South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp laid out the challenge to tailback Rico Dowdle soon after spring practice ended.
The rising junior runner, who looked like a potential all-conference player as a freshman and was injured through much of his sophomore year, needed to take care of himself better and learn to strain, i.e. push himself when the lights aren’t on.
A few weeks later, here's how’s he done.
“He’s responded well,” Gamecocks running backs coach Bobby Bentley said at a recent Gamecock Club spring meeting stop. “Coach Muschamp challenged him publicly. He’s responded well.