Gamecock players open to playing in bowl game

It’s been a weird and frustrating season for South Carolina, which limps into it’s final game with a five-game losing streak and a 2-7 record, but there’s actually an outside chance the Gamecocks could be playing in a bowl game this year.

Despite the record, with there being no bowl requirements for teams this year, it’s still feasible for a two-win Gamecock team to go bowling this year.

The Gamecocks haven’t talked much about it, but it’s something players are at least interested in after the season ends.

“I definitely thing that’s something that’s out there for us. We’re going to welcome any opportunity to play,” Luke Doty said. “Right now we’re focused on Kentucky and getting the job done this week. When that opportunity presents itself we’ll be ready to go wherever and with whoever it is.”

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Currently only one outlet has the Gamecocks in a bowl game this year with ESPN projecting them to play in the Union Homes Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Dec. 26 in Tampa.

ESPN’s March Schlabach has the Gamecocks playing Virginia Tech while Kyle Bonagura has them against Virginia, a rematch of the 2018 Belk Bowl.

Right now the messaging from the players and interim head coach Mike Bobo has been they’re focusing on Kentucky, but the opportunity is out there to play in a bowl.

“We haven’t really talked much about it because we haven’t heard much about it. It is what it is,” Dakereon Joyner said. “If we’re invited to a bowl game, we’re more than happy to go compete for our university and fans.”

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Bobo’s mentioned soon after being named interim head coach talking to Ray Tanner about if the Gamecocks would accept a bowl invitation, but declined to share the details of the conversation.

What he did say, when asked Tuesday about it, he said he would hope the Gamecocks would want to at least play in a bowl game because they’re competitors.

“If you’re a competitor, you want to play any time you have an opportunity. That was my message today to the guys. If you’re a competitor, you don’t worry about what’s going on around you…If you’re a competitor, you step up and own the challenge,” Bobo said. “Competitors want to play. If we didn’t want to play, that would tell you we don’t have enough competitors at South Carolina to be competitive.”

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Before even discussing bowl games, though, the Gamecocks have to finish their regular season against Kentucky Saturday (7:30 p.m./SEC Network).

“I’m focused on getting this team ready for Kentucky. It’s going to be a tough football game in some elements,” Bobo said. “That’s been our focus. We’re trying to stay in the present every single day as a football team and coaching staff. That might be coach speak but that’s the truth. We don’t control those decisions. We control getting ready for Kentucky."