The USC Gamecocks Football team gets the 2010 College Football season rolling on Thursday, September 2nd at 7:30pm against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.  This will be a great matchup, with both teams needing to start their season out on the right foot and acquire the first win of 2010.
Many around the South Carolina program don’t know much about the Golden Eagles and are looking past them to the Georgia game.  Some may think USM is just a tune-up.  They are far from it, as they present a good test and measuring stick for USC.  USC will need to work hard to get a win as this is not a cake walk.
To shed some light on the Gamecocks first opponent of 2010 and not to allow the Golden Eagles to fly under the radar, here are 10 things you should know about Southern Miss…
1.  Golden Eagles are winners.  Southern Miss holds the fourth-longest active streak of winning season in the country.  The program’s 16-year streak trails only Florida State (33 yrs), Florida (22yrs), and Virginia Tech (17yrs).  The Golden Eagles are one of 14 teams in the country to have gone bowling in each of the last eight seasons.  They are one of 10 programs to have reached bowl play in 12 of the last 13 years.
2.  Larry Fedora is the Coach.  Fedora enters his third season at Southern Mississippi. His Golden Eagles have produced 7-6 records each of the past two seasons, concluding each with an appearance in the New Orleans Bowl.  He is 14-12 in his tenure at USM after leaving Oklahoma State as the Offensive Coordinator.  Fedora has a strong offensive background that loves the spread and eating up yards.  One thing is for sure: On Thursday night, the USM offense will come ready to attack, and Fedora will try everything to score in bunches.
3. USM Guarantees a Win.  Coach Fedora said in July when speaking to Southern Mississippi fans at an "All-Star Party" in Jackson, Miss. -
"Every college football fan in the entire country will be watching us - watching the Golden Eagles beating South Carolina," Fedora said, according to The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. "I've already told the guys: 'When it happens, walk across the field and shake their hands like you expected it to happen.'"
Say what?  But you are the underdog on the road.  Those are fighting words, Carolina fans.4. USM’s Top Target is Brown.  Move over AJ Green, as USM's DeAndre Brown (6'6", 231 lbs) could be the best wide receiver in the country.  The junior hopes to reproduce his freshman year numbers when he had 67 catches, 1117 yds, and 12 TDs.  Last season, coming back from a nasty leg injury he suffered in the 2008 New Orleans Bowl, he had 47 catches, 785yds, and nine TDs.  The secondary of the Gamecocks need to take note and shut down this guy, or it could be a long night. 
5. QB Austin Davis leads USM and can flat out play.  Davis, as a redshirt freshman in 2008, threw for 3,134 yards and 23 TDs with only eight INTs.  Through the first five games of 2009 before his leg injury in his sophomore campaign, he threw for 1,165 yards, 10 TDs, and only yielded two INTs.  The Gamecocks secondary has to be ready, and the Gamecocks front seven have to disrupt his rhythm.  The USM offense can hurt you if you allow it to work as a machine, so for USC Defensive Coach Ellis Johnson it is on him to figure out how to put a wrench in the system.
 
6.  USM’s Linebackers are really, really good.  Junior middle linebacker Korey Williams lead the team in tackles with 121 (11 for loss) and tied for team lead in sacks (7.5).  Another junior, Ronnie Thornton, starts on the weak side.  He was a second-team all-conference pick last fall, thanks to his 114 tackles (10.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks.  Garcia and the USC running game have to come ready to play against these “men amongst boys.”
7.  USM’s High Risk Strategy on Defense.  USM defense is nicknamed “the nasty bunch.”  They also deploy an attacking defense that is all about high risk/high reward.  They will blitz from many directions in hopes of disrupting the opposing offense and possibly yielding a turnover.  The USM defense returns nine starters including the entire front seven. That front achieved an impressive 34 sacks (18th nationally).  The defense also generated 12 interceptions and forced 15 fumbles (10th nationally). 
Expect lots of activity from the USM defense on Thursday, and Spurrier’s plans must be up to the challenge of recognizing the scheme and capitalizing off of it by finding the gaps in coverage while not making a mistake.
8.  USM’s Weak Areas that USC Must Exploit.  The offensive line at USM is among the least experienced in the country and an area that USC must take advantage of.  As a South Carolina fan, it is ironic to bring up a opposing team’s offensive line as an area of concern, as that normally is the Gamecocks problem.  Only one guy up front for the Golden Eagles returns, so rebuilding is in place, and the Gamecocks must attack in the trenches.
Another area is the USM secondary. Due to all the blitz packages, it leaves open spots in the defense; not to mention that Southern Miss has to replace its top defensive backs and another would be starter who left the program (Alonzo Lawrence).
9. Yellow and Garnet Don't Mix.  This is a home game for USC, so expect to see garnet in the stands.  Another color that you may see a lot of is that mustard yellow, as they have sold out of their allotment and have begun to buy up other available tickets.  The University of Southern Miss is also sponsoring a bus to take fans to the game.  So if you see lots of yellow mixed in with garnet on Thursday don’t think you have to adjust your TV.
10. Mustard Buzzards.  Forget the Golden Eagles; call them the “Mustard Buzzards”.  Seems this is their nickname to many.  So it is the Fighting Gamecocks vs. the Mustard Buzzards.  Gotta love College Football in the South.
So there you have it.  Now you know about the Mustard Buzzards.  Tune in Thursday, as I am sure this game will not disappoint.
 
 
For more "garnet tainted" opinions and insight, please check out www.leftoverhotdog.com as your Gamecocks blog of choice.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com