At the end of spring practice, South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp had what he called a "long conversation" with running back Rico Dowdle.
The junior has arguably been the Gamecocks' top running back during his two seasons in Columbia, but a multitude of injuries have kept him from completely reaching his potential.
Some of those injuries - like the broken bone in his leg last season - are unavoidable.
But Muschamp's message to Dowdle centered around some of the other injuries - "soft tissues issues" as Muschamp calls them - that have nagged Dowdle for much of his career and can usually be prevented by better hydration, nutrition and sleep.
Dowdle has responded to that challenge by taking his offseason effort on and off the field to the next level.
“He had a really good day (Friday),” Muschamp said. “He was our player of the day offensively. He’s in probably the best shape he’s been in since he’s been here. I’ve been really proud of how he has responded to our challenges to him to take the next step. Competition helps that too. Mon Denson has looked good, A.J. Turner has looked good, Ty’Son Williams has looked good. All four of those guys have had their moments in camp. That’s what competition does for you.”
At tough as that competition is, Dowdle has proved in his career that, when healthy, he can help take the offense to the next level.
He's rushed for 1,015 yards on 199 carries in his two seasons and provided a key spark off the bench in the Outback Bowl win with six carries for 45 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for 32 yards.
