Why should South Carolina fans want to travel back to Alabama to watch their team in the Birmingham Bowl? It was such a miserable experience last time, they say, harboring ill feelings from the end of the 2009 season and remembering those moments from eight years ago like they were just yesterday.
“The weather is going to be different,” athletics director Ray Tanner joked.
Seriously though, the temperature never got higher than 36 degrees on January 2, 2010 when the Gamecocks fell to UConn 20-7. USC fans were on the shaded side of the stadium, the wind was whipping, and a late consolation touchdown run from Brian Maddox was the only scoring from the Gamecocks. It was a wretched day on the field and in the stands.
South Carolina reported selling 8,593 tickets to the game, which meant 171,860 nearly frozen fingers and toes, give or take.
The hope of improved weather aside, Tanner encouraged the Gamecock faithful to get back on the road for the bowl game this season after spending the holidays at home last year.
In fact, as he points out, this game falls at an opportune time to travel as fans can spend Christmas at home and be back in plenty of time to throw their own New Year’s Eve party.
Apart from the timing, first-year head coach Will Muschamp wants as much support for the program that he’s trying to rebuild.
“It’s a perfect time,” Tanner said. “Let’s go support coach Muschamp and these seniors. This team wasn’t going to accept a transition as not having an opportunity to go to a bowl game. (Muschamp's) philosophy is to win now. This is the first year of a whole new coaching staff. A lot of new players for the first time and we have a chance to go to a bowl game.”
This is the first opportunity for 46 scholarship players and contributors on the roster to go to a bowl game, and it will be the last chance for more than 20 seniors and players who are graduating.
Muschamp made sure to point out during his press conference on Sunday that the media predicted the Gamecocks (6-6) to finish last in the SEC this season and his team finished above the bottom and in a bowl game.
Tanner agrees.
“Let’s celebrate what these young men have been able to do,” Tanner said. “It’s not easy to go through the time we have in the past year with all those changes. (The seniors) get a chance to go to a bowl game in their final year, and not many people gave us a chance to do that.”
Forget those memories from the bowl game to end 2009 but remember to put on an extra pair of socks, just in case.
“The weather is going to be different,” athletics director Ray Tanner joked.
Seriously though, the temperature never got higher than 36 degrees on January 2, 2010 when the Gamecocks fell to UConn 20-7. USC fans were on the shaded side of the stadium, the wind was whipping, and a late consolation touchdown run from Brian Maddox was the only scoring from the Gamecocks. It was a wretched day on the field and in the stands.
South Carolina reported selling 8,593 tickets to the game, which meant 171,860 nearly frozen fingers and toes, give or take.
The hope of improved weather aside, Tanner encouraged the Gamecock faithful to get back on the road for the bowl game this season after spending the holidays at home last year.
In fact, as he points out, this game falls at an opportune time to travel as fans can spend Christmas at home and be back in plenty of time to throw their own New Year’s Eve party.
Apart from the timing, first-year head coach Will Muschamp wants as much support for the program that he’s trying to rebuild.
“It’s a perfect time,” Tanner said. “Let’s go support coach Muschamp and these seniors. This team wasn’t going to accept a transition as not having an opportunity to go to a bowl game. (Muschamp's) philosophy is to win now. This is the first year of a whole new coaching staff. A lot of new players for the first time and we have a chance to go to a bowl game.”
This is the first opportunity for 46 scholarship players and contributors on the roster to go to a bowl game, and it will be the last chance for more than 20 seniors and players who are graduating.
Muschamp made sure to point out during his press conference on Sunday that the media predicted the Gamecocks (6-6) to finish last in the SEC this season and his team finished above the bottom and in a bowl game.
Tanner agrees.
“Let’s celebrate what these young men have been able to do,” Tanner said. “It’s not easy to go through the time we have in the past year with all those changes. (The seniors) get a chance to go to a bowl game in their final year, and not many people gave us a chance to do that.”
Forget those memories from the bowl game to end 2009 but remember to put on an extra pair of socks, just in case.
