By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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Miami and South Carolina are trying to avoid finishing with their first losing season since 2007.

The 2014 Duck Commander Independence Bowl will showcase a matchup between South Carolina (6-6) and Miami (6-6). Both teams are looking to salvage their season and finish above .500, after each team failed to live up to their preseason hype.

For South Carolina, the defense has been atrocious, allowing 31.2 points (ranked 93rd in FBS) and 434 yards per game. The team’s lackluster defensive performances were seen in many games, including their opener against Texas A&M, when Aggies freshman quarterback Kenny Hill threw for a school record 511 yards. This was the first in a series of abysmal performances by a Gamecock program that has always prided itself on having a strong defense.

Like South Carolina, Miami looks great on paper with All-ACC running back Duke Johnson and true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya, who led the ACC in passing touchdowns. But the problem for the Canes has not been their individual player performances, but their inability to turn these individual efforts into team wins. Miami ended its season with a three-game losing streak, including a heartbreaking loss to rival Florida State, 30-13. That loss led to uninspired performances against Virginia and Pittsburgh at home. Over the course of the regular season, the Canes were 1-5 in games where they allowed 30+ points, a trend that favors South Carolina with an offense averaging 33 points per game.

For fans of potent offenses and high-scoring affairs, this matchup should not disappoint. For South Carolina, all the attention will be on playmaking wide receiver Pharoh Cooper, who has emerged as one of the SECs most dynamic offensive players in 2014. Only Alabamas Amari Cooper had more plays of 20+ yards in SEC play this season. If the Gamecocks can get the right matchups for Cooper, look for the standout sophomore receiver to have a huge day.

For Miami, it is no surprise that the impact player will be Duke Johnson. For three years the All-ACC running back has consistently made plays for the Hurricanes, but one could argue this has been his best season. In his first full season at Miami where he has remained healthy, Johnson rushed for over 100 yards six times and averaged seven yards per carry. The junior also became the schools all-time leading rusher with 3,387 career yards. With such success, many wonder if this will be the last game for the star running back, although Johnson claims that he wont make his announcement until after the game.

Both programs will agree that this season has been one to forget. Each coach could use the win to prove that they can revive their programs and bring them back to national prominence. The motivation for each team will be to avoid finishing with a losing record, something neither team has done since 2007.

Contributed by Harrison Lindner