South Carolina football: As Georgia looms, Muschamp lowers the boom: We're good, too
Will Muschamp would probably never admit it, but this game is personal.
The South Carolina coach has made it a habit to deflect all questions about the development of the Gamecocks football program, especially the last two seasons as it has exceeded expectations. He doesn’t need to be reminded of the way Clemson and Georgia have performed the last two seasons. But now South Carolina has as much depth as it has ever had under Muschamp, and it has several key veteran playmakers, especially on offense.
If there was a time to take the Gamecocks’ temperature, it’s at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS, when the Bulldogs are set for kickoff.
Even the one major injury concern following Saturday’s win, DE D.J. Wonnum’s sprained ankle, was cleared as relatively minor, and he should return to practice on Wednesday.
Muschamp, a Georgia graduate, played for his current offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon’s father at Georgia. And one of McClendon’s top recommendations to Muschamp came from former Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, whom he calls a close friend.
Asked on his Sunday media teleconference if a win this week would be a step toward the SEC East crown, Muschamp again deflected any thinking that way.
“It counts as one,” he said, according to audio posted by SportsTalkSC. “We’ve got a lot of football left to play, seven conference games after this one. So it only counts as one, not one and a half. We need to put all our focus on Georgia this week. They’ve got a good football team, and I think we do as well.”
Muschamp mentions Georgia coach Kirby Smart often, whether it be their pickup basketball games as assistants at Valdosta State or the SEC Media Days schedule.
“I beat him about every time,” Muschamp said about the Valdosta basketball games. “We went out and played three-on-three. It was a bloodbath about every day.”
Of course, McClendon is another Georgia connection — and alum — as a long-time former assistant who previously recruited talent-rich Gwinnett County, Ga., which is a common recruiting battleground for the division rivals. McClendon, in a short time, has gone from an interim head coach at Georgia following Mark Richt’s departure to receivers coach and now offensive coordinator at South Carolina.
If there’s a strength for the Gamecocks, it’s offense. More specifically, it’s at wide receiver, where they not only have an all-SEC-caliber playmaker in Deebo Samuel but realistically go three or four deep.

Credit: Brian Westerholt-USA TODAY Sports
“In two years time, he’s completed flipped the receiver room, it’s one of the more impressive position groups that we have,” Muschamp said of McClendon. “He’s an outstanding football coach, and sometimes guys get labeled as recruiters, but he’s a better coach than a recruiter. He does an outstanding job with his players on a day-to-day basis. His guys are always accountable for what we need to do to be successful. Belief is such an important part of where we are in our world. Young men have to have a belief in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and Bryan creates a lot of that belief in what we do.”
There was plenty of reason for confidence out of Muschamp against Coastal Carolina, but aside from the upgraded opponent, which he has already admitted, all the variables remain the same this week.
“There was never any question in the first half of what we were going to do because of the experience of our quarterback, being at home, experience of our skill players on the outside, and the offensive line,” he said. “We put the ball in the guys’ hands and let them play.”
More so than any change since Muschamp’s at South Carolina is the revamped offense that has McClendon at the controls. By all indications, the players and coaches feel that offense measures up with the best in the SEC and the country, and this week, that means Georgia.
“What you are going to see is that at times we are going to go extremely fast,” Muschamp said after the Coastal Carolina win. “But at other times we are going to slow it down and see what the defense is giving us. I think it is going to be a game-by-game operation from what I can see so far. After discussing with Bryan, if we start to see that we are extremely efficient when we go extremely fast, then that is what we are going to do.”
Given the youth and lack of experience on our defense, this may be one game where we will need the offense to carry the day. We may simply need to just outscore Cocky.
I think we are capable of doing that. There won’t be a massive amount of substitutions and rotations like last week. Our big and beefy O-line needs to operate as one unit, impose its will, open up some holes, and keep the QB upright.
WOOF!
Agreed. It’s gonna take some (maybe many) points to come out on top here. I think we’ve got the talent but the cohesion of the o-line will be telling. I can’t wait to see.
