What Muschamp said about injuries, OC search as Gamecocks arrive in Tampa

The South Carolina football arrived in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday with most of its injured players expected to be available for next week’s Outback Bowl matchup against Michigan.

Running back Rico Dowdle “is a little slow, but I think he’s going to be OK,” head coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday as the Gamecocks arrived at the team hotel in Tampa. “Rico is the only one I thought might be a little questionable.”

Dowdle fractured a bone in his leg in the October win over Tennessee. Muschamp declared tailback A.J. Turner, linebacker Sherrod Greene and wide receiver Shi Smith all ready for the game.

Muschamp said he has had “multiple” serious conversations for the offensive coordinator job left vacant when Kurt Roper was fired earlier this month. Muschamp has said that a hire won’t come until after the bowl game.

Wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon will call the plays for the bowl game. McClendon is the only on-staff candidate for the offensive coordinator job, Muschamp said.

McClendon, usually on the sidelines during games, will coach the Outback Bowl from the press box level of Raymond James Stadium.

“It’s the first time he has called a game, so obviously it will be different,” Muschamp said. “Obviously in the box it’s a lot calmer environment. You’re able to see things a lot better from an adjustment standpoint, but we’ve got people assigned on every snap on where their eyes need to be as far as making sure we’re getting the correct information about different looks that we’re getting.”

The Gamecocks had seven bowl practices in Columbia and will have their first full on-site workout at a Tampa-area high school Wednesday. The Gamecocks installed their gameplan for the Wolverines while in Columbia.

“We’ve got really one extra day of practice for a normal game week, which we will utilize [Wednesday] with a lot of good-on-good work,” Muschamp said. “We’ve already got the gameplan in. Now we’ve got to go back through it again.”

A bowling competition, Busch Gardens outing and hospital visit are on this week’s itinerary.

Muschamp and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh will take part in the official bowl press conference Thursday afternoon.

This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 3:45 PM with the headline "What Muschamp said about injuries, OC search as Gamecocks arrive in Tampa."