JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No one should anticipate Notre Dame and South Carolina to look, or perhaps play, inside the second half of the widespread season.
Now the group is principally a shell of itself.
No. 19 Stopping Irish (8-4, No. 21 CFP) and No. 20 Gamecocks (8-4, No. 19 CFP) will see what variety of best players they’ve after they face off inside the TuxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday. may also be missing. Their first matchup since 1984 is additional like a 2023 preview than a 2022 roundup.
Notre Dame, who gained 5 straight video video games and averaged 40 elements sooner than dropping to Southern California inside the widespread season finale, has quarterback Drew Pine, All-American tight end Michael Mayer and standout edge rusher Isaiah. Foskey lacks cornerback come coronary coronary heart and defensiveness. Lineman Jason Ademirolla.
Gamecocks coming out of big upsets in Tennessee and Clemson are way more short-handed. They’re Marshawn Lloyd, versatile tight end Jaheim Bell, tight end Austin Stogner, defensive lineman Zach Pickens, safety Devonni Reed, cornerbacks Cam Smith and Darius Rush, And by no means working receivers Josh Bunn and Jalen Brooks.
Notre Dame is the three and 1/2 degree favorite. According to the FanDuel sportsbook.
Plenty of the Exiles — Mayer, Foskey, Pickens, Reid, Smith, Rush — are leaping on the NFL Draft prep. Pine, Lloyd, Bell and Stogner entered the change portal with plans to play elsewhere. Hart, Ademi Laura, and Van are injured. Brooks is engaged on an undisclosed off-field concern.
They left an infinite hole that every packages might fill in just a few weeks of observe.
“With opting out, we have no idea. We have no idea what we’ll see,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman talked about Thursday. We now have the elemental thought that we have got, nevertheless clearly now we have to be prepared for some completely completely different wrinkles and points that we have not seen sooner than.”
The Irish participant will change Pine with sophomore Tyler Buchner. A double-threat quarterback, Buchner started and misplaced the first two video video games of the season sooner than current course of shoulder surgical process. Pine started his 10 subsequent.
“I consider he is ready to roll,” talked about Freeman. “I’m talking just a few man who most likely didn’t play soccer from week 2 to week 12. There was a interval when he wasn’t on the teaching ground. He was good in observe. He did an unimaginable job major the assault. did. “
South Carolina, nevertheless, has one fastened participant who’s crucial offensively. That’s quarterback Spencer he’s a Rattler. The earlier Oklahoma star hit his stride in November. No. 7 Clemson.
Now, the Gamecocks are looking for a 3-game worthwhile streak in direction of a ranked group for the first time at school historic previous. However, coach Shaim Beamer refuses to take care of the players who left remaining month.
“We now have players who’ve carried out inside the video video games which may be occurring proper right here in Jacksonville,” he talked about.
NO MAYER, MAJOR PROBLEM
Collaborating in with out Mayer might very properly be the biggest adjustment for the Irishman. A blazing group his captain has recorded on the very least one catch in all 36 video video games he carried out in class, and in 180 receptions he has 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns Did.
“I don’t want to overhaul points an extreme quantity of,” talked about Tommy Reese, Ireland’s offensive coordinator. “Nonetheless it’s essential to push completely different players and spots to step up and make crucial performs.
tiger tamer
The Faculty of Notre Dame and South Carolina have one factor in frequent. This season, the two sides defeated Clemson and combined to knock the Tigers out of school soccer’s playoffs.
The Irish defeated Clemson, 35-14, in South Bend, Indiana, in early November. The Gamecocks upset his Tigers by 31-30 in his Palmetto Bowl at Clemson, ending on the end of the month.
bowl historic previous
Notre Dame is in its fourth Gator Bowl look since dropping 28-6 to North Carolina in 2003. South Carolina is collaborating in inside the Gators his bowl for the fifth time since 1987.
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