There aren’t many players on the current roster who were around for the Gamecocks’ last trip to Charlotte for a bowl game but there are a few.

Those who were know how hard it can be to avoid getting bogged down in the extracurriculars surrounding the game.

"The bowl game is something that you can come down here and, yes it's time for you to have a good time by fellowship with your friends and teammates and people in the organization but at the end of the day its still a championship game," offensive lineman Eric Douglas said. "No matter what kind of bowl game it is, where the bowl site is, it's a championship game. You gotta take that approach not only with this game but every game."

Despite the several opportunities for distraction, linebacker Brad Johnson said he felt like the team is locked in and ready to go.

The team went home for Christmas and arrived in Charlotte on Christmas night to what Johnson described as a "nice vibe" throughout the team in the hotel.

"I feel like everybody is locked in," Johnson said. "I feel like [Saturday], with it being Christmas and guys traveling in from everywhere it was kind of laid back, not lackadaisical of course, we still got things done and I feel like we were still progressive."

South Carolina's first practice in Charlotte was the day after Christmas. Johnson said the Sunday morning wake up call helped bring everybody on the team back down to Earth.

"I feel like everybody kinda snapped back in, gotta shake off the dirt a little bit, you know it's been a little minute and people have doing different things and worrying about different things," Johnson said. "Now that we're all back together we're able to lock back in on the goal which is winning this game."

The bowl game is also an opportunity for younger guys on the roster to get more snaps in practice with the yearly turnover on the roster coming after the season, something that Johnson thinks the players have picked up on and used as motivation.

"Those younger guys are starting to really lock in even more so because they can kind of feel the need that we have for them and their time kind of approaching with this being the end of this season and going into the start of the next one coming up," Johnson said. "I feel like they are kind of sensing that and they are aware of it and they're taking a jump forward."

Both Douglas and Johnson said that they've seen younger players, not just in their position group but on the team as a whole, make improvements since the beginning of bowl prep began.

"I've seen a lot of growth, really just growth with everybody. Not just in the linebacker room but from all around," Johnson said. "From the d-line up front, from those younger guys like TJ Sanders and stuff and from the guys in the back too."

Douglas also pointed out Sanders, as well as others, as someone who he's seen progress in the last month.

"Not even just not he offensive side, you've got guys on the offensive side like, I've seen O'Mega Blake makings strides, I've seen TJ Sanders make strides, Nick Barrett, Kobe Fields, some of those younger guys they just keep coming on," Douglas said. "It's gonna be special to see what they can do."

The younger players on the team may not get a chance to see the field right away during the bowl game but regardless they'll be a key part of the future success of the program.

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