South Carolina looks to bounce back from opening-week loss against FCS and instate foe Furman

Furman (1-0) at South Carolina (0-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+, SECN+)

Line: No line.

Series record: South Carolina leads 28-20-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

South Carolina looks to get a taste of success after falling to No. 17 North Carolina, 31-17, last week. It might not be as easy as the Gamecocks hope against Furman, ranked sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision and favorites to win the Southern Conference and reach the FCS playoffs.

KEY MATCHUP

South Carolina's offensive line against Furman's defensive line. The Gamecocks gave up nine sacks in the loss to the Tar Heels and finished with minus-2 yards rushing on 31 attempts. They'll want to crank things up against the Paladins, who gave up just 79 yards on 29 attempts in a 45-10 victory over Tennessee Tech to start the season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Furman: QB Tyler Huff, a commissioned 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Reserves, is in his second season leading the Paladins. He threw for 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns last year and ran for a Furman quarterback record 684 yards and eight TDs.

South Carolina: QB Spencer Rattler was among the things that went right for the Gamecocks against North Carolina. The fifth-year passer hung tough against the Tar Heels pass rush to complete 30 of 39 passes for 353 yards without an interception.

FACTS & FIGURES

Rattler has thrown for 300 or more yards in three of his past four games. ... Furman had two pick-six interception returns in its opening win. ... The Gamecocks have won 36 of their past 42 home games against non-conference opponents. ... Furman will receive $500,000 to play from South Carolina. ... These teams have not met since 2014 with the Gamecocks winning 41-14. ... Furman last beat South Carolina in 1982, 28-23. That victory began a run of four straight wins over FBS programs, including Georgia Tech and two victories over North Carolina State. ... South Carolina receiver Xavier Leggette finished with nine catches for 178 yards, the most for a wideout in a season opener in school history. ... Furman has lost its past eight games against FBS opponents since defeating UCF 16-15 in 2015.

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll