SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

The Gamecocks know what position they’re in right now; they’re not shying away from it.

They understand, sitting at 3-5 with four games left, how hard it’ll be to finish the year strong and make a bowl game, which is why the message Tuesday after practice was a unified one.

“I think it’s time to go to war,” Dakereon Joyner said. “That’s the only statement I can make. It’s time to go. We have four games left and we have to win out from here. Our team is very desperate and we know we have to win.”

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The Gamecocks were dealt a vicious blow Saturday in a 41-21 loss to Tennessee with bowl hopes getting an uppercut to the chin as well with the loss.

With four games left, South Carolina has to finish 3-1 or better just to make a bowl game; which means at least winning their next two games and splitting the final two against Texas A&M and Clemson.

ESPN’s FPI predicts South Carolina to finish 5-7 while giving the Gamecocks a 21.8 percent chance to beat A&M and a 10.4 percent chance to beat the No. 4 Tigers. Getting bowl eligible, it seems like, would require snapping a six-game losing streak to one of those aforementioned teams.

“Understand the scenario,” Joyner said. “We have to go out right for the seniors. I think that’s the biggest thing the underclassmen are focusing on.”

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The Gamecocks started preparations Tuesday to take the first step back to bowl eligibility, beginning work on Vanderbilt. Donell Stanley said the team had a great practice Tuesday and didn’t give off the vibe of a team coming off two straight losses.

Ernest Jones reiterated that, saying guys know it’s going to take everyone working together to get the program back to where it needs to be.

“We’re in a hole right now. We’re going to dig ourselves out, rally behind one another. I love all the guys on this team. If you come into this building after two straight losses, you don’t see a team that’s backing down,” Jones said. “You see a team and players and a coaching staff ready to win and continue to win. We’re ready to continue to win and start streaking. Coming in today, you don’t get the feeling of a team that’s going to lay down because there’s no hope of winning the East. Now we’re playing for our seniors, playing for a bowl game. We’re going to go down fighting.”

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Jones said some younger players are putting a little extra pressure on them down the stretch, wanting to get to the postseason for the team’s seniors.

“There’s more pressure on the lowerclassmen that play. You don’t want to send the seniors out on a bad note. You want to get them to a bowl game and continue to allow them to play college football,” he said. “I put more pressure on myself to make sure I’m doing more in the meeting room and see things people don’t see and help them out. I’m still going to continue to do my job.”

The Gamecocks are in danger of not making a bowl for the first time under Will Muschamp and the first time since 2015 when they went 3-9.

Since 2000, they’ve only missed the postseason five times and have made it nine of the last 10 years.

“We know what we have to do to make a bowl game,” Nick Muse said. “I want to go 7-5. I don’t want to go 6-6 and make a bowl game; I want to go 7-5. Hopefully we’ll work on that and see where it leads us.”