Will Muschamp was short and to the point.
“We don’t talk about that. That’s something we expect.”
That was Muschamp’s reaction to a question in his postgame news conference about achieving South Carolina’s sixth win by beating Vanderbilt 34-27. Nothing emphasizes the difference between his first and second seasons more than that statement.
The Gamecocks went to a bowl in year one under Muschamp, but getting there was not an easy process. After a 2-4 start to the season, Muschamp inserted true freshman Jake Bentley at quarterback during the team’s bye week. With him at the helm they squeezed out the four wins necessary for a postseason berth, including a victory over Tennessee that was their first against a ranked opponent under Muschamp.