On Tuesday, ESPN announced the broadcast team for next weekend's season opener when Shane Beamer's South Carolina football team will take on the Old Dominion Monarchs. According to a press release from the "worldwide leader," Dave Neal, Aaron Murray, and Ashley ShahAhmadi will be on the call on SEC Network.
Neal is a longtime sports broadcasting veteran, Murray has taken well to being a color analyst since his playing days ended, and ShahAhmadi has grown locally famous through her work with the nearby professional teams the Atlanta Braves and the Charlotte Hornets.
While ShahAhmadi hasn't had much experience with the South Carolina football program, both Neal and Murray have.
For Neal, 30 years in broadcasting have caused him to run into the Gamecocks across multiple sports. His most famous USC moment came in 2000 when the Lou Holtz-led South Carolina squad was facing off with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. As every Gamecock fan knows, that day was the one in which backup walk-on quarterback Erik Kimrey came into the game in the 4th quarter on 4th-and-10 while trailing by 6 points. Kimrey replaced injured starter Phil Petty and threw a 25-yard pass to Jermale Kelly, pushing the Gamecocks to a win over the ranked Bulldogs. "The Fade" will live in Carolina lore forever, and Neal's call will always be part of it.
Murray has been on the call for a few South Carolina football games, but he is better known for playing against the Gamecocks as the quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs. Despite being a four-year starter for UGA (2010-2013), Murray managed just one win over Steve Spurrier's teams. The SEC's all-time leading passer went 1-3 against Carolina (including 0-2 in Columbia), was sacked 4 times by Jadeveon Clowney, and was chased around by #7 countless other times.
Fans at Williams-Brice Stadium hope that more good memories with Neal and Murray will be made next Saturday. For those who can't make it to the game, the SEC Network coverage will begin at 4:00, and the contest will be streamed on the ESPN app.