Coach Will Muschamp needed one season at South Carolina to do what he could not do during four years at Florida.
In 2016, Muschamp found a quarterback, an offense and a good fit for himself.
The Gamecocks’ surprising 6-7 finish and bowl bid were cause for celebration in Columbia, where expectations are not nearly as suffocating as in Gainesville. Even during a surprising 11-win regular-season in Muschamp’s second year at UF, skeptics pointed to a punchless attack that eventually would prove to be his undoing.
At South Carolina, a high-powered offense now will be the foundation.