5 Key Games for the Gamecocks
Seven games against top-25 opponents. No Georgia, Tennessee or Florida. The 2024 schedule for South Carolina is odd, difficult and - most of all -exciting.
Looking at the schedule above, you can tell how difficult the road will be for the 2024 squad. In a previous article, I broke down why this is a huge year for Coach Beamer and the Gamecocks to bounce back.
Here, I’m going to highlight five games that are going to define South Carolina’s season.
- at Kentucky: a win here would likely mean a 2-0 start for South Carolina but Kentucky has been tough to beat in recent years. Failing to beat Kentucky would be a bad signal for the rest of the season.
- #12 LSU: a noon home game presents a prime trap-game opportunity for South Carolina to take advantage of. While the Tigers are talented and will likely finish in the top five in the conference, the hope is that they aren’t quite as cohesive this early in the season after having to replace a truly star-studded 2023 offense.
- #20 Texas A&M: The prior three games to this match up are against Ole Miss, at Alabama, and at Oklahoma - yikes! Luckily, the Gamecocks will be coming off of a bye week, which will help set the team up for success in its final stretch of the season.
- #11 Missouri: Perhaps one of the more talented offenses in the conference, the Tigers will be a tricky match up for the Gamecocks. However, I’m skeptical of their defensive talent and think this will be a game Coach Beamer eventually has circled as a must-win; especially with a likely solid slate of recruits on-hand for the Gamecocks final SEC home game in 2024.
- at #14 Clemson: This very well could be a win or go home game for South Carolina; much like last season. I do think Clemson will be primed for a comeback year and should be a top-10 by the time this game is played. Playing in Death Valley? Always a fun challenge.
If the Gamecocks can win two of the above games, they’ll be playing in a bowl game.
If they win three or more of the above games, they’ll likely be finishing as a top 30 team.
Failing to win more than one of the above games, however, likely means another season of missing a bowl game. Coach Beamer and the Gamecocks simply cannot afford for this to happen.
Read About Gamecocks & the Author, Matt O'Brien HERE