ORLANDO, Fla. – Today is departure day for South Carolina – and TheBigSpur.com – as the countdown to kickoff in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is nearing. The Gamecocks (9-3) are looking to win their 10th game in a season for just the fifth time in program history with three of the other four times coming under Steve Spurrier.
But Illinois, the Big Ten opponent, is looking to achieve that exact same 10-win feat for the exact amount of times that South Carolina has done so in program history. The Fighting Illini are led by fourth-year head coach Bret Bielema, who brought his team to Tampa two years ago for the Reliaquest Bowl. Just like for the Gamecocks, this is a big deal for Illinois.
In addition to a game, there are always some bowl week activities. Keep up with the entire schedule for the week right here. But each morning, we’ll post a schedule with some highlights and things to look for throughout the day. Here’s our next edition of Today in Jacksonville…