# 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

The 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks were led by seventh-year head coach Steve Spurrier and played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium. They were a member of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference and finished 11–2 for the season and 6–2 in SEC play.
The defending SEC East champions, South Carolina started the season 4–0 and ranked No. 10 in the country. However, in the fifth game of the season, they lost at home to unranked defending national champion Auburn, resulting in long-time starting quarterback Stephen Garcia being replaced by Connor Shaw. Shaw would subsequently start almost every game until the end of the 2013 season, becoming the winningest quarterback in school history along the way, and never losing at home. South Carolina would only lose one more game the rest of the season, a blowout on the road at No. 8 Arkansas. While the Gamecocks finished undefeated against the East Division, the losses to Auburn and Arkansas left them second in the division standings behind Georgia. In the Capital One Bowl, they defeated No. 21 Nebraska 30–13, the program's first bowl victory since 2006. The eleven wins were a school record; it was only the second time in the school's 119-year football history that it won as many as ten games. They also finished eighth in the final Coaches' Poll and ninth in the final AP Poll—their first-ever top-10 finishes in any major poll.
The 2011 Gamecocks were arguably the most talented team in school history. They are the only team in South Carolina's history with two future retired jerseys (Alshon Jeffery and Jadeveon Clowney). Melvin Ingram was a consensus All-American, only the third in program history. Marcus Lattimore was a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy until a season-ending injury. Clowney, the highest-rated high school football recruit of all time, was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. The team had three future first-round NFL draft picks and sixteen total future NFL draft picks, the most in program history.

## Preseason

On April 10, 2011, the Garnet squad defeated the Black squad, 21–17, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 30,100.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 7:00 pm | vs. East Carolina* | No. 12 | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC | FSN | W 56–37 | 58,272 |
| September 10 | 4:30 pm | at Georgia | No. 12 | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (rivalry) | ESPN | W 45–42 | 92,746 |
| September 17 | 6:00 pm | Navy* | No. 10 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | ESPN2 | W 24–21 | 78,807 |
| September 24 | 7:00 pm | Vanderbilt | No. 12 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | ESPN2 | W 21–3 | 77,015 |
| October 1 | 3:30 pm | Auburn | No. 10 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | CBS | L 13–16 | 81,767 |
| October 8 | 12:21 pm | Kentucky | No. 18 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | SECN | W 54–3 | 75,838 |
| October 15 | 12:21 pm | at Mississippi State | No. 15 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | SECN | W 14–12 | 55,418 |
| October 29 | 7:15 pm | at Tennessee | No. 14 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | ESPN2 | W 14–3 | 96,655 |
| November 5 | 7:15 pm | at No. 8 Arkansas | No. 10 | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback StadiumFayetteville, AR | ESPN | L 28–44 | 73,804 |
| November 12 | 12:00 pm | Florida | No. 15 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | CBS | W 17–12 | 80,250 |
| November 19 | 12:00 pm | The Citadel* | No. 14 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | FSS | W 41–20 | 76,816 |
| November 26 | 7:45 pm | No. 18 Clemson* | No. 14 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC (Palmetto Bowl) | ESPN | W 34–13 | 83,442 |
| January 2 | 1:00 pm | vs. No. 21 Nebraska* | No. 10 | Citrus BowlOrlando, FL (Capital One Bowl) | ESPN | W 30–13 | 61,351 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### East Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| East Carolina | 7 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 37 |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 14 | 28 | 14 | 56 |

### Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 45 |
| Georgia | 6 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 42 |

### Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Navy | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| • South Carolina | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |

### Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vanderbilt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### Auburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Auburn | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |

### Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • South Carolina | 7 | 13 | 13 | 21 | 54 |

### Mississippi State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Mississippi State | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
Marcus Lattimore was injured during this game and he remained out for the remainder of the season.

### Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

### Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| South Carolina | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| • Arkansas | 10 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 44 |

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Florida | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |

### The Citadel

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| The Citadel | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| • South Carolina | 7 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 41 |

### vs No. 17 Clemson (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Clemson | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| No. 12 South Carolina | 10 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina
* Date: Saturday, November 26, 2011
* Game time: 7:45 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather: Clear
* TV: ESPN
| Statistics | CLEM | SC |
| First downs | 12 | 19 |
| Total yards | 60–153 | 73–420 |
| Rushing yards | 30–70 | 53–210 |
| Passing yards | 117 | 226 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–30–1 | 14–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 14:03 | 22:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Clemson | Passing | Tahj Boyd | 11/29, 83 yards, TD, INT |
| Clemson | Rushing | Andre Ellington | 13 carries, 66 yards |
| Clemson | Receiving | Sammy Watkins | 4 receptions, 39 yards |
| South Carolina | Passing | Connor Shaw | 14/20, 210 yards, 3 TD |
| South Carolina | Rushing | Connor Shaw | 19 carries, 107 yards, TD |
| South Carolina | Receiving | Bruce Ellington | 3 receptions, 71 yards, TD |

### Capital One Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| • South Carolina | 9 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 30 |

## Players
### Depth chart

Projected starters and primary backups versus Clemson on November 26, 2011.
Defense :
* FS
* D. J. Swearinger
* Jimmy Legree
| WLB | MLB | SLB |
| ⋅ | Shaq Wilson | ⋅ |
| Quin Smith | Rodney Paulk | ⋅ |
* SS
* DeVonte Holloman
* Brison Williams
* CB
* C.C. Whitlock
* Marty Markett
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Melvin Ingram | Kelcy Quarles | Travian Robertson | Devin Taylor |
| Jadeveon Clowney | Aldrick Fordham | Byron Jerideau | Chaz Sutton |
* CB
* Stephon Gilmore
* Victor Hampton
Offense :
* WR
* Alshon Jeffery
* Nick Jones
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Rokevious Watkins | A. J. Cann | T.J. Johnson | Terrence Campbell | Mike Matulis |
| Mike Matulis | Kyle Harris | Travis Ford | Ronald Patrick | Cody Gibson |
* TE
* Justice Cunningham
* Rory Anderson
* WR
* Ace Sanders
* Bruce Ellington
* QB
* Connor Shaw
* Dylan Thompson
* Key reserves
* RB Eric Baker
* WR DeAngelo Smith
* WR Lamar Scruggs
* WR Damiere Byrd
* WR D.L. Moore
* WR Jason Barnes
* DE Byron McKnight
* LB Qua Gilchrist
* RB
* Brandon Wilds
* Kenny Miles
* FB
* Dalton Wilson
* Connor McLaurin
* Special teams
* PK Jay Wooten
* P Joey Scribner-Howard
* KR Bruce Ellington
* PR Ace Sanders
* LS Walker Inabinet
* H Seth Strickland

### Awards

* Antonio Allen – AP Second-Team All-SEC; AP Second-Team All-American
* A.J. Cann – Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team
* Jadeveon Clowney – Coaches Second-Team All-SEC; Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team; SEC Freshman of the Year; Sporting News All-Freshman Team
* Bruce Ellington – SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, 10/17/11; Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team
* Melvin Ingram – Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, 9/11/11; SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 9/12/11; SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 9/26/11; SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 10/3/11; AP & Coaches First-Team All-SEC; AFCA All-American Team; Walter Camp First-Team All-American; AP First-Team All-American; Sporting News All-American Team
* Alshon Jeffery – AP Second-Team All-SEC; Capital One Bowl MVP
* Marcus Lattimore – SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 9/19/11; AP & Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
* Mike Matulis – Sporting News All-Freshman Team
* Travian Robertson – SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, 10/14/11
* Connor Shaw – SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 10/10/11; SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 11/28/11
* D.J. Swearinger – SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, 10/17/11
* Rokevious Watkins – SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/5/11; AP First-Team All-SEC; Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
* Brandon Wilds – SEC Freshman of the Week, 10/31/11
* Dalton Wilson – Capital One Academic All-America Second Team

