Mike Locksley reveals annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl tradition not honored in 2022
Mike Locksley might have a new enemy entering 2022. The opponent? South Carolina.
According to the Maryland coach, the previous year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl winner was expected to receive a phone call from the opponent in the matchup. It’s a tradition passed down from the bowl game in the Queen City every season.
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That supposedly didn’t happen this past Mayo Bowl. Now, Locksley is ready for a showdown with Shane Beamer and the SEC East program.
“Obviously, I guess South Carolina and Maryland got some issues I heard about,” Locksley said postgame. “Line it up, buddy. Line it up.”
Mike Locksley said he was told to always call the winner of the bowl game the year before. That didn’t happen this season.
“Obviously, I guess South Carolina and Maryland got some issues I heard about.”
“Line it up, buddy. Line it up,” he said.
— Sam Oshtry (@soshtry) December 30, 2022
Perhaps Beamer was busy during the month of December to make a quick call to the Terps’ head coach. After pulling off upset wins over No. 6 Tennessee and No. 5 Clemson in back-to-back weeks, the Gamecocks moved up into the top 25 rankings and earned a solid bowl matchup against Notre Dame in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl.
This isn’t to say that Beamer should be let off the hook for his actions, but life sometimes gets ahead of you. Locksley likely won’t care, and will probably hope for a chance to meet South Carolina in a bowl game next season.
A winner take all showdown between the previous two Mayo Bowl champs? Can the loser be doused twice in the condiment bath?