South Carolina football vs. Notre Dame in Gator Bowl: Scouting report, score prediction

COLUMBIA — No. 19 South Carolina football is heading to the Gator Bowl to face Notre Dame after finishing the regular season on back-to-back upsets of then-No. 5 Tennessee and then-No. 8 Clemson.

The Gamecocks (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will take on Notre Dame (8-4) for the first time since 1984, when they beat the Fighting Irish 36-32. The two programs have met just four times, and Notre Dame leads 3-1. They will face off for the first time this century at TIAA Bank Field on Dec. 30 (3:30 p.m., ESPN).

First-year head coach Marcus Freeman is looking for the first bowl victory of his career after Notre Dame lost by two vs. Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl last season following former coach Brian Kelly's abrupt departure for LSU. South Carolina won the 2021 Duke's Mayo Bowl over North Carolina in coach Shane Beamer's first year at the helm of the program.

Here's everything you need to know about the matchup:

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Breaking down Irish's inconsistencies

Notre Dame, much like South Carolina, has gone through a rollercoaster this year with disappointing losses early followed by late-season success. The then-unranked Irish delivered then-No. 4 Clemson its first loss of the season in Week 10, a week after they handed then-No. 16 Syracuse its first unranked loss of the season. Notre Dame also has some ugly losses on its record to Marshall and three-win Stanford.

The Irish go as the offense goes, scoring more than 30 points in six of their eight wins and 21 or fewer in three of four losses. That centers around the run game: Notre Dame averages 182. 8 rushing yards per game, was held to less than 150 in all four losses and to less than 100 in two. The defense has been a point of stability with one of the leading pass-rush units in the country. The team has 35 sacks, good for No. 18 in the country, led by 11 from senior defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey.

Controlling a stacked backfield

The Irish don't have a single superstar running back like the Gamecocks faced in Kentucky's Chris Rodriguez or Texas A&M's Devon Achane. Instead, they have something even more dangerous: a high-volume trio. Sophomores running backs Audric Estime and Logan Diggs have 840 and 752 rushing yards, respectively, followed closely junior Chris Tyree with 438. The three have combined for 17 rushing touchdowns, and each also has at least 100 receiving yards.

South Carolina's performances have been mixed against elite rushers this season. The defense limited Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez and Texas A&M's Devon Achane, but it also allows an average of 192.4 yards per game on the ground.

Where the Gamecocks have struggled the most is against dual-threat quarterbacks. Notre Dame starting quarterback Drew Pyne announced he will enter the transfer portal when it opens Dec. 5, so the Irish won't have him against South Carolina, but backup Tyler Buchner has showcased some mobility with 89 rushing yards in just two appearances.

Special teams showdown

South Carolina has defined itself with "Beamer Ball" this season, beating Clemson behind two fumble recoveries on special teams and scoring its lone points in a blowout loss to Florida on a fake punt touchdown pass from punter Kai Kroeger. Kroeger has completed three passes on trick plays this season while ranking No. 2 in the country in yards per punt.

Notre Dame lacks the elite punting of Kroeger or kicking consistency of the Gamecocks' Mitch Jeter, but it has the best blocking unit in the country on special teams. The Irish have blocked a nation-leading seven kicks and seven punts while giving up zero blocks to opponents. South Carolina is not far behind, ranked No. 3 in blocked kicks with six and No. 2 in blocked punts with five.

Prediction

South Carolina 31, Notre Dame 28: The Gamecocks run defense struggles and they get off to a slow start against the Irish's defensive front, but the passing game starts clicking like it did against Clemson and Tennessee. Jeter hits a walk-off field goal in a dramatic victory.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football vs. Notre Dame score prediction for Gator Bowl