Starting defensive tackle Byron Jerideau and nickel back Akeem Auguste will make the trip to LSU and will play at least some despite ankle injuries, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said.

“Both of those guys have made some nice improvement during the week and both of them really want to play,” coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday night on his weekly call-in show on WNKT. “How much they will play, we’ll have to wait and see. They both desperately want to go and we have room for them.”

Ward believes both players will play but said sophomore J.T. Surratt will start at tackle. Jerideau and Auguste practiced Thursday, Ward said. Asked this week if Surratt was ready to start on such a big stage, defensive line coach Brad Lawing said, “He better be.”

“I know Akeem will play, and Brad will determine if Jerideau will play, but I’m sure he’s going to play,” Ward said.

Several team members also dealt with a flu-like symptoms this week but all are expected to play Saturday, Ward said.

“I think we are all better now,” he said. “DeVonte (Holloman) was out yesterday and Kelcy (Quarles) was out, but I think he was more stomach. I think the guys are better. It was a one-day, 24-hour deal.”

The Gamecocks are second in the SEC in scoring defense (allowing 10.5 points per game) and second in the conference in rushing defense (83.8 yards per game allowed). Spurrier believes the rushing defense will be key Saturday.

“Knowing Coach (Les) Miles and those guys they are going to get their guys jacked up to run it down our throat,” Spurrier said during “Carolina Calls.” “That’s going to be their game plan.”

Biding their time

Fifteen Gamecocks have caught passes this season, led by running back Marcus Lattimore’s 18 grabs. The offensive system has proved successful, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy on the wide receivers, particularly when South Carolina attempts only 10 passes like it did against Georgia.

“It does require not only me but all the receivers to be patient,” junior Ace Sanders aid. “We don’t have any selfish players on our team, so however we can get the win and get the job done, that’s what we look forward to doing.”

Bruce Ellington leads all wide receivers with 13 catches for 227 yards. Sanders has 12 catches for 110 yards.

No predictions

Spurrier was not willing Thursday night to make any predictions about how his team would respond to last week’s resounding win over Georgia.

“Our goals this year were not to be 6-0 and beat Georgia,” Spurrier said on his call-in show. “We’ve got bigger goals. Whether we can achieve them or not, we’ll see. You don’t know until you go play. I don’t like making predictions. I think we’ve got a mature team but we’re going to find out.”

Quotable

“It goes back to the summer. We put in a lot of hard work, the seniors, getting the other guys to buy in, saying, ‘This is our last season.’ Like we said from the beginning, ‘To the top.’ There is nothing but one way to the top. You have to win every game to get to the top, so that’s our goal.” – senior safety D.J. Swearinger