Season opener set: South Carolina to face Tennessee to start revamped 2020 schedule
South Carolina has its opening opponent set for this unusual 2020 football season.
The SEC announced Monday that the Gamecocks will start their season against Tennessee in Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 26. The schedule had been shortened to conference-only and will go 10 games as the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the college football season.
The rest of the schedule:
The Gamecocks’ 2020 football schedule
Week 1, Sept. 26: home vs. Tennessee
Week 2, Oct. 3: at Florida
Week 3, Oct. 10: at Vanderbilt
Week 4, Oct. 17: home vs. Auburn
Week 5, Oct. 24: at LSU
Week 6, Oct. 31: OPEN
Week 7, Nov. 7: home vs. Texas A&M
Week 8, Nov. 14: at Ole Miss
Week 9, Nov. 21: home vs. Missouri
Week 10, Nov. 28: home vs. Georgia
Week 11, Dec. 5: at Kentucky
Muschamp on Monday looked back to last year’s Tennessee game, when the Gamecocks rallied to take a halftime lead in Knoxville but ultimately gave up 24 points in the second half of a 41-21 loss. The Vols, 1-4 to start 2019, rallied to finish 8-5 overall.
“Our game up there last year, we had all the momentum,” Muschamp said. “You give up 14 points when your defense isn’t on the field, it’s hard to win on the road in the Southeastern Conference.
“They certainly turned around and played extremely well. They’ve recruited well. I’ve got a lot of respect for Jeremy (Pruitt) and obviously their entire staff. They did a really good job.”
The SEC won’t have non-conference games, with a title game in December. The potential for both bowls and the College Football Playoff are both uncertain as the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already punted on fall football this season.
South Carolina’s home slate will be Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M. The Gamecocks will go on the road to Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and LSU.
Muschamp had won his first three games with South Carolina against the Vols before last year’s loss.
The series has swung back and forth in recent years. Before that recent streak, the Vols took three from 2013-15 and the Gamecocks won the three before that. Overall, Tennessee leads the series 26-10-2, in part because South Carolina won their first SEC meeting and dropped the next 12.
Both programs have a slew of connections, as Jeremy Pruitt and Muschamp are both parts of the Nick Saban coaching tree. This offseason, director of player personnel Drew Hughes and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker made their way from Knoxville to Columbia.
The Gamecocks open preseason practice on Tuesday.
SEC Week 1 football schedule
Alabama at Missouri
Florida at Ole Miss
Georgia at Arkansas
Kentucky at Auburn
Mississippi State at LSU
Tenn at South Carolina
Vanderbilt at Texas A&M
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 3:05 PM.
