South Carolina Gamecocks | |
---|---|
Established in 1801 | |
Names | |
South Carolina Gamecocks | |
Other Nicknames | |
Cocks, USC, SC, UofSC, Carolina | |
Conference | |
SEC | |
Location | |
Columbia, South Carolina | |
Colors | |
Garnet, Black, and White | |
Head Coach | |
| |
Stadium | |
Williams-Brice Stadium | |
CFP National Championships | |
0 | None |
College Football Playoffs Appearances | |
0 | None |
Conference Championships | |
1 | 1969 |
Previous Seasons | |
2018 South Carolina Gamecocks |
The University of South Carolina (also referred to as UofSC, USC, SC, South Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, co-educational research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with seven satellite campuses. Its campus covers over 359 acres (145 ha) in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House. The university is categorized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as having "highest research activity." It has been ranked as an "up-and-coming" university by U.S. News & World Report, and its undergraduate and graduate International Business programs have ranked among the top three programs in the nation for over a decade. It also houses the largest collection of Robert Burns and Scottish literature materials outside Scotland, and the world's largest Ernest Hemingway collection.
Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, South Carolina is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System and offers more than 350 programs of study, leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from fourteen degree-granting colleges and schools. The University of South Carolina has a total enrollment of approximately 50,000 students, with over 34,000 on the main Columbia campus as of fall 2017 - making it the largest university in the Carolinas. USC also has several thousand future students in feeder programs at surrounding technical colleges. Professional schools on the Columbia campus include business, engineering, law, medicine, pharmacy, and social work.
The South Carolina Gamecocks football program represents the University of South Carolina in the sport of American football. The Gamecocks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Fake Collegiate Athletic Association (NFCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. Stuface Lee (aka. Bushken) currently serves as the team's head coach. They play their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium. Currently, it is the 20th largest stadium in college football.
USC's SEC tenure has been highlighted by an SEC East title in 2010, Final Top-25 rankings in 2000, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (AP No. 19, No. 13, No. 22, No. 9, No. 8 and No. 4), and four wins over Top-5 SEC opponents, (No. 4 Ole Miss in 2009, No. 1 Alabama in 2010, No. 5 Georgia in 2012 and at No. 5 Missouri in 2013).
From 1953 through 1970, the Gamecocks played in the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning the 1969 ACC championship and finishing No. 15 in the 1958 final AP poll. From 1971 through 1991, they competed as a major independent, producing 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, six bowl appearances, and Final Top-25 rankings in 1984 and 1987 (AP No. 11 and No. 15).
The Gamecocks have produced a National Coach of the Year in Joe Morrison, three SEC coaches of the year in Lou Holtz (2000) and Steve Spurrier (2005, 2010), and one ACC coach of the year in Paul Dietzel (1969). They also have four members of the College Football Hall of Fame in former players George Rogers and Sterling Sharpe, and former coaches Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier.
Traditions[edit | edit source]
- Fighting Gamecock Logo - USC's helmet, regardless of color, has featured a fighting gamecock since 1969. This bird, which includes metal spurs, is usually featured inside a Block C but is also displayed by itself. Helmets have been white with garnet and black trim and Gamecock logo with or without the block C, Garnet with white and black trim with Gamecock Block C logo, Black with garnet and white trim with Gamecock Block C logo and in 2015 they unveiled some Block C logos with a chrome finish and a White helmet with oversized tail end of the Gamecock logo in Chrome Garnet.
- "2001" Entrance - The Gamecocks' enter Williams-Brice Stadium to the introduction of "Also sprach Zarathustra", popularly known from the film "2001: A Space Odyssey". This tradition was started by Coach Joe Morrison with his first game in 1983.
- "Carolina" and "Gamecocks" on Jersey - USC has intermittently featured the script "Carolina" and "Gamecocks" on the front of its jersey since coach Jim Carlen's arrival in 1975. While the jersey used "Gamecocks" for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, it has solely used "Carolina" on its jersey since the late 1990s.
- Cockaboose Railroad - In 1990, cabooses renovated in Gamecock colors and decor became part of the USC tailgate scene. They sit on a dormant railroad track near Williams-Brice Stadium.
