Central Florida plus 7 hosting South Carolina
This non-conference game for South Carolina is nothing but a nuisance. But for host Central Florida it’s the biggest football game in school history. A win could elevate the Knights into the Top 25.
So the motivation and situational aspects are there for Central Florida. The key question is do the Knights have the talent to match up to this SEC foe?
Yes they do. Central Florida beat Penn State on the road in its last game two weeks ago. The Knights piled up more than 500 yards of total offense despite missing their starting offensive left tackle, Torrian Wilson, who is expected to play here.
Central Florida has outstanding talent on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Knights rank 14th in scoring defense and 21st in total yards.
The Knights have won 22 of their last 27 home games.
Offensively, the Knights have a very good quarterback, Blake Bortles. He threw for more than 3,000 yards last year and has completed 71.4 percent of his throws this season with a 7-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Bortles has five of his six leading receivers back from a year ago and has an excellent running back, Storm Johnson.
South Carolina was torched by Aaron Murray when the Gamecocks lost to Georgia, 41-30, three weeks ago. Murray threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdown passes without an interception. Now it’s Bortles’ turn.
South Carolina’s talent actually is down having lost 13 players to the NFL in the past two years. The Gamecocks’ best player, defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney, has been dealing with a sore foot and his effectiveness has been greatly reduced.
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