A few weeks ago, we talked about new opponents (or renewed matchups) we’d want to see on the South Carolina football schedule. Today, we received word that an opponent that the Gamecocks have only played once - in 1998, for that matter - would appear on the 2018 schedule.
According to an official release, the Marshall Thundering Herd are set to visit Williams-Brice Stadium on September 15, 2018. It comes with a huge payout: the Conference USA school is set to receive $1.4 million for the trip. With the announcement, the Gamecocks now have filled two of four open dates on the 2018 slate; one is the permanent rivalry game with Clemson and another is usually reserved for an in-state FCS opponent. We’ll have to see how the school proceeds to fill the remaining ones.
The Herd won the 1998 matchup between the two schools by a score of 24-21 on a last-second field goal. Marshall went 10-3 under Doc Holliday in 2015, a season that ended with a 16-10 win over UConn in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Today’s announcement will mean that the Gamecocks will play C-USA opponents in back-to-back years; Louisiana Tech will visit Williams-Brice on September 23, 2016.
(h/t to Nic at Underdog Dynasty for tipping us off to the news)