Championship teams have 2 key attributes, Muschamp says. Gamecocks have both
The preseason coaches poll came out Thursday. The team that features a four-year starting quarterback, a receiver within reach of breaking a handful of school records and a defensive lineman projected as a first round NFL draft pick wasn’t among the top 25.
The preseason SEC media poll came out last month. The team that returns its leading rusher, leading tackler and leading sack-maker was picked to finish fourth in the East division.
This is where South Carolina stands a tad over four weeks from the season-opening kickoff against North Carolina. When Will Muschamp begins his fourth training camp as USC coach on Friday, he’ll have a proven roster — but relatively low expectations outside the program.
How the Gamecocks got here is the result of shortcomings in the past and a grueling schedule ahead. Both have been well-documented, and neither topic generated much buzz Thursday as Muschamp and USC players spoke to reporters at the team’s media day.
The Gamecocks, instead, steered things toward their strengths. Last year’s 7-6 record was disappointing, sure, but plenty of key pieces are back to make it better. USC’s 2019 slate might be as difficult as any team’s in the country, but the Gamecocks feel confident attacking it because of who is leading the front lines.
Muschamp was the defensive coordinator for LSU’s national championship team in 2003 and he held the same position at Texas when the Longhorns won the Big 12 in 2009. From those experiences and beyond, he feels he can recognize “two important factors” of “really good teams and championship teams” — and South Carolina has both.
Quality depth and leadership.
“We’ve vastly improved ourselves (in those areas),” Muschamp said. “And we should have going into Year 4. That’s the bottom line.”
Going into Year 1 under Muschamp, the Gamecocks were coming off a 3-9 season. Senior tight end Kiel Pollard now says there’s locker room talk of “national championship and SEC championship.” But when Pollard was a freshman?
“Guys, coming into it, that wasn’t on guys’ brains and that wasn’t some of the guys’ goals,” Pollard said. “But now, it’s my fourth year, and that’s all I try to talk about and try to show the importance of that.”
Muschamp, in a statement that was later echoed by quarterback Jake Bentley, announced USC’s 2019 goals as the same as they’ve been since his arrival: “Win the East and win our state.”
The Gamecocks have neither taken the East division nor topped Clemson since Muschamp was hired. Can they do it this year? In the least, they have plenty of players who have already tried.
“This is a senior class that has over 200 starts,” Muschamp said. “I think there’s eight guys who have over 20 starts, so guys who have played a lot of quality football on a high level. So, really proud of these guys.
“Ownership is a huge part of leadership. And the ownership they’ve taken in our team to hold themselves, first of all, and then their teammates accountable to a championship standard ... that’s what you gotta have to be successful.”
Deebo Samuel and Zack Bailey aside, most of the big names associated with the 2018 Gamecocks will be participating on Day 1 of 2019 training camp.
Bentley, Bryan Edwards, Javon Kinlaw, T.J. Brunson and company have Muschamp feeling better than he ever has about South Carolina this close to kickoff.
“We talked this morning as a staff,” Muschamp said, “and looking at 2016, ‘17 and ‘18, going into the season, the different depth that we have on both lines of scrimmage has not been to where it is now. The skill position players, the quarterback position has guys that we feel like can play well for us as far as the depth is concerned.
“Defensively, secondary, skill position players, I feel like we just have more depth.
“And as much as anything, what I’m excited about is the leadership of the team. I think our guys have really handled ourselves well as far as those things are concerned.”
Said Brunson, linebacker and captain: “It encourages me to prove doubters wrong and naysayers. But I think we have a really good group of guys and I don’t think those guys really believe in the predictions and things like that, either.
“At the end of the day, our job is to go out there and play the best ball we can play.”
This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
