.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer