South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in the sport of American football . The Gamecocks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association ( NCAA ) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . Steve Spurrier is the current head coach , and the team plays its home games at Williams - Brice Stadium , also known as " The Cockpit " . Currently , it is the 20th largest stadium in college football . South Carolina ' s SEC tenure has been highlighted by an SEC East title in 2010 , Final Top - 25 rankings in 2000 , 2001 , 2010 and 2011 ( AP No . 19 , No . 13 , No . 22 and No . 9 ) , and three wins over Top - 5 SEC opponents ( No . 4 Ole Miss in 2009 , No . 1 Alabama in 2010 , and No . 5 Georgia in 2012 ) . 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 three members of the College Football Hall of Fame in Rogers , Holtz and Spurrier . Carolina has 17 bowl appearances , with a 5 - 12 record . Program History . Early Days of Carolina Football . 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 its own train fare as well as buy its 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 . USC won its first game during the third season of the sport on November 2 , 1895 against Columbia AA . The football team got its 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 , coached by Board of Trustees member Douglas McKay , competed in an abbreviated season and won all three games it played . 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 gave up coaching duties in 1955 due to health reasons , but remained as Athletic Director . He retired with the distinction of being both the winningest and losingest coach in school history ( 64 - 69 - 7 ) . Warren Giese was hired as head coach in 1956 , and he led 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 . Marvin Bass was named head coach in 1961 , and his 5 - year tenure produced a 17 - 29 - 4 overall record . Paul Dietzel Era ( 1966 - 1974 ) . Paul Dietzel arrived in Columbia prior to the 1966 season , having previously coached at LSU and Army . In 1969 , he led the Gamecocks to an ACC championship and an appearance in the Peach Bowl . As a result , Dietzel was named ACC Coach of the Year that season . Soon after , South Carolina left the ACC and became an Independent program prior to the 1971 season . Dietzel finished his USC tenure with a 42 - 53 - 1 overall record ( 18 - 10 - 1 ACC ) . In addition to the 1969 ACC title , Dietzel ' s legacies at Carolina include his improvement of athletic facilities and his penning of a new fight song , which is still used to this day ( The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way ) . Jim Carlen Era ( 1975 - 1981 ) . 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 during his tenure . The Carlen Era included consecutive 8 - 4 finishes ( 1979 – 1980 ) and only one losing season in seven years . In addition , the 1980 Gamecocks defeated a heavily favored Michigan squad coached by the legendary Bo Schembechler . The 17 - 14 victory in Ann Arbor , which made Rogers a household name , was one of the biggest wins in both the Carlen Era and the program ' s history . Joe Morrison Era ( 1983 - 1988 ) . Joe Morrison was hired in 1983 following a one - year stint by Richard Bell . After a 5 - 6 mark in his first year , the " Man in Black " led South Carolina 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 trip . The 1987 Gamecocks were led by the " Fire Ant " defense , which held seven opponents to 10 or fewer points and 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 . He finished his USC tenure with a 39 - 28 - 2 overall record , three bowl games , and three seasons with 8 or more wins . Due to his on - field success and " Man in Black " image , Morrison remains a popular figure in Gamecock lore . Woods and Scott Eras ( 1989 - 1993 , 1994 - 1998 ) . Following Morrison ' s death , Sparky Woods was hired as head coach in 1989 and coached the Gamecocks until the end of the 1993 season . He posted winning seasons in 1989 and 1990 , but could not produce another winning campaign during his tenure . Woods has the distinction of being South Carolina ' s first head coach in SEC play , as the Gamecocks entered the conference in 1992 . Brad Scott took over as head coach in 1994 and led USC to a 7 - 5 record and a Carquest Bowl victory in his first season . The bowl win was the first post - season victory in the program ' s history . Scott was unable to capitalize on his early success , however , as USC won only six games during his final two seasons in Columbia . Lou Holtz Era ( 1999 - 2004 ) . Lou Holtz was hired as South Carolina ' s head coach in 1999 . He inherited a relatively young SEC program ( joined in 1992 ) that posted only three winning seasons from 1990 - 1998 . USC won just a single game the year before Holtz ' s arrival and , subsequently , went 0 - 11 in his inaugural campaign . 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 . In addition , South Carolina won consecutive Outback Bowl s over Ohio State and produced the most successful two - year run in program history ( at the time ) , going 17 - 7 overall and 10 - 6 in SEC play . The 2000 and 2001 campaigns also saw USC ' s return to the polls , as the Gamecocks turned in # 19 and # 13 rankings in the Final AP ballotings for those years . After consecutive 5 - 7 finishes in 2002 and 2003 ( during which the team was ranked in the Top 25 during the season both years ) , Holtz ended his South Carolina tenure on a winning note with a 6 - 5 record in 2004 . Holtz finished with a 33 - 37 overall record at South Carolina , going 33 - 26 after his first season . In 2005 , USC was placed on 3 - year probation by the NCAA for actions during the coaching tenure of Lou Holtz , all of which were self - reported by the school . Five of these actions were considered major violations , and included such activities as impermissible tutoring and non - voluntary summer workouts as well as a " lack of institutional control " . Coach Holtz pointed out following the close of the investigation , " There was no money involved . No athletes were paid . There were no recruiting inducements . No cars . No jobs offered . No ticket scandal , etc . " Steve Spurrier Era ( 2005 - Present ) . 