3 reasons South Carolina Football will beat UNC in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

2. Gamecock defense has the edge

South Carolina football left a lot to be desired on offense this season. Their defense kept them in most games and was a big reason for gaining bowl eligibility. The defense will have the edge against North Carolina.

The Gamecocks were a top-50 defense in points allowed, giving up an average of 24.3 per game. They were also as even against the pass and run as a team could be, giving up 178 yards per game for both.

Where the Gamecocks really excelled this season was in the turnover department. They led the SEC in 24 turnovers forced, good for 12th in the country. Most of those were interceptions from an opportunistic secondary.

Now the Gamecocks will have to go into this one without their sack leader. Defensive end Kingsley Enagbare has opted out to focus on getting ready for the NFL Draft. The rest of the front four will need to make up for his absence.

The Gamecock secondary is led by cornerback Jaylan Foster, who picked up first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors.

The ball hawking secondary needs to pick off Sam Howell at least twice in this one, perhaps setting up short fields so the offense can take advantage. If they can accomplish that, the Gamecocks certainly will keep themselves in the game.