It is the time of the year for tailgating, fellowshipping and fun. Yes, football season is here and on Thursday, night September 2, the University of South Carolina got the college football season underway on national television with a 41-13 win over Southern Mississippi at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia.

In the upper state on Saturday, Clemson University got its season off to a good start with a 35-10 win over North Texas State. And locally, the South Carolina State University Bulldogs put forth a gallant effort before falling 41-10 to the 16th ranked Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Thursday night’s Carolina and Southern Miss football game was much more than a game. It was more of a celebration and a chance for the University and the state of South Carolina to bathe in the spotlight of some positive national media attention for a change, with the eyes of the country glued on Columbia, South Carolina.

The game marked the debut of Bamberg native and former Red Raider standout A. J. Cann as a Gamecock and the nation saw a future star being born in former Byrnes standout Marcus Lattimore, who scored two touchdowns in his first game as a Gamecock.

The game was also an opportunity for the University and the state to pay honor to those who risked their lives for this country in World War II in the “Battle of the Bulge.” U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was on hand to pay his respect to the brave soldiers that were honored with a parade in downtown Columbia before the game.

And, what celebration, at Williams Brice Stadium, before a national audience, would be complete without the USC National Championship Baseball team, whose members walked around the stadium before kickoff in celebratory fashion with the National Championship Trophy held high, with “Sandstorm” blaring in the back ground.