South Carolina Gamecocks football

South Carolina Gamecocks football
Current season
First season	1892
Head coach	Steve Spurrier
	5th year, 35–27  (.565)
Home stadium	Williams-Brice Stadium
Stadium capacity	80,250
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Columbia, South Carolina
Conference	SEC
Division	East
All-time record	534–535–44 (.500)
Postseason bowl record	4–10
Conference titles	1
Heisman winners	1
Consensus All-Americans	18
Current uniform
Colors	Garnet and Black
Fight song	The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way
Mascot	Cocky
Marching band	"Mighty Sound of the Southeast"
Rivals	Clemson Tigers Georgia Bulldogs
Website	GamecocksOnline.com

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have competed in the Southeastern Conference since joining with Arkansas in 1992. South Carolina won the 1969 Atlantic Coast Conference championship, produced 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, and has been led by two National Coaches of the Year (Joe Morrison and Lou Holtz). The Gamecocks have made 14 bowl appearances, including four Gator Bowl and three Outback Bowl berths. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice Stadium.

History

Carolina fielded its first football team in 1892 to play against Furman on Christmas Eve in Charleston. The football team was not sanctioned by the University and had to pay their own train fare as well as buy their own uniforms. They were nicknamed the "College Boys" by The News and Courier and their supporters wore garnet and black. The team lost the game because of their inexperience and lack of training.^[1]

USC won their first game during the third season of the sport on November 2, 1895 against Columbia AA. The football team got their first head coach, W.H. "Dixie" Whaley, the following year, and the 1896 season also saw the inaugural game against archrival Clemson on November 12, which Carolina won 12–6. From 1902-03, coach C. R. Williams led the Gamecocks to an impressive 14-3 record, which included the program's first 8-win season. The Board of Trustees banned participation in football for the 1906 season after the faculty complained about the coarseness of chants yelled by the students at football games. However, the board was so harassed by petitions from the students and alumni that it voted to allow the resumption of the sport in 1907. A hastily assembled football team competed in an abbreviated season and won all three games it played.^[2]

From 1928-1934, coach Billy Laval led the Gamecocks to seven consecutive winning seasons and a 39-26-6 overall record, which included a perfect 3-0 Southern Conference campaign in 1933. Under coach Rex Enright, the Gamecocks produced another undefeated Southern Conference season, going 4-0-1 in 1941. Enright left South Carolina in 1955, with the distinction of being both the winningest and losingest coach in school history (64-69-7). In 1956, Warren Giese took over as head coach and proceeded to lead the Gamecocks to a 28-21-1 overall record in his 5-year tenure. The Giese era included two 7-3 campaigns (1956 and 1958), an 18-15-1 ACC record, and a 27-21 victory over Darrell Royal's 1957 Texas squad in Austin.

Several years later, Coach Paul Dietzel led South Carolina to the 1969 ACC championship and an appearance in the Peach Bowl. As a result, Dietzel was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1969. Soon after, South Carolina left the ACC and became an Independent program. Jim Carlen took over as coach in 1975, and under his leadership the program achieved a measure of national prominence. Carlen led the Gamecocks to three bowl games, coached 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, and produced a 45-36-1 record in his seven-year tenure. The Carlen Era included consecutive 8-4 records (1979-1980) and a 17-14 victory over Bo Schembechler's 1980 Michigan squad in Ann Arbor.

Joe Morrison was hired in 1983 and quickly led the Gamecocks to a 10-2 record, #11 Final AP Poll ranking, and a Gator Bowl appearance in 1984. The 1984 season included victories over Georgia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Clemson. In 1987, the Gamecocks posted an 8-4 record, #15 Final AP Poll ranking, and another Gator Bowl appearance. The 1987 Gamecocks were led by the vaunted "Black Death" defense, which yielded just 141 points in 12 games played. Morrison coached his last game in the 1988 Liberty Bowl, as he died on February 5, 1989 at the age of 51. Morrison ended his South Carolina tenure with a 39-28-2 overall record, three bowl games, and three seasons with 8 or more wins.