### 2011 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Jerell Adams TE | Summerton, SC | Scotts Branch HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.53 | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Rory Anderson TE | Powder Springs, GA | McEachern HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.65 | Jan 19, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| K.J. Brent WR | Waxhaw, NC | Marvin Ridge HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.5 | Apr 14, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Kaleb Broome OL | Milledgeville, GA | Georgia Military College | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | 4.97 | Jul 23, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: - |||||||
| Damiere Byrd WR | Sicklerville, NJ | Timber Creek HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 4.27 | Feb 4, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Shon Carson RB | Scranton, SC | Lake City HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.4 | Oct 10, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Ahmad Christian DB | Jacksonville, FL | Trinity Christian HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.5 | Jan 23, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Jadeveon Clowney DE | Rock Hill, SC | South Pointe HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 4.6 | Feb 14, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 95 |||||||
| Cedrick Cooper LB | Lithonia, GA | Lithonia HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.5 | Feb 2, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Gerald Dixon DE | Rock Hill, SC | South Pointe HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | - | Jan 4, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Gerald Dixon, Jr. DT | Rock Hill, SC | Northwestern HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | 5.0 | Jan 4, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 71 |||||||
| Phillip Dukes DT | Manning, SC | Manning HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | 5.0 | Feb 1, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Deon Green DT | Orlando, FL | Olympia HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | - | Jun 29, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Kyle Harris OT | Lindale, GA | Pepperell HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | 4.97 | Nov 7, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Mason Harris LB | Rossville, GA | Ridgeland HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.5 | Jun 7, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Shamier Jeffery WR | St. Matthews, SC | Calhoun County HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.6 | Nov 29, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Kadetrix Marcus DB | Stone Mountain, GA | Stephenson HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.6 | Nov 7, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Ronnie Martin DB | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.4 | Aug 4, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Martay Mattox ATH | Athens, GA | Clarke Central HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.5 | May 17, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Mike Matulis OT | Lake Worth, FL | Park Vista HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | 5.1 | Jul 24, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Tanner McEvoy QB | Oradell, NJ | Bergen Catholic HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.6 | Jan 20, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Quincy McKinney OL | Columbus, GA | Carver HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | - | Aug 25, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Edward Muldrow LB | Snellville, GA | South Gwinnett HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.7 | Jun 19, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Drew Owens TE | Charlotte, NC | Ardrey Kell HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | 4.8 | Dec 20, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Kelcy Quarles DT | Fork Union, VA | Fork Union Military Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | - | Nov 24, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: - |||||||
| Marcquis Roberts LB | Powder Springs, GA | McEachern HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.7 | Jan 19, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Sheldon Royster DB | Jersey City, NJ | St. Peter's Prep | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | - | Jan 20, 2011 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Brandon Shell OL | Charleston, SC | Goose Creek HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | 5.35 | Nov 1, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Will Sport OL | Pace, FL | Pace HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | - | Oct 4, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Angelo Watley LB | Suwanee, GA | Peachtree Ridge HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | - | Jun 25, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Brandon Wilds RB | Blythewood, SC | Blythewood HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.5 | Aug 19, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Brison Williams DB | Fork Union, VA | Fork Union Military Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | - | Aug 25, 2010 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: - |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 12 Rivals: 18 ESPN: 15 |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "South Carolina Signee List 2011". Rivals.com. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: South Carolina". Scout.com. "2011 Player Signees- South Carolina". ESPN.com. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. "2011 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## NCAA investigation

The University of South Carolina was investigated in 2011 by the NCAA after it came to light that student-athletes (including some football players) had received an estimated $59,000 in impermissible benefits, mainly the result of discounted living expenses at a local hotel. The school imposed its own punishment, paying $18,500 in fines and cutting three football scholarships in each of the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The school also reduced its official visits for the 2012–13 year, from 56 to 30. The NCAA ruled this self-imposed punishment as adequate, stating that "the violations were limited in scope" and "there was no unethical conduct in this case", and went on to praise the school's handling of the affair, with the chairman of the NCAA infractions committee stating, "This has been one of the best cases I have seen from a process standpoint. . . . In this case, it was obvious to the committee that the university wanted to get to the truth." The commissioner went on to state that USC "wanted to ask all the hard questions of all the right people and, in some cases, they even went beyond what the NCAA staff was doing."

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| Coaches | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 8 |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 15 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 9 | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 14 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | Not released |

## Coaching staff

* Steve Spurrier – Head coach
* Ellis Johnson – Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator
* Lorenzo Ward – Defensive coordinator, cornerbacks coach
* John Butler – Special teams coordinator
* Shawn Elliott – Offensive line coach, running game coordinator
* Craig Fitzgerald – Strength & conditioning coach
* Jay Graham – Running backs and tight ends coach
* Jeep Hunter – Safeties coach
* Brad Lawing – Defensive line coach
* G. A. Mangus – Quarterbacks coach
* Steve Spurrier, Jr. – Wide receivers coach