“We may simply need to just outscore Cocky.”
While I get what you mean in the context of you saying your defense is lacking experience, this just sounds so much like a John Madden quote.
Hold up, wait a minute….all i’ve been hearing for 3 years is about how well Kirby Smart can recruit, and class rankings seem to bear that out. How then can S.Carolina even stay close in this game when you compare the recruiting rankings? Unless y’all are telling me that having the best players don’t matter, or you are saying that recruiting rankings are a lie, or you are saying that UGA coaches can’t coach their talent up as well as S. Carolina coaches…c’mon out with it, you can’t have it three different ways and expect people to take you seriously when you crow about how well recruiting is going, but then start making excuses when it’s time to play the games…according to all the people crowing about Ga’s prowess at attracting 5* talent they should murder the cocks????
I’m worried that all the rotation last weekend may have meant we didn’t gel like we needed to on the starting OL and Columbia, SC is not the place to find that out. Their DBs look solid and that offense is going to put up points. I don’t know that we’ve got the defensive line talent to harass Bentley for 60 min and our young DBs are facing some talented big receivers. I’m looking forward to a fist fight and just hope everyone keeps the game clean and doesn’t take it outside the whistle. It’s gonna be a good one.
I think Georgia probably pulls it out. Will Muschamp just never wins big games.
If Mark Richt was still our head coach, I would be preparing for a loss.
Kirby Smart gives me hope.
I agree. I’d have little confidence if Richt were still coaching the Dawgs. The days of UGA showing up unprepared are over. Dawgs by 11.
Is a bowl game a big game?
If not in the playoff or New Years 6 bowl, no, not really. That is quite evident by players deciding to skip them.
That’s not true. There have been great matchups outside of NY6 games. I’d consider beating any top 15 team a big win.
It’s time for the main event, cupcakes off the table, the only real eastern contenders are coming in healthy, pumped and ready. Willimas Brice Stadium is the loudest I’ve ever been in and the upper deck actually shakes when the fans get going. I’ll be there Saturday wearing Bulldog Red and ready to rock and roll. GO DAWGS!!!
Need for you to take your sniper’s rifle with you…..just in case.
The only bullets flying will be off Fromm and Fields’ throwing arms. I expect we throw a good bit Saturday.
Unless Fromm has a complete meltdown, don’t put Fields in. Fromm has all the skills to lead UGA – if he throws a pick or takes an unnecessary sack, get over it. Every QB makes mistakes during a game.
Again, unless he looks clueless out there, yanking him out only destroy his confidence and there’s no guarantee Fields will suddenly come in and change the momentum.
Expect Fromm has a big game. USC looks impressive, but UGA pulls away in 2nd half.
example: Rose Bowl…. all the hope and confidence kirby had in Fromm in a big moment its tuffffffff…… My dawgs go win regardless.
Outstanding, I’ll stop by and say “Hi”.
It will be hot and the place will be definitely shaking until the points start getting on the board for the Dawgs. Good luck buddy in Columbia. I’ll be watching in my air conditioned home. Go Dawgs!
Praise God it’s not a night game kickoff.
That stadium is going to be rockin’ and rollin’, white towels whirling, rooster crowing come kickoff time. Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson are going to be fantastic announcers, per usual. Both teams are going to be jacked.
I can only hope that place is half deserted when the 4th quarter rolls around.
Dawgs need to establish the run, harass the quarterback, and play snug in the secondary.
Good luck to both teams. Hope it’s injury free.
Gotta love the SEC.
Well said Kirby!
I expect a good game. I agree with Coach Boom…it’s one game, we have 7 SEC more. We’ve beaten the SEC champion 3 times and still didn’t get to Atlanta. Can’t wait for Saturday!
SEC East Champion
the disrespect….
I think the offenses are the strength of both teams. The defenses and how they adjust will be interesting to watch.
Looks like both teams will be starting true freshman in their secondaries.
That will be worth watching. Both teams have elite receivers. The defensive backfield that has the best game will go a long way in deciding this one.