After posting just three winning seasons from 1990-1998, Lou Holtz was hired as head coach in 1999. He took over a program that had gone just 1-10 the season before and, subsequently, oversaw a winless 0-11 campaign in 1999. It didn't take long for Holtz to improve the Gamecocks' fortunes, however, as he engineered 8-4 and 9-3 records in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, respectively. In addition, South Carolina won back-to-back Outback Bowl games over Ohio State and posted the most successful two-year run in program history (17-7 overall, 10-6 SEC). The 2000 and 2001 campaigns also saw South Carolina's return to the national rankings with #19 and #13 finishes in the Final AP Polls for those years. After consecutive 5-7 seasons in 2002 and 2003, Holtz ended his South Carolina tenure on a winning note with a 6-5 record in 2004.

Steve Spurrier was hired in 2005 to replace the departing Holtz, and he led the Gamecocks to a 7-5 record and Independence Bowl appearance in his first season. As a result, Spurrier was named the 2005 SEC Coach of the Year. The 2006 season saw continued success under Spurrier, as the Gamecocks posted an 8-5 record and a 44-36 shootout victory over Houston in the Liberty Bowl. South Carolina returned to postseason play in 2008, with an appearance in the Outback Bowl against Iowa. The 2009 campaign saw the fifth-straight season of bowl eligibility under Spurrier's leadership, a first for the USC program.

Former Gamecock standouts include Alex Hawkins, Dan Reeves, Rick Sanford, George Rogers, Sterling Sharpe, Robert Brooks, Duce Staley, John Abraham, Sheldon Brown, Dunta Robinson, and Sidney Rice.

Results

Logos and uniforms

South Carolina's 2009 uniform combinations

Rivalries

Clemson

The in-state contest with the Tigers is the largest sporting event in the state of South Carolina. The Tigers hold a 65-38-4 lead in the series, which dates back to 1896, but many of the contests have gone down to the wire. From 1896-1959, all Carolina-Clemson games were played in Columbia. Since 1960, the game has alternated between both teams' home stadiums.

Georgia

South Carolina's "border rivalry" with Georgia dates back to 1894, as the teams have met 62 times on the field. While the Bulldogs hold a 46-14-2 lead in the series, the games are often hotly contested and decided by just a few points. One of the most memorable games was the 1980 matchup between Heisman Trophy hopefuls George Rogers and Herschel Walker. Led by Walker's 219 rushing yards, Georgia won 13-10 and would go on to capture the National Championship. Rogers turned in 168 rushing yards in the contest, setting the stage for a successful finish to his Heisman Trophy campaign.

Arkansas

The annual meeting with the Razorbacks began in 1992, when both programs entered the SEC. Despite playing in different divisions (East and West), South Carolina and Arkansas are permanent opponents under the conference's scheduling structure. The Gamecocks rivalry with Arkansas is a friendly one due to geography, but its annual contests are often crucial in terms of postseason aspirations. Arkansas holds an 11-7 lead in the series.

Kentucky

Prior to the Gamecocks’ entrance into the SEC, they had met Kentucky just three times on the football field. As a member of the SEC’s Eastern division, however, South Carolina has played the Wildcats every season since 1992. The Gamecocks own a 14-6-1 series lead and have won 10 straight games dating back to 2000. Despite South Carolina’s recent dominance, the matchup has been highlighted by numerous close games throughout the years. This is evidenced by seven of the 10 meetings from 2000-2009 being decided by a touchdown or less. In addition, South Carolina and Kentucky consistently compete for postseason bids within the SEC’s bowl allotment.

