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 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack; Betting Line, USC by -14 (total 44); television ESPN; kickoff 8:05 PM ET.
It will be an SEC vs. ACC showdown when the University of South Carolina Gamecocks host the North Carolina State Wolfpack in an ESPN televised football game Thursday night at 8:05 PM ET. This game is vitally important to both teams as neither USC nor NCSU made it to the post-season in 2007. Oddsmakers at online sportsbook SBGglobal.com have installed South Carolina as home favorite by two touchdowns (-14 ATS) with a 44 total. Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, known as an offensive guru in most circles, will probably have to depend on his defense to be the dominant side of the ball in the early going of 2008. The Gamecocks return 10 starters from a defense that was one of the tops in the nation last year. Redshirt junior quarterback Tommy Beecher will make his first collegiate start against the Wolfpack. The 6-2, 220-pound Concord, N.C. native was named the starting quarterback following spring drills. He has completed 16-of-25 passes (64.0 percent) for 194 yards and two touchdowns in his career. His best performance was an 11-for-15 effort for 137 yards against Louisiana-Lafayette in the 2007 season opener. His longest pass completion went for 20 yards in that contest. The Wolfpack will be very thin on offense for this game severely hampering its chances for a big win. Coach Tom O’Brien announced earlier today that junior tailback Jamelle Eugene, last year’s team most valuable player, will miss the game because of an ankle injury. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Andre Brown, with sophomore Curtis Underwood as the top reserve. Eugene was the Pack’s leading rusher last year, gaining 667 yards on 172 carries and scoring five touchdowns. Brown led the team in rushing in 2005 as a freshman, gaining 721 yards and scoring six touchdowns. The team’s top rusher in 2006, junior Toney Baker, is still recovering from preseason knee surgery and will not play against the Gamecocks. Prediction: (USC wins by 17) South Carolina is catching NCSU at a good time. The Wolfpack is not healthy coming out of August camp and is thin on both sides of the ball. While the -14 point line might seem a little steep, the Gamecocks will probably get by ATS. Checkout our live College Football Point Spreads showcasing real time odds of the world's top online sportsbooks all in one easy to use location. Get line movements in real time and find out who has the best college football betting odds.
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