Sapakoff: A tribute to South Carolina’s football resistance in 2020, courage | South Carolina

Freshman quarterback Luke Doty, one of only 53 scholarship players traveling to South Carolina for a regular season finale in Kentucky, was running on an open field splendidly on Saturday night when he lost control of football.

Of course, the Wildcats have recovered. He scored more points in the SEC’s 41-18 victory, which sent Gamecocks home with a 2-8 record.

Go ahead and debate which South Carolina football team was the best.

One of Steve Spurrier’s three consecutive 11-2 overachievers?

The underrated team of 1987?

Those 1969 ACC champions?

There should be no doubt that a 2020 group that managed to survive the coronavirus season is South Carolina’s most courageous and inspiring sports team of all. These are Gamecocks whose contributions on and off the field since May deserve mention in the coming decades.

They endured a year full of COVID tests and opt-outs, but without large crowds and the same head coach.

They received criticism from former players, but no hugging or handshaking from fans.

Ai, 2-8.

Less than three SEC wins in 2019, four in 2018, five in 2017.

Gamecock Nation’s recent nightmares include visions of Texas A&M receivers running open and former coach Will Muschamp removing his mask to yell at an officer during a Ole Miss disaster.

Historians, however, will wonder how this team won two games.

There were injuries throughout the season, both announced and unannounced.

The Gamecocks in Kentucky lost 16 players with a combined career of 150 starts from the 72-player roster at the opening of the season against Tennessee.

The symbolic highlight was the entire offensive line entering the field to stay with the fifth year guard, Sadarius Hutcherson, during the Third Age Night ceremony last week. This was not long after Hutcherson, who finished 36 consecutive starts, eloquently explained why he was holding on when teammates were giving up.

“At the end of the day, my people need a leader,” said Hutcherson. “It just wouldn’t be right for me to leave.”

The South Carolina season is also summed up by the weekly relentlessness of senior linebacker Ernest Jones: 11 tackles, 13 and 19 at LSU. And so on.

Interim head coach Mike Bobo offered home brevity.

“Part of being a man is that you don’t make excuses,” said Bobo, “and you don’t allow other people to make excuses for you.”

It’s not how many SEC players are on the list or whether or what Muschamp left in the closet.

It is an adversity management lesson for young and old.

‘Boring’ artists

One of these days, a few generations from now, father and son will sit in the stands of the Williams-Brice Stadium. The child will scan the record book on one of the computer screens built into the back of each seat and ask the question.

“Dad, why did we win just two games in 2020?”

“Well, that was the year …”

The players didn’t really have spring training.

And you never knew when the season was going to start, or if there would be a season, by the end of August.

They were asked to help save an athletics department and a university that was struggling financially with deficits related to the coronavirus.

They took time out of their lives to participate in marches for social equality in the city.

And on campus.

The projected star lost MarShawn Lloyd, who suffered a knee injury at the camp.

Its schedule was changed to SEC games only.

As fun-loving, college students were asked by their head coach to “lead a boring life” in the midst of a global pandemic, even though their colleagues continued to have fun.

The teammates chose to leave.

They have been asked to provide entertaining TV content to harmed networks.

I had to deal with ex-players – guys who never marched for justice or dealt with COVID or had anything like a season like that – complaining that they weren’t playing hard enough.

He did his part to sustain legal (and illegal) gambling ties with college football, which were more accepted each year.

Win a nationally ranked Auburn team.

I have three COVID tests a week.

I was unable to enjoy the support of large crowds at home games or the fun of dealing with the SEC’s famous road hostility.

He had his head coach fired with three games left for the season.

More teammates chose to leave.

He reached the finish line as one of the few university teams in America to complete his schedule without delay or cancellation.

In a few years

COVID-era football is easier when a championship is at stake or College GameDay is going to the city.

It’s been an unprecedented fight to lose teams.

“It’s affecting people this season,” said ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, a former Clemson striker, last month. “It’s hurting the team. It is affecting the players. Only to be tested three or more times a week, just to receive a lash. It’s like, ‘Do I really want to do this anymore?’ “

Still, Kevin Harris’ second-year running back against Kentucky managed to run wild again and break the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Congratulations to South Carolina players who wanted to play to the last whistle on a really cold night in Kentucky. Hopefully, they receive a loud roar from a crowded crowd as they are properly honored during the 10, 25 and 50 year winning seasons from now on.

Follow Gene Sapakoff on Twitter @sapakoff.