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Muschamp takes positive outlook on Gamecocks' challenging September slate

Will Muschamp being interviewed by WLTX on Thursday (Twitter)

HOOVER, Ala. – Few Power 5 schools in the country – perhaps none – have a more challenging September schedule than South Carolina.

Will Muschamp, though, isn’t backing down.

The first month of Muschamp’s tenure as Gamecocks coach features road trips to three SEC opponents – Vanderbilt (Sept. 1), Mississippi State (Sept. 10) and Kentucky (Sept. 24). The lone home contest during the month has regional rival East Carolina coming to Columbia Sept. 17 for the 2016 home opener at Williams-Brice Stadium.

What will the Gamecocks’ record be when they square off with the new look Pirates led by first-year head coach Scottie Montgomery?

Muschamp is thinking optimistically.

“The schedule is what it is. It’s something I’ve challenged our players with,” Muschamp said Thursday at SEC Media Days. “It’s part of the reason we went to Fort Jackson. We need to be comfortable being uncomfortable with two road games (to start the season) being a young football team. How some of these guys are going to respond, I have no idea.”

Muschamp recognizes the difficulty of duplicating the nationally televised opening game environment in Nashville during the 29 preseason practices in Columbia.

“We’re going to expose our guys to as many game situations as we can so they can make good decisions,” Muschamp said. “I don't think there's any question opening on national TV on (Thursday) night got our attention. (Vanderbilt has) good, talented players on offense and they certainly give you issues. Right now, we need to take care of South Carolina and take care of us in camp.”

When the calendar turns to October, the Gamecocks play five straight home games from Oct. 1 to Nov. 5, Three of those five games are against Texas A&M, Georgia and Tennessee. However, to make those games relevant, the Gamecocks must find ways to win at least a couple of games in September.

“We need to improve every day and find a way to win the day (at Vanderbilt),” Muschamp said. “In this league, the schedule is going to be tough no matter how it starts off. You can't always have it the way you want it.

“I see it (first two games on the road) as a great opportunity to be 2-0 coming home to our fans.”

GAMECOCKS PREDICTED TO FINISH SEVENTH IN SEC EAST: When SEC Media Days began, few analysts predicted the Gamecocks would finish in the upper half of the SEC East. In fact, they are picked to finish in last place below Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt. However, two bold scribes did have the Gamecocks atop the SEC East at the end of the season. Two others voted for Vanderbilt to win the Eastern Division.

Tennessee and Alabama were the choices to win their respective divisions and meet in the SEC Championship game, with Alabama tabbed as the 2016 SEC Champion. Word of caution, though, to Crimson Tide fans: Just five times in the last 24 years has the media correctly picked the SEC champion. A total of 331 media members in attendance at SEC Media Days participated in this year’s vote.

“We'll be positive about our outlook in what we're trying to do and accomplish,” Muschamp said before the vote being revealed. “A positive attitude doesn’t guarantee you anything in life, but a negative one does. We’re going to be positive moving forward with what we need to do. But we will be realistic about where we are and where we need to go.”

His response when told the media would likely forecast the Gamecocks at or near the bottom of the SEC East: "Who cares?"

Media vote for SEC East:

1. Tennessee (2,167 points)(225 first place votes)

2. Florida (1,891)(57)

3. Georgia (1,860)(45)

4. Kentucky (933)

5. Vanderbilt (810(2)

6. Missouri (807)

7. South Carolina (800)(2)

NOTES

-- Muschamp pointed out 34 of the Gamecocks’ 42 scholarship players on offense are freshmen or sophomores.

-- Muschamp on the quarterback race: “We're still searching for a starting quarterback. Perry (Orth) and Brendan (McIlwain) distanced themselves in the spring. Both of those guys did a good job for us. Going into fall camp, Lorenzo Nunez will be a part of that competition as well, but he'll also play some receiver for us. We need some more help on that position.”

-- Muschamp said redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Scarnecchia, who was not expected to be a factor in the QB battle, suffered a labrum injury training at home in May and underwent surgery. He will be sidelined this fall.

-- Muschamp said his final decision to retain Shawn Elliott as offensive line coach did not come until he had an opportunity to watch Elliott work closely with new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper: “I met with him the first night and said let's work through a week or so, and we'll see if this works for me and you and Kurt Roper, our offensive coordinator. I thought that was the most important marriage, making sure the play caller and quarterback coach and offensive line coach are on the same page. They hit it off.”

-- Muschamp demonstrated some humor thanking his predecessor, Steve Spurrier: “I want to thank Coach Spurrier for what he did at the University of South Carolina and what he did for the Southeastern Conference in the 1990s. Really changed our league offensively. I was a player, and certainly he benefitted from me playing and so did his quarterbacks.”

-- According to reports, Gamecock sophomore offensive lineman Christian Pellage has been indefinitely suspended by Muschamp following his arrest for DUI late last week. As a true freshman last season, Pellage appeared in all 12 games, primarily on special teams. He was expected to compete for a starting job in preseason camp.

-- Muschamp described the Gamecocks’ planned $50 million football operations facility as a “game changer.” Construction on the new building, which will be situated adjacent to the new indoor facility, is expected to begin early next year and take 15 to 18 months with a completion date in summer 2018. “It's going to be a game-changer for us as far as the student-athletes on our campus presently but also in the recruiting process,” Muschamp said. “We all like shiny and new. We've been able to put our hands on it with the architects and get exactly what we want. We're really excited about that process.”

-- Muschamp on the Gamecocks’ June trip to Fort Jackson: “It was a team-building exercise. But more than anything, it was an amazing experience for our players and they appreciate the United States military and what they do for our country.”

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