Ordinarily this would be the point in the season where South Carolina, regardless of its prior record, does a belly-flop and tries its level best to play its way into the Birmingham Bowl. Not this year: Just a week after beating Florida on the road to clinch their first-ever SEC title, the Gamecocks leaped on a not-terrible Troy team for a 35-0 lead just minutes into the second quarter and coasted to a 69-24 finish. Star of the game: running back Marcus Lattimore, who continued to make a case for SEC Freshman of the Year honors after running for 102 yards and three scores on a mere seven carries.
The Gamecocks now turn their sights to Clemson, where they play the Tigers in what is basically a mirror image of the situation exactly one year ago. In 2009, Clemson had clinched an ACC division title but got caught looking ahead to the conference title game and received a pummeling from the ‘Cocks in Columbia; this year it’ll be the Gamecocks who have to avoid looking ahead to an unprecedented title-game trip. But if Steve Spurrier can not only guide his team out of their traditional November slump and fashion them into SEC title contenders, anything’s possible.
Stay tuned to Garnet and Black Attack for a recap of the Troy blowout and previews of what’s to come for the Gamecocks.