No one worries about upsetting a droid.
For years, Gamecock fans have debated the value of the “Moral Victory.” Watching us match teams like Florida, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama stride for stride for 3 quarters only to have them pull away in the end is a time-honored tradition with us. Equally so is the great debate over whether we should take those games and feel good about how we played or become miserable and sour over losing to anyone. Still debating.
There is another tradition at South Carolina that is just a prevalent. The “Moral Defeat.” This one occurs nearly every year, and often more than once. A game that comes along either as the first or third of the season, and in more recent years as late as November. These games where a victory is virtually assured and yet we manage to make it much more difficult than it need be. These are games that we win and walk out of the stadium feeling miserable. “If we play like that next week against Georgia, they’ll kill us,” is an often heard reaction.
Sadly these games end up being pretty accurate indicators of how good we REALLY are. Typically they signify the coming of the “Second half-collapse” that comes when our schedule gets tougher.
So I am happy to say, that last night’s victory over Southern Miss felt great! A Moral Victory to go with our actual victory. We looked good, we played good, and in the end I’ll say, “If we play like that against Georgia, I think we’ll win!” Sweet Candy.
