Tennessee vs South Carolina: 5 Gamecocks to Watch for vs Vols

Oct 22, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Chris Lammons (3) recovers a fumble by the Massachusetts Minutemen in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Will Muschamp is looking for a signature victory in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game. Here are five Gamecocks to watch for against the Volunteers.

After squeaking out a win against the UMASS Minutemen last week, the men from Columbia may have some confidence getting set to host this weekend’s Tennessee vs South Carolina game.

Sure, Will Muschamp’s team looked ugly last week. And yes, they still have tons of questions that need answering.

After all, barely beating Massachusetts is nothing to brag about.

But the Gamecocks could have received some newfound confidence as a result of how that game went. And because of that, Butch Jones’s Vols have to be careful.

Remember last year? Tennessee was getting on a roll while South Carolina was reeling and in the midst of a coaching change, but they still gave the Vols hell at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee had to scrape out a late fourth-quarter win.

So anything can happen in this SEC East game, regardless of how good or bad either team is. Each of the last four have come down to the final two minutes in the fourth quarter. And one went to overtime.

To make sure they avoid an upset in this game, the Vols and Butch Jones have quite a few key players that they have to keep an eye on. Otherwise, they could have their season ruined with a bad loss.

Here are the five Gamecocks that the Vols need to watch out for in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game.

Oct 22, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley (4) passes against the Massachusetts Minutemen in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Bentley

Quarterback, Freshman

Look out SEC, there’s a new freshman quarterback making a splash. And he plays for a Will Muschamp-coached team.

With the Gamecocks in a hole, Muschamp pulled the trigger on true freshman Jake Bentley, and in his first start, he completed 17 of 26 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Okay, so it was against the UMASS Minutemen, a 1-7 team.

But it’s still an impressive start for a true freshman who never took a snap of college football before that game.

Now, Bentley’s got a real test. Tennessee vs South Carolina will truly determine if the SEC has a new freshman phenom.

Unfortunately, Butch Jones and Bob Shoop don’t have much information to go on when scouting Bentley. But they are going to have to do everything they can to make his life uncomfortable this Saturday.

Part of what makes South Carolina easy to beat is the fact that they turn the ball over. Well, if South Carolina stops doing that, they become a very dangerous team. Bentley can help them do that, and he can make plays as well.

So the Vols have to account for him as much as possible. At the same time, the next guy on this list is a great safety net for Bentley.

Sep 24, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks tight end Hayden Hurst (81) dives forward during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Hayden Hurst

Tight End, Sophomore

Without a wealth of wide receivers to throw the football to, South Carolina has relied on a former baseball player at tight end as its go-to receiver.

Hayden Hurst walked onto the team last year after two seasons as a Minor League Baseball picture. Then he earned a scholarship this past offseason.

Now, the 6’5″ 250-pound target is the perfect tight end and one of the bright spots for this offense. Tennessee vs South Carolina is the perfect game for Hurst to step up and become a star.

For the year, he already has 31 receptions for 397 yards. Sure, he has no touchdowns, but he has been a reliable target all year for the Gamecocks. Last week, he became a decoy with only one reception for nine yards as the UMASS Minutemen sold out to stop him.

The only bit of concern for the Gamecocks is that Hurst might have some loyalty issues. He went to South Carolina and basically committed to Perry Orth. With Orth now at third string as quarterback, Hurst’s production did drop last week. Maybe he’s not as dedicated.

Regardless, the Vols can’t take that chance, and Bob Shoop knows that. He and Butch Jones have to scheme for Hurst as much as possible. You can bet that Will Muschamp does not want to go two weeks without Hurst racking up lots of yards.

He needs that tight end to bail out his bad offense. So the Vols have to account for him all day.

Oct 9, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker T.J. Holloman (11) gets a handful of the jersey of Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

T.J. Holloman

Linebacker, Senior

We’re now onto defense, which is a staple of any team that Will Muschamp coaches. And just like he did with the Florida Gators, he’s maximizing plenty of weapons that Butch Jones and Mike DeBord have to watch out for in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game.

The first of those guys is T.J. Holloman, a veteran, do-it-all, outside linebacker.

Holloman has two interceptions that he’s returned for a total of 23 yards, one tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries, and 41 overall tackles.

He knows how to be all over the field, and Muschamp will want to use him as much as possible to stop Joshua Dobbs’s mobility this weekend.

South Carolina has struggled at stopping the run, and Jones and DeBord will want to exploit that, but Holloman is one guy that they still want to avoid. He plays on the outside but can sneak into any spot on the field.

That’s a huge deal, and with the Vols struggling to hold onto the football this year, Holloman could be very dangerous going against them. Their carelessness could really be disastrous.

But Holloman has help too, particularly with the next guy on this list, who is backing him up at the cornerback position.

Oct 1, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Chris Lammons (3) reacts in the closing moments of their loss to the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Lammons

Cornerback, Junior

This is another do-it-all player that Will Muschamp has managed to turn into a defensive star, and he has a chance to really shine in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game this weekend.

Chris Lammons makes an oddly high number of plays for a cornerback, whose job is usually to be seen and not heard. For the year, he has three interceptions, against the East Carolina Pirates, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the UMASS Minutemen.

Two of those games South Carolina won, and they would not have won them without the interception. At the same time, Lammons forced a fumble and had a sack against the Pirates. So he did it all to make sure the Gamecocks squeaked out a victory there.

On top of his forced turnovers, he has 29 total tackles, four tackles for a loss overall, and three passes broken up.

This is a huge upgrade from last year, as Lammons has been the clear-cut breakout player for the South Carolina secondary.

So you can bet that against a Tennessee football team that has trouble holding onto the ball, Will Muschamp will creatively use Lammons all over the field to be a huge playmaker.

He also can see action as a punt returner. So the Vols have to account for him in multiple ways.

Sep 10, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive lineman Darius English (5) tackles Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Brandon Holloway (10) behind the line of scrimmage during the first quarter of the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Darius English

Defensive End, Senior

We talked about Derek Barnett’s importance for the Vols in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game earlier this week. He has achieved well-deserved accolades for his efforts and the numbers that he has racked up.

After all, he has six sacks on the year along with 11 and a half tackles for a loss. However, there’s another star on the defensive line in the Tennessee vs South Carolina game playing the same position…for the other team.

Darius English has had an amazing breakout year as a senior defensive end. He has six sacks on the season as well. And he has an impressive seven tackles for a loss overall. Other stats for him include 30 total tackles, a pass broken up, four quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles.

English has already surpassed all the numbers he put up last year, and he has thrived in Will Muschamp’s system.

Tennessee football has struggled with inconsistency on its offensive line this year, so Butch Jones and Mike DeBord have to be extremely concerned about what English can do. Combine the weak offensive line play with their tendency to fumble the football, and English could spell disaster for the Vols.

The one good thing is that English is mainly just a pass-rusher. So Jones and DeBord should use Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd on north-south running plays as much as possible to avoid him.

They also should simply run away from him. English is one player they don’t want to deal with.