In case you need any extra help getting fired up, we’ll be providing a handy pre-game cheat sheet detailing why you should hate each one of the Razorbacks’ opponents this fall. Some weeks will be easier than others …
1. The Evil Genius - Actually, one of us finds Spurrier pretty funny and enjoys the personality that he brings to the game and his interviews. Still, we imagine that the visor and the grimaces and smirks will become oh-so-irritating in the heat of tonight's battle. (By that standard, one can only imagine how irritating HDN must be to opposing fans.)
2. Quarterback Jealousy - Gamecock fans may not be thrilled with the team's unsettled situation at quarterback, but don't you wish we had a QB capable of going out and completing 31 of 45 passing attempts for 290 yards, as Blake Mitchell did in basically a half of football last week? To be fair, Casey Dick doesn't have the greatest receiving corps to work with. Still ...
3. They are Third-Down Demons - According to this game preview in the The Morning News, South Carolina's opponents have a measly third-down conversion rate of 27 percent. Combine Arkansas' passing-game woes with that statistic, and the Gamecocks could make it a very long night in Fayetteville if they are able to force the Hogs into numerous third and long situations.
4. Hootie Was (T)Here - South Carolina alum Darius Rucker seems like a perfectly nice man. We even imagine that he would be good to have a beer with (which in today's America is apparently the ultimate compliment you can pay someone). But his band Hootie and the Blowfish is deeply irritating. To paraphrase one of his songs, hopefully tonight the Gamecocks will make him cry.
And the reason to like South Carolina: They are bad at stopping the run. The Gamecocks are ranked ninth in the league in run defense, allowing nearly 170 yards a game on the ground. That could mean big nights for McFadden and Jones and a big, desperately needed win for the Hogs.