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 victory over Houston in the Liberty Bowl . South Carolina posted consecutive 7 - 6 records in 2008 and 2009 , returning to postseason play with appearances in the Outback Bowl and PapaJohns . com Bowl . No other coach in the program ' s history has led the program to four bowl games as coach . In 2010 , Spurrier scored another first with the first SEC Eastern Division Championship in school history . On November 13 , 2010 , the Gamecocks defeated Florida 36 - 14 to clinch the division . Prior to this contest , South Carolina had an all - time record of 0 - 12 at The Swamp . Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore rushed for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game . Spurrier got his first win in Gainesville as a Gamecock , received a " Gatorade Bath " from his players , and became the first coach to win the SEC East with two different teams . Earlier in the season , the Gamecocks posted the first win over a # 1 team in program history , with a 35 - 21 victory over top - ranked , defending national champion Alabama . In 2011 , Spurrier led South Carolina to its most successful season in program history . The Gamecocks posted an 11 - 2 overall record , went 6 - 2 in SEC play , and defeated # 20 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl to earn Final Top 10 rankings in the AP and Coaches ' Polls ( # 9 and # 8 , respectively ) . Along the way , Carolina defeated Georgia , Tennessee , Florida , and Clemson , the first time in program history that the Gamecocks beat the " Big 4 " in consecutive seasons . Through the 2011 season , Spurrier has a 55 - 35 overall record as head coach of the Gamecocks . USC was investigated in 2011 - 12 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 . " In 2012 , Steve Spurrier once again led his South Carolina football team to double digit wins during the course of the regular season . The 2012 regular season culminated with the annual season - ending game against arch rival Clemson at Clemson ' s Memorial Stadium . Spurrier and his Gamecocks emerged with a fourth consecutive double - digit victory over the Tigers - a victory which was marked by Spurrier winning his 65th game at Carolina and , in doing so , becoming the winningest coach in Gamecock football history surpassing Rex Enright ' s 64 win total . Championships / Notable Seasons . 1969 ACC Champions . In 1969 , the Gamecocks won the ACC Championship by going undefeated in conference play . In its six ACC matchups , South Carolina outscored its opponents by a 130 - 61 margin . The squad posted a 7 - 4 overall record with a Peach Bowl appearance against West Virginia to close the season ( 14 - 3 loss ) . Two years later , South Carolina left the ACC and competed as an Independent for two decades before joining the SEC in 1992 . 1984 - - " Black Magic " . Led by Coach Morrison , the 1984 Gamecocks became the first team in school history to win 10 games ( 10 - 2 record ) and were ranked as high as # 2 in the polls . . The Gamecocks finished # 11 in the Final AP Poll . Along the way , they defeated Georgia , Pittsburgh , Notre Dame , Florida State , and Clemson to earn an appearance in the Gator Bowl against Oklahoma State ( 21 - 14 loss ) . At the time , the # 11 final ranking was the highest ever achieved by South Carolina . 2010 SEC East Champions . In 2010 , the Gamecocks won their first SEC Eastern Division Championship , going 5 - 3 in conference play . For the first time in school history , they defeated the # 1 ranked team in the country ( Alabama ) and won at Florida in the division - clinching game . The season also included victories over division foes Georgia , Tennessee , and Vanderbilt as well as instate Atlantic Coast Conference rival Clemson . 2011 - - " 11 Wins " . Led by Coach Spurrier , the 2011 Gamecocks achieved its most wins in a single season and finished in the Top 10 for the first time in program history . Carolina posted an 11 - 2 overall record , went 6 - 2 in SEC play , and won the Capital One Bowl to finish # 9 / 8 in the Final AP and Coaches ' Polls ( respectively ) . Along the way , South Carolina defeated Georgia , Tennessee , Florida , and Clemson to extend its winning streak over its biggest rivals to 3 games . This was also the first season that South Carolina posted a 5 - 0 record against their Eastern division opponents . George Rogers Wins the Heisman . South Carolina ' s 1980 season was headlined by senior running back George Rogers ( " Big George " ) , who led the nation in rushing with 1 , 894 yards . For his efforts , the Downtown Athletic Club named Rogers the winner of the 1980 Heisman Trophy award . Rogers beat out an impressive group of players , including Georgia running back Herschel Walker . Rogers also earned spots on eight All - American teams , all First - team honors . Behind the Rogers - led rushing attack , the Gamecocks went 8 - 4 overall and earned an appearance in the Gator Bowl . Rogers is also the recipient of the 1980 Chic Harley Award , the 2004 Walter Camp Alumni of the Year award , a Pro - Bowl selection , an SEC Football Legend , a Super Bowl champion and an NFL Rookie of the Year . Syvelle Newton Joins the " 600 Club " . From 2003 to 2006 , Syvelle Newton played multiple positions for the Gamecocks and left his mark on the national record books in the process . He became one of only four players in college football history to record 600 + yards passing , rushing , and receiving ( each ) in a collegiate career . In Newton ' s four seasons , he posted 2 , 474 passing yards ( 20 TD , 13 INT ) , 786 rushing yards ( 10 TD ) , and 673 receiving yards ( 3 TD ) . He also returned 6 kickoffs for 115 yards ( 19 . 2 average ) and made 18 tackles and an assisted sack in limited defensive action . Logos and uniforms . In the 2009 season , South Carolina wore a special uniform against Florida in support of the Wounded Warrior Project . In the 2011 season , South Carolina wore special uniforms against Auburn in support of the Wounded Warrior Project . In the 2012 season , South Carolina wore special uniforms against LSU in support of the Wounded Warrior Project .