South Carolina vs. Old Dominion kickoff today, injury report, weather, stream, odds

Payton Titus
Joshua Boucher/jboucher@thestate.com

The 2024 college football season has finally arrived, and the South Carolina Gamecocks kick things off this weekend against the Old Dominion Monarchs.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game, including how to watch, top storylines and the Week 1 depth chart:

What time do the Gamecocks play today?

Who: South Carolina vs. Old Dominion

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

When: 4:15 p.m., Saturday

TV: SEC Network

Stream: ESPN.com

On-air announce crew: Dave Neal (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst) and Ashley ShahAmadi (sideline reporter)

Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analyst; Chet Tucker, sideline) … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.

Satellite radio: Sirius/XM channel 106 or 190

Series history: This is the first football game between these two programs.

Injury report, top storylines for the game

  • USC injury report: Offensive linemen Jakai Moore and Aaryn Parks are OUT for this week’s game.

  • LaNorris Sellers’ first career start: Beamer named Sellers USC’s Week 1 starter, citing the young man’s consistency during preseason practices. He played in three games as a true freshman in 2023 and greatly impressed. He fired a 50-yard touchdown pass to Tyshawn Russell in the home opener against Furman and scored a 36-yard touchdown run against Vanderbilt.

  • New-look Gamecocks: Saturday will be the first sample of what Beamer and his staff have advertised as a new and improved South Carolina squad. Last year’s 5-7, bowl-less campaign was a disappointment. But the Gamecocks have a new starting quarterback, running back and defense chock-full of experience. The offensive line, which suffered double-digit injuries in 2023, stayed in Columbia for the entire month of May to improve. Saturday will be telling.

  • Beware the Sun Belt spoiler: Despite what the oddsmakers say, Beamer is wary of ODU. The Monarchs have all the ingredients required for an upset: an athletic quarterback (Grant Wilson), opportunistic defense, unique offense (Beamer said ODU’s run game makes it especially difficult to “get everybody blocked and communicate to get a hat on a hat”) and clutch special teams (Old Dominion has blocked the second most kicks in the country over the last three seasons). These factors and Sun Belt teams’ history of defeating Power 4 teams (South Alabama beat Oklahoma State and James Madison beat Virginia just last season) have Beamer on high alert.

Weather forecast for Columbia, SC

Columbia will be sunny with a high near 94 degrees Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday night will usher in a few clouds and some cooler weather, with an overnight low around 72 degrees.

ESPN FPI game prediction

ESPN’s Football Power Index gives South Carolina an 87.2% chance to win the game.

Point spread for USC Gamecocks vs. ODU Monarchs

The Gamecocks are a 20.5-point favorite against the Monarchs, according to VegasInsider’s consensus line. The over/under is 52.5 points.

2024 football schedule

  • Aug. 31 – vs. Old Dominion – 4:15 pm, SEC Network

  • Sept. 7 – at Kentucky – 3:30 p.m., ABC

  • Sept. 14 – vs. LSU – 12 p.m., ABC

  • Sept. 21 – vs. Akron – TBA (night)

  • Oct. 5 – vs. Ole Miss – TBA (flex)

  • Oct. 12 – at Alabama – 12 p.m., ABC —OR— ESPN

  • Oct. 19 – at Oklahoma – TBA (early)

  • Nov. 2 – vs. Texas A&M – TBA (night)

  • Nov. 9 – at Vanderbilt – TBA (afternoon)

  • Nov. 16 – vs. Missouri – TBA (afternoon)

  • Nov. 23 – vs. Wofford – 4 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+

  • Nov. 30 – at Clemson – TBA

USC depth chart

——OFFENSE——

  • QB: LaNorris Sellers (Robby Ashford)

  • RB: Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (Juju McDowell —OR— Oscar Adaway III)

  • TE: Joshua Simon (Michael Smith)

  • TE: Brady Hunt (Maurice Brown II)

  • WR: Jared Brown (Nyck Harbor —OR— Dalevon Campbell)

  • WR: Gage Larvadain —OR— Mazeo Bennett Jr. —OR— Payton Mangrum —OR— Luke Doty

  • WR: Vandrevius Lacobs (Tyshawn Russell)

  • LT: Josiah Thompson —OR— Tree Babalade

  • LG: Kamaar Bell (Markee Anderson)

  • RG: Torricelli Simpkins III —OR— Trovon Baugh

  • RT: Cason Henry (Jatavius Shivers)

  • OC: Vershon Lee (Ryan Brubaker)

——DEFENSE——

  • Edge: Kyle Kennard —OR— Gilber Edmond (Desmond Umeozulu)

  • Edge: Jatius Geer —OR— Bryan Thomas Jr. (Dylan Stewart)

  • DT: Tonka Hemingway —OR— T.J. Sanders (Monkell Goodwine)

  • DT: Alex Huntley (Nick Barrett —OR— DeAndre Jules)

  • MLB: Bam Martin-Scott —OR— Demetrius Knight Jr. (Fred “JayR” Johnson)

  • WLB: Debo Williams (Bangally Kamara, Mohamed Kaba)

  • NICK: Jalon Kilgore (Kelvin Hunter —OR— Jalewis Solomon)

  • CB: O’Donnell Fortune (Emory Floyd —OR— David Spaulding)

  • CB: Judge Collier —OR— Vacari Swain

  • SS: DQ Smith (Peyton Williams)

  • FS: Nick Emmanwori (David Bucey —OR— Gerald Kilgore)

——SPECIAL TEAMS——

  • PK: Alex Herrera (Mason Love, William Joyce)

  • P: Kai Kroeger (Mason Love)

  • LSN: Hunter Rogers (Cole Rasmussen)

  • H: Kai Kroeger (Mason Love)

  • KOR: Juju McDowell (Nyck Harbor)

  • PR: Juju McDowell (Gage Larvadain)

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