- S.C. Flag and Palmetto Tree/Crescent - As South Carolina's flagship university, USC prominently displays the state flag and Palmetto Tree/Crescent logo on game days. In addition to players entering the field with the state flag flying in advance during "2001", the stadium's playing surface is adorned with garnet and white Palmetto Tree/Crescent logos, and the state flag is represented by decals on the back of players' helmets.
- "If It Ain't Swayin', Then We Ain't Playin" - Originating from a Joe Morrison comment about the reported "swaying" of the Williams-Brice Stadium upper deck during a 38–14 win over USC in 1983, "if it ain't swayin', we ain't playin'" became a catchphrase for Carolina fans, even after the East Upper Deck of Williams-Brice Stadium had additional supports added to reduce the swaying.
- Sir Big Spur - Sir Big Spur (originally called Cocky Doodle Lou), the university's official live gamecock, attends USC football and baseball games.
- Cocky - Cocky has been the USC mascot since 1980. Cocky is the four-time "national champion", five-time "All-American" mascot & 2003 winner of the Capital One National Mascot of the Year for the Gamecocks. The "son" of Carolina's original mascot Big Spur, Cocky appears at every USC home football contest, making a "magical" appearance at the climax of the 2001 opening sequence.
- Sandstorm - Beginning in October 2008, the song "Sandstorm" by Darude is played after USC is kicking the ball to the opposing team after a score; the song is stopped when the kicker makes contact with the football. As the song is played, fans wave white "Cocky Cloths" over their heads."
Rivalry Games[edit | edit source]
- The Palmetto Bowl - The rivalry is the largest annual sporting event by ticket sales in the state of South Carolina. From 1896 to 1959, the Carolina-Clemson game was played on the fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina and was referred to as "Big Thursday." In 1960 an alternating-site format was implemented utilizing both teams' home stadiums. The annual game has since been officially designated "The Palmetto Bowl". It is currently the 21st most played college football rivalry at 115 meetings. The Gamecocks won 5 in a row against Clemson from 2009–2013.
- The Border Brawl - A "border rivalry" dating to 1894. The 1980 game was between future Heisman Trophy winners 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 during the course of the battle, setting the stage for a successful finish to his senior season and eventual Heisman Trophy award. The last 17 match-ups between the schools have been nationally televised, dating back to 1997 (6 on ESPN2, 5 on ESPN and 5 on CBS). The series has been far more competitive since USC joined the SEC in 1990, with Georgia holding a 15–9 advantage. Georgia holds a 51–18–2 overall lead in the series as of the 2018 season.
- Coach Conspirator Cup - South Carolina has a habit of hiring SEC East division rival Florida's old coaches, including Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp. This has led to some animosity between the two schools' fan bases.
- Battle of Columbia - The annual battle between Missouri and South Carolina has been affectionately named The Battle of Columbia, as both schools are located in their respective states' city of Columbia. Each year Missouri and South Carolina play for the Mayor's Cup. So far the series has boasted some great games including The 'Shaw-Shank Redemption' where South Carolina led by Quarterback Connor Shaw came back from a 17 point deficit to defeat the Missouri tigers in double overtime after the Tigers missed a chip shot field goal.
- Battle for the Bonham Trophy - This is a protected permanent cross-divisional rivalry game in the SEC. This rivalry game was started because of the expansion of the conference in 2012, which added the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies. For the first two years Texas A&M played Missouri as their cross-divisional rival since both came from the Big 12 Conference, but in 2014 it was announced that Arkansas would become Missouri's new permanent rival and Texas A&M would then play South Carolina.
The trophy is named after James Butler Bonham, who was a South Carolina native and graduate of South Carolina College which is the prior name to the University of South Carolina. Bonham fought and died in the Battle of the Alamo which is why he became the missing link between the two schools to play for. The trophy has been housed in the Alamo since its creation due to the fact that the Aggies have not yet lost a game.
- Battle of the Carolinas - The rivalry began in 1903. While no longer a conference rivalry, since South Carolina left the ACC in 1971, the teams still meet occasionally. In the 2010s decade the series has always been played on a Thursday. It was announced in September 2015 that USC and UNC will play every four years in 2019 and 2023. South Carolina has won 6 out of the last 7 meetings, North Carolina leads the all-time series 34–19–4 as of the conclusion of the 2017 season.
