Since Steve Spurrier's resignation in October of 2015, the South Carolina football program has struggled to move on from the most successful era in the program's history.
Prior to the Gamecocks' 24-21 win over No. 18 Tennessee Saturday, the program was just 2-7 against SEC opponents under former interim head coach Shawn Elliott and coach Will Muschamp. Both wins came against Vanderbilt. Fans could point to past glory and hope for future success, but in the present, there simply wasn't much to point to.
Maybe it was the 7:20 p.m. start. Maybe it was the hope of discovering the program's quarterback of the future in freshman Jake Bentley. But leading up to kickoff, the energy was different at Williams-Brice Stadium than anything felt in the last calendar year.
"What a great win for our football team and our program," Muschamp said. "Our fan base was amazing, and it was an electric atmosphere. We felt the energy coming up during Gamecock Walk, and we appreciate that."
Will Muschamp earned his first win against a ranked opponent since arriving in Columbia, but perhaps even more importantly, he did it with his own players. Instead of cobbling together holdovers from Spurrier's regime in an attempt to form a stopgap, Muschamp won on the back of two late additions to his first recruiting class.
Bentley sparked South Carolina's offense with two passing touchdowns and 15 completions in 20 attempts. He also reciprocated the fans' energy, feeding off the environment around him.
"There’s no question, in that environment it says a lot about his preparation and what he puts into it," Muschamp said of the poise his quarterback displayed.
Muschamp landed cornerback Jamarcus King out of the junior college ranks less than two weeks after being hired. Muschamp's aggression in identifying King as a key element in his program's future paid off in South Carolina's victory. The junior recorded two critical interceptions. After King's first pick in the second quarter, South Carolina's offense responded with a touchdown less than a minute later. His second interception helped stall a potential fourth quarter comeback by the Volunteers.
Muschamp can feel good about the team he has on the field, but South Carolina fans can also feel good about the direction of their program.
"The atmosphere of the game was so dynamic, the students really came together to support the team," second-year business student Kevin O'Brien said. "My pride as a student at Carolina has never been higher."
"[It was] definitely the loudest the stadium has been in a while," said fourth-year business student Joe Goldberg, who experienced the program's success during the Spurrier-era. "[It] reminded me a lot of the 2014 Georgia game."
Senior linebacker T.J. Holloman also experienced that past success as a member of a team that went to the Capital One Bowl in 2013 and the Independence Bowl in 2014.
"We needed this win tonight. Not only for our program but also for our fans," Holloman said. "It was a loud stadium and [the fans] got what they deserved."
There was a noticeable change in the culture surrounding South Carolina football. Energy from the stands cascaded down to the players, and even down to coaching staff. The fans themselves very nearly found their way down to the field.
"When the clock hit two minutes and we were pushing down the stands, I thought: 'This is real. This is happening,'" fourth-year history student Johnny Ingalls said. "Then people started talking about rushing the field and the adrenaline and excitement were too much."
No longer mourning the loss of Spurrier, South Carolina football is christening the era of Coach Boom.