NC State

South Carolina does not play NC State on a yearly basis since leaving the ACC, but the two programs meet occasionally to renew their rivalry. The hotly contested series dates back to 1900, with the Gamecocks holding a slight 27-26-4 edge. The NC State game was the final game of the season until the Clemson game was moved from Big Thursday. The 1980s marked the most heated period of the rivalry. The teams met every year that decade, with six of the games being decided by 10 points or less. The most recent meeting was South Carolina's 7-3 victory in 2009.

North Carolina

The Gamecocks' "border rivalry" with its old ACC foe North Carolina dates back to 1903. The rivalry is a very heated one, despite the fact that the teams do not play on a yearly basis. The Tar Heels hold a 34-17-4 lead in the series, but South Carolina has posted a 10-5 mark since 1967. The most recent meeting saw the Gamecocks defeat North Carolina 21-15 in 2007.

Bowl Games

Conference Championship

The Gamecocks played for two decades as an independent before joining the SEC in 1992. However, in 1969, the Gamecocks won the ACC Championship by going undefeated in conference play that year. Two years later the Gamecocks would leave the ACC.

College Football Hall of Famers

Heisman Trophy

George Rogers

In 1980, the stage was set when the Gamecocks returned plenty of talent, which was headlined by senior running back and Heisman candidate George Rogers. While South Carolina's 8-3 record was good, Rogers' final season was better. His 1,781 yards was the best in the nation, and the Downtown Athletic Club named Rogers as the winner of the 1980 Heisman Trophy. Rogers beat out an impressive group of players, including Pittsburgh defensive lineman Hugh Green and Georgia running back Herschel Walker. Rogers also earned spots on eight All-America teams, all First Team honors.

Retired Jerseys

Gamecocks in the NFL

• John Abraham — Atlanta Falcons
• Fred Bennett — Houston Texans
• Jasper Brinkley - Minnesota Vikings
• Sheldon Brown — Philadelphia Eagles
• Jared Cook - Tennessee Titans
• Emanuel Cook - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Na'Shan Goddard — Seattle Seahawks
• André Goodman — Denver Broncos
• Johnathan Joseph — Cincinnati Bengals
• Lance Laury — Seattle Seahawks
• Kenny McKinley - Denver Broncos
• Jamon Meredith - Buffalo Bills
• Langston Moore — Cincinnati Bengals
• Captain Munnerlyn - Carolina Panthers
• Jamar Nesbit — New Orleans Saints
• Sidney Rice — Minnesota Vikings
• Dunta Robinson — Houston Texans
• Ko Simpson — Detroit Lions
• Shaun Smith — Detroit Lions
• Ryan Succop - Kansas City Chiefs
• Travelle Wharton — Carolina Panthers
• Troy Williamson — Jacksonville Jaguars
• Rod Wilson — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Stoney Woodson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

References

External links

• South Carolina Gamecock Athletics
• Past and present football teams' schedules and results

v • d • e University of South Carolina Academics University of South Carolina School of Law • Moore School of Business • Palmetto Health Richland • University of South Carolina Press Athletics South Carolina Gamecocks • Carolina-Clemson rivalry Men's Sports: Baseball • Basketball • Football • Soccer • Tennis • Track & Field Women's Sports: Basketball • Soccer • Softball • Tennis • Track & Field • Volleyball Facilities: Williams-Brice Stadium • Colonial Life Arena • Carolina Stadium • Stone Stadium People: Mark Berson • Curtis Frye • Darrin Horn • Steve Spurrier • Dawn Staley • Ray Tanner Campus The Horseshoe • Currell College • Melton Memorial Observatory • South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology • W. Gordon Belser Arboretum • Koger Center for the Arts Student life Cocky • The Daily Gamecock • WUSC • The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way • We Hail Thee Carolina • Mighty Sound of the Southeast • Five Points • Congaree Vista • Riverbanks Zoo • Lake Murray Miscellaneous Notable Gamecocks • Presidents • Board of Trustees • History of the University • Clariosophic • Euphradian • S.C.C. Cadets