Missouri is set to take on South Carolina on Saturday in the 11th all-time meeting between the 2 teams. The Gamecocks will be taking the field under interim head coach Mike Bobo, after the firing of Will Muschamp on Sunday following a 59-42 loss to Ole Miss that saw his final record at the university fall to 28-30 and 17-22 in league play.

Eli Drinkwitz had faced Muschamp as a first-time head coach last year during his only season with Appalachian State, a game the Mountaineers won 20-15 at Williams-Brice Stadium. It wasn’t the first time he was on the opposing sideline against the Gamecocks, though, as he was the offensive coordinator for N.C. State during the Wolfpack’s 2017 season opener against South Carolina in Charlotte.

“I was disappointed, disappointed for our profession,” the Tigers head coach said when asked about Muschamp’s dismissal, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat writer Dave Matter.

Drinkwitz also recounted a story from when his Mountaineers faced the Gamecocks in 2019, with Muschamp providing him 4 sideline passes for the game for an auction.

It seems Drinkwitz and Muschamp had built a bond over the past few seasons, and while Muschamp won’t be on the sideline on Saturday, it’s clear he left a positive impact on the 37-year-old Tigers head coach.