(9) South Carolina (0-0) at Vanderbilt (0-0)

GAME NOTES: SEC East Division rivals meet in one of the first games of the 2012 season, as the ninth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks pay a visit to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Steve Spurrier's South Carolina squad comes into the season as one of the favorites to win the division, and the Gamecocks are hoping to continue their recent mastery of SEC East foes as they have won eight straight, and nine of their last 10 overall against them.

USC, which set a school record for wins in a season last year with 11, has won 12 consecutive season openers. However, when the Gamecocks open on the road, they are just 8-18 all-time. They have won their last three lidlifters away from home though. Spurrier is an astounding 21-1 all-time in season openers as a head coach.

Vanderbilt is set to begin the second year of coach James Franklin's tenure, and the Commodores went 6-7 a season ago.

Vandy has won five of its last seven season openers, and a win in this contest would give the 'Dores back-to-back season-opening wins after they whipped Elon last year, 45-14. Additionally, VU can claim its second straight SEC-opening win after topping Ole Miss in 2011, 30-7. The Commodores haven't won consecutive conference openers since taking three straight from Georgia back in 1956-58.

South Carolina owns a commanding 17-4 edge in the all-time series with Vanderbilt, and the Gamecocks have won the last three meetings. Vandy's last win came in Nashville back in 2008.

Junior QB Connor Shaw is the man Spurrier will trust to run his offense on a full-time basis this year, after he completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,448 yards, 14 TDs and 6 INTs a season ago. Junior Ace Sanders (29 receptions, 383 yards, 2 TDs) is the team's top returning receiver, and a guy like senior D.L. Moore could make his final year in Columbia a special one if he is able to utilize his 6-foot-5 frame to make himself as big a target as possible down field.

The Gamecocks have one of the nation's elite running backs on the roster, as junior Marcus Lattimore was on his way to a monster season in 2011 before suffering a serious knee injury. In seven games, Lattimore rushed for 818 yards and 10 TDs, averaging 5.0 ypc, and it will be interesting to see just how effective he is early on as he continues to work himself back into playing shape. Only two starters return along the offensive line for a unit that ran the ball far more often than it passed it last year.

Lattimore's rehab has been going well, and he is confident he'll be a major contributor this season, "I feel good. I know it's a long process, but my knee feels great. I'm just taking it day by day, and it's working."

The South Carolina defense allowed just 18.4 ppg last season, and its strength was against the pass as opponents were permitted a mere 131.7 ypg. A total of six guys with starting experience return to the lineup, although the one player that needs to be accounted for every time he steps on the field is sophomore DE Jadeveon Clowney. As a freshman, the gifted pass-rusher finished second on the team in both TFL (12) and sacks (8), while tying for the team-lead in QB Hurries (6) and leading the way in forced fumbles (5).

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