Coming into this football season, it never crossed my mind that our football team wouldn’t continue its winning ways as it has done over the past three seasons that I have been a Gamecock.
I have always heard of the past this and the past that and how bad our team used to be (mostly from the fan bases we were defeating each year) but never experienced those defeats for myself. The defense couldn’t stop a nose bleed and we’ve gone from a season with only one interception to a season with interceptions almost every week.
Maybe I should be banned from attending away games. I have attended three as a Gamecock: at UGA in 2013, at Tennessee in 2013, and at Kentucky in 2014. Kentucky was definitely the worst experience out of the three; their team clearly belongs in the ACC and the atmosphere at the stadium was reflective of that. Williams-Brice is louder at halftime than UK is in the fourth quarter on defense when it's third down. They were sore winners too. Tennessee fans and Georgia fans knew how to handle it. UK fans, on the other hand, consisted of thirteen year olds flicking us off after a victory. I merely pointed out we beat them in basketball the previous year without paying one of our players and silence ensued.
Back to the issue at hand. I really need to come back for another football season because next year is our year and I mean it. We have one of the top recruiting classes in the country coming in. Connor Mitch is an absolute baller as quarterback and I have the utmost faith in his abilities.
Also, we will be retaining the majority of this year’s team. Our issue this year is a lack or heart, discipline, and experience. I honestly believe that we have the talent, they’re just not performing.
In addition, let me be the first to defend Dylan Thompson. People are calling him a choke artist after performances against Mizzou and Kentucky. Dylan has had ice in his veins for years. Do you not remember him coming in for the last minute vs. Michigan at the Outback Bowl? Or how about going in cold to Death Valley and whooping on the upstate a few years ago? Dylan is anything but a choke artist. With the way our defense has performed, he has to score fifty plus if we want to win. Connor never had to do that so it’s not fair to criticize in that respect.
Going back to my beliefs, this season is crazy because I thought as long as we could handle Georgia, we would be fine. Well, we handled Georgia and things couldn’t be worse. Love my Gamecocks, and while I probably can’t afford a victory lap, I'll be looking for season tickets for next year. As for this year... how bout we go back to Omaha!? Go Gamecocks!
