South Carolina football had an up and down season. The Gamecocks look to finish strong at the Belk Bowl.
Last year’s Belk Bowl between Wake Forest and Texas A&M was a barn burner, one that saw the Deacons top the Aggies 55-52. This year’s game between South Carolina and Virginia probably will not have as much offense but still should be entertaining.
The Gamecocks entered the season a somewhat dark horse candidate for the SEC East. Those hopes were quickly dashed in Week 2 as Georgia routed them in Columbia 41-17. From there, the Gamecocks clawed their way to a 7-5 season and bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season under Will Muschamp.
Cavaliers coach Bronco Mendenhall entered his third year with expectations of improving upon 2017’s record of 6-7. Through their first eight games, the Cavs went 6-2 and sat atop the ACC Coastal division heading into the season’s final month. That is when things went south, as the Cavs lost three of their final four games including their 15th consecutive loss to rival Virginia Tech.
With both teams finishing with identical overall and conference records, the bowl game could provide a springboard into next season for the victor. Here are three reasons why the Belk Bowl is worth watching.