- Battle of the Carolinas 2.0 - The rivalry began in 1900 with South Carolina defeating NC State (then known as the Agricultural & Mechanical College of North Carolina) 12–0. As founding members of the original ACC South Carolina and North Carolina played annually from 1956–1991 with one exception in 1967. Even though South Carolina left the ACC in 1971 the teams still met annually until 1991. Since 1991 both schools have only played 4 times (1999, 2008, 2009, 2017) South Carolina has won the last 3 meetings with a combined score of 76–31, South Carolina leads the series 28–26–4 as of the conclusion of the 2017 season.
Rivalry Game | Opponent | Streak | Record |
---|---|---|---|
Palmetto Bowl | Clemson | Won 1 | 1-0 |
Border Brawl | Georgia | Won 1 | 1-0 |
Coach Conspirator Cup | Florida | Won 1 | 1-1 |
Battle of Columbia | Missouri | Lost 1 | 0-1 |
Battle for the Bonham Trophy | Texas A&M | Won 1 | 1-0 |
Battle of the Carolinas | North Carolina | 0-0 | |
Battle of the Carolinas 2.0 | NC State | 0-0 |
Coaching History[edit | edit source]
Coach Green
- Coaching Record : 4-2
- Rivalry Record : 2-0
Coach Lee
- Coaching Record : 4-4
- Conference Record : 3-1
- Rivalry Record : 2-0
2019 Schedule[edit | edit source]
Week | Opponent | Site | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | vs. Vanderbilt | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC | W 26-14 |
2 | vs. Ball State | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC | L 31-21 |
3 | vs. Florida | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC (Rivalry) | W 59-28 |
4 | at Louisiana-Monroe | Malone Stadium * Monroe, LA | L 14-3 |
5 | at #12 BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium * Provo, UT | L 31-17 |
6 | vs. LSU | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC | W 28-24 |
7 | at Tennessee | Neyland Stadium * Knoxville, TN | L 38-34 |
8 | at Texas A&M | Kyle Field * College Station, TX (Rivalry) | W 37-24 |
9 | at Kentucky | Kroger Field * Lexington, KY | |
10 | vs. Missouri | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC (Rivalry) | |
11 | at Georgia | Sanford Stadium * Athens, GA (Rivalry) | |
12 | vs. Clemson | Williams-Brice Stadium * Columbia, SC (Rivalry) |
2019 Rankings[edit | edit source]
Poll | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coaches | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||
AP | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||
Committee | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2019 SEC Standings[edit | edit source]
East | West | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | C | O | Team | C | O |
#12 Georgia | 5-0 | 7-1 | Arkansas | 4-1 | 5-3 |
Tennessee | 4-1 | 5-3 | Ole Miss | 3-2 | 5-3 |
South Carolina | 4-1 | 4-4 | Auburn | 2-3 | 4-4 |
Kentucky | 2-3 | 5-3 | Alabama | 2-3 | 3-5 |
Missouri | 2-3 | 4-4 | Mississippi State | 2-3 | 3-5 |
Vanderbilt | 2-3 | 2-6 | LSU | 2-3 | 2-6 |
Florida | 0-5 | 1-7 | Texas A&M | 1-4 | 1-7 |
- Rankings come from the Coaches poll until the CFP rankings are released.
