COLUMBIA — Remember Jonathan Walton, the linebacker holding up the last trophy presented to the South Carolina football program? It seemed sort of modest at the time, gilded duck-feathered Duck Commander Independence Bowl hardware awarded two years ago in Shreveport, La., for a 24-21 conquest of an Al Golden-coached Miami team.
But there was Walton, a sophomore linebacker who intercepted a Miami pass and played well the whole cloudy afternoon, hoisting the kind of prize the Gamecocks would love to have in 2016.
That was two head coaches, two defensive coordinators and a miserable 3-9 season ago.