During the Kentucky game a few weeks ago, fans noticed head coach Will Muschamp was wearing glasses. When the Gamecocks came away with a 24-7 victory, reporters asked Muschamp about the glasses he wore during the game.
“You know what? I’m getting old and I can’t read, especially at night," Muschamp said in a postgame press conference. “It’s been a s— fall. I got more gray hair than I ever had. My wife doesn’t like to hang around losers. I’ve been losing. It ain’t been good.”
Players took notice of the spectacles too. Senior punter Joseph Charlton said to The State, “It is a good look and I like it.”
After the Kentucky win, the glasses made an appearance in Athens against the Bulldogs. Similar to the game against Kentucky, South Carolina fans had a field day on social media with Muschamp’s glasses. Many jokingly accredited the shocking upset win to them, even saying Muschamp was no longer the head coach, but rather, a new hire by the name of "Professor Muschamp" leading the Gamecocks on the field.
The social media world wasn’t the only one to hop on to the Professor Muschamp bandwagon. During the most recent home game against the Florida Gators, “Professor Muschamp glasses” were given out in the student section as a promotional for the game.
The good luck that came with Muschamp’s glasses has seemed to run out the past couple of weeks with losses to Florida and Tennessee.
But when it comes down to pure statistics, the glasses definitely have no effect on the game whatsoever, making them more of a superstitious item than an actual game plan advantage. However, it has still become fun for the fans to talk about.
One could say Muschamp’s glasses somehow forced Georgia’s junior quarterback Jake Fromm to throw three interceptions, but in reality, it was due to the abilities of the Gamecock defensive line and sophomore defensive back Israel Mukuamu.
Or, one could say the glasses caused the Gamecocks to break the five-year losing streak to Kentucky. But again, the credit should belong to the South Carolina defense and the one-two punch in the running game of seniors Rico Dowdle and Tavien Feaster.
With the Vanderbilt game being a night game at home and the Appalachian State and Clemson games possibly being night games, fans can expect to see the glasses make an appearance on the sideline again this season.