2019 Roster[edit | edit source]
Starters
Offense
Number | Name | Position | Year | Season Stats | Career Stats |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | Jake Bentley | QB | SR |
|
852 Passing Yards |
5 | Rico Dowdle | RB | SR |
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89 | Bryan Edwards | WR | SR |
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13 | Shi Smith | WR | JR |
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6 | Josh Vann | WR | SO |
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87 | Kiel Pollard | TE | SR |
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4 | Tolly Terrell | LT | FR | ||
54 | Jovaughn Gwyn | LG | SO | ||
72 | Donell Stanley | OC | SR | ||
50 | Sadarius Hutcherson | RG | JR | ||
79 | Dylan Wonnum | RT | SO |
Defense
Number | Name | Position | Year | Season Stats | Career Stats |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 | Aaron Sterling | DE | JR | 8 Tackles | |
5 | Kier Thomas | DT | SR |
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3 | Javon Kinlaw | DT | SR |
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8 | D.J. Wonnum | DE | SR |
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44 | Sherrod Greene | WLB | JR |
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6 | T.J. Brunson | MLB | SR |
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4 | Daniel Fennell | SLB | SR |
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24 | Isreal Mukuamau | LCB | SO |
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29 | Jaymest Williams | S | JR |
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7 | Jaycee Horn | S | JR |
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54 | Byron Arthurson | RCB | FR |
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Special Teams
Number | Name | Position | Year | Season Stats | Career Stats |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 | Joseph Charlton | P | SR | 46.1 Yard Average Punt | |
43 | Parker White | K | JR |
|
7 Field Goals |
89 | Bryan Edwards | PR | SR | ||
13 | Shi Smith | KR | JR |
School Records[edit | edit source]
Due to a lack of reliable records for the 2018 season not every record is accurate or available at this time. New statistics and records will be kept starting with the 2019 season.
Team Records
Record Title | Record | Team |
---|---|---|
Team PPG | 29.3 | 2018 |
Team Opponent PPG | 33.2 | 2018 |
Team YPG | 329.2 | 2018 |
Team Opponent YPG | 316.6 | 2018 |
Team TO Difference | -3 | 2018 |
Offensive Game Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Pass Yards | 255 | Jake Bentley | Week 3, 2018 |
Pass Touchdowns | 1 | Jake Bentley | Week 3, 2019 |
Completion Percentage | 76.9% | Jake Bentley | Week 4, 2019 |
QB Rating | 109.2 | Jake Bentley | Week 3, 2019 |
Rush Yards | 183 | Rico Dowdle | Week 3, 2019 |
Rush Touchdowns | 3 | Rico Dowdle | Week 3, 2019 |
Receptions | 6 | Kiel Pollard | Week 2, 2019 |
Receiving Yards | 43 | Shi Smith | Week 4, 2019 |
Receiving Touchdowns | 1 | Rico Dowdle | Week 3, 2019 |
Defensive Game Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Tackles | 6 | Sherrod Greene | Week 1, 2019 |
Sacks | |||
Fumbles Recovered | 1 | T.J. Brunson | Week 2, 2019 |
Interceptions | 1 | T.J. Brunson | Week 1, 2019 |
Fumbles Forced | 2 | Sherrod Greene | Week 3, 2019 |
Special Teams Game Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Field Goals | 2 | Parker White | Week 1, 2019 |
Kick Return Touchdowns | |||
Punt Return Touchdowns |
Offensive Season Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Pass Yards | 852 | Jake Bentley | 2018 |
Pass Touchdowns | |||
Completion Percentage | |||
QB Rating | |||
Rush Yards | |||
Rush Touchdowns | |||
Receptions | |||
Receiving Yards | |||
Receiving Touchdowns |
Defensive Season Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Tackles | |||
Sacks | |||
Fumbles Recovered | |||
Interceptions | |||
Fumbles Forced |
Special Teams Season Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Field Goals | 7 | Parker White | 2018 |
Kick Return Touchdowns | |||
Punt Return Touchdowns |
Career Offensive Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Pass Yards | 852 | Jake Bentley | 2018 |
Pass Touchdowns | |||
Completion Percentage | |||
QB Rating | |||
Rush Yards | |||
Rush Touchdowns | |||
Receptions | |||
Receiving Yards | |||
Receiving Touchdowns |
Career Defensive Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Years |
---|---|---|---|
Tackles | |||
Sacks | |||
Fumbles Recovered | |||
Interceptions | |||
Fumbles Forced |
Career Special Teams Records
Record Title | Record | Player | Years |
---|---|---|---|
Field Goals | 7 | Parker White | 2018 |
Kick Return Touchdowns | |||
Punt Return Touchdowns |
Coaching Records
Record Title | Record | Coach | Years |
---|---|---|---|
Wins | 4 | Coach Green | Week 7, 2018 - 2018 |
National Championships | |||
Playoff Appearances | |||
Conference Championships | |||
Conference Championship Appearances | |||
Bowl Wins | |||
Bowl Appearances | |||
Rivalry Wins | 2 | Coach Green | Week 7, 2018 - 2018 |