2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his sixth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina and were members of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks finished the season 9–5, 5–3 in SEC play to win the East Division. They earned their first appearance in the SEC Championship where they were defeated by Auburn 17–56 . They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where they were defeated by Florida State 17–26. Preseason. On April 10, 2010, the White squad defeated the Garnet squad, 21–17, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 22,000. Schedule. The October 9 game against Alabama played host to ESPN's College GameDay, the program's 5th time hosting the popular ESPN show. Game summaries. Southern Miss. Quarterback Stephen Garcia and freshman running back Marcus Lattimore each rushed for two touchdowns and USC head coach Steve Spurrier won his 18th straight season opener, 41-13  over Southern Miss. Sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffery also had 106 receiving yards and freshman wide receiver Ace Sanders had a 53-yard run off of a reverse. Freshman backup quarterback Connor Shaw also had a highlight, throwing his first touchdown pass as a Gamecock to wide receