Welcome to the third bowl game in this Friday Football Five. Oddly enough, this is the fifth ever meeting between the Fighting Irish and Fighting Roosters. Live from swampy Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. EST, these teams haven’t faced off since 1984, where South Carolina won by four points. Unlike most games which are usually called offensive or defensive battles, this could be the game where special teams reign supreme.

How Notre Dame Got Here:

The Irish finished an up-and-down season with an 8-4 record, including losses to Marshall and Stanford. Notre Dame also lost starting QB Tyler Buchner in the devastating loss to Marshall due to an injury. QB Drew Pyne took over the offense for the rest of the season. Head coach Marcus Freeman was able to rally the squad after a disappointing loss to Stanford at home just a few weeks later. The Irish bounced back with five straight wins, including a dominant victory against No. 4 Clemson. Following the Clemson win, Notre Dame faced one more true challenge against USC. Caleb Williams, the Heisman Trophy hopeful at the time, put on a show and exposed the Notre Dame defense. Notre Dame’s hopes at squeezing into a New Year’s Six bowl were ultimately lost, so the Irish fell into the Gator Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks. 

How South Carolina Got Here:

The Gamecocks are 8-4 with back-to-back wins over top 10 opponents to cap off the season, Tennessee and Clemson, playing in the Shane Beamer’s Your Daddy Orange Bowl. South Carolina averages almost 400 passing yards per game with Spencer Rattler. The Gamecocks are top five in the SEC in passing yards allowed (199.5) and finished atop the conference in completion rate allowed (53.5%). They started the season 2-2 with consecutive losses to Arkansas and Georgia, but they won six of their last eight, including upset wins against No. 5 Tennessee at home and No. 8 Clemson on the road. 

Second-year head coach Shame Beamer’s success is due in part to special teams coach Pete Lembo, a semifinalist for the Broyles Award for top assistant coach and finalist for FootballScoop’s Special Teams Coach of the Year. South Carolina is widely acknowledged as the best, most efficient special teams program in the nation. The Gamecocks finished the regular season tied for second in the nation in blocked punts (five), tied for third in blocked kicks (six), fifth in net punting (43.27), and sixth in kickoff returns (25.05).

Without getting into the trials and tribulations of the NCAA transfer portal, the Gamecocks are without many starters and impressive stat leaders for this bowl including Mr. “Drop Yo Nuts” Himself, CB Cam Smith along with top RB Marshawn Lloyd (TP), TEs Jaheim Bell (TP) and Austin Stogner (TP), OT Dylan Wonnum (opt-out), DT Zacch Pickens (Opt-out), and S David Spaulding (injury, maybe).

Since the departure of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, Beamer has not announced a play caller yet. With big losses on both sides of the ball, it is unclear what side of the Gamecock coin we will see. It truly could come down to a blocked kick.

Keys to the Game for Notre Dame:

Tyler Buchner will return to the Irish offense after Drew Pyne suddenly transferred to Arizona State just weeks ago. 

A big key for Notre Dame will be getting Buchner comfortable and willing to take big shots down the field. He will not have star TE Michael Mayer, who opted for the draft. Buchner will have some inexperienced targets and will need to trust them. Against Ohio State, we saw Buchner make big throws and use his legs. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will have to apply that same game plan in the Gator Bowl for the Irish to succeed. On defense, CB Benjamin Morrison and the secondary will have to step up with senior leader Cam Hart out. Spencer Rattler can make some big-time throws and has certainly improved over the course of the season. Look for the Notre Dame secondary to have a true test in Jacksonville.

Players to Watch:

Notre Dame:

#7 RB Audric Estimé — In order to get Buchner comfortable, the Irish will rely on their run game. Audric Estimé has been extremely effective all season and played a huge part in the victory against Clemson with 104 yards and a touchdown. Getting Estimé going will open up for play action and ultimately put South Carolina on its heels.

#16 S Brandon Joseph — Northwestern transfer Brandon Joseph brought incredible leadership and experience to the Notre Dame defense, filling a huge hole following the departure of Kyle Hamilton. Joseph has practiced all week, but will be a game-time decision due to injury. Joseph will do it all for the Irish defense if he plays, and I expect him to be a huge factor in this game.

South Carolina:

#7 QB Spencer Rattler — Rattler has amassed 2,780 yards this season with 16 TDs and 11 INTs. In the Gamecocks’ victories against Tennessee and Clemson, he was 55-for-76 with 798 yards, eight TDs, and two INTs. Rattler is a bit of a double edged sword, and depending on which version of the Oklahoma transfer we get, he could put up another 80%+ completion game or a 48% game like against Texas A&M.

#3 WR Antwane Wells Jr — Junior wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. has 63 receptions for 898 yards and six TDs this season. Without Lloyd, Bell, and possibly WR Jalen Brooks, Wells Jr. will likely be Rattler’s primary target.

#21 DB Nick Emmanwori — Freshman defensive back Nick Emmanwori is tied for third in the SEC in solo tackles with 59 (78 total). He is the top Gamecocks tackler and also has one defended pass on his stat log.

Score Predictions:

Kyler: The Irish are not known for putting up a lot of points, but I believe they will be able to put up enough while also stopping the Gamecocks offense. Notre Dame’s defense will be a problem in this matchup for Rattler and their offense. Notre Dame 28, South Carolina 24.

Gray: Notre Dame is without starting QB Drew Pyne and TE Michael Mayer. Backup QB Tyler Buchner is 0-2 as a starter. But the Gamecocks are without many (maybe even most) of their stars. If the Gamecocks get rockin’ Rattler they could pull it off, but if they get the version that lost to Missouri, the Irish could take it. This would be the third straight win against a ranked opponent for the Gamecocks, but ND seems to have the edge. Notre Dame 38, South Carolina 37.

Odds From Caesars Sportsbook:

ND -3.5 (-110) ML: USC +135, ND -160 O/U: 50 (-110)