Having spent his childhood years in nearby Duncan, South Carolina, Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley has strong ties to the Spartanburg area.
The first-year starter spent one year at James F. Byrnes High School before moving to Opelika, Alabama. His father, Bobby Bentley, who accepted a coaching position at Auburn prior to becoming the running backs coach for South Carolina in 2015, is also a Byrnes alumnus.
Saturday’s matchup with the Terriers is being looked at as just another intra-state matchup for Bentley, but a large turnout of fans from the Upstate will be expected.
“For me, Coach Muschamp and, I think, everyone gets wrapped up in ‘winning the State’ as the game of the year," Bentley said. "If you look at it, we take both Carolinas as one. If you look at NC State ... and Wofford, it’s another chance for us to win the state.”
With a 9-1 Terriers team coming into Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Bentley noted that Wofford has recently had a plethora of university improvements both on and off the gridiron.
“It’s pretty cool growing up (in the area) seeing Wofford’s stuff,” Bentley said. “They just got a new basketball facility so they’ve got a lot of good stuff going at their school. It’s going to be a good game for them to come down and to bring a lot of fans from the Upstate.”
While South Carolina's annual game against Clemson is in prime time and is one of the most frequent matches discussed on campus and throughout both cities, Bentley said Tuesday the team has its eyes locked in on facing Wofford.
The focus on the Clemson game will come at a later date.
“That’s one of the first things Coach Muschamp said to us in our meeting today," Bentley said. "He didn’t want to hear a word about next week or anything that’s involving next week. We’re focused on Wofford and what we have to do this weekend."
Veterans who played in South Carolina’s one-point loss to the Citadel in 2015, including Hayden Hurst and Skai Moore, are aiding younger players like Bentley in regards to staying focused in these intra-state matchups.
“I think the older guys in the locker room know that were here when (Carolina) played the Citadel," Bentley said. "They know what it takes to win a game like this, stay focused, and to treat this game no different than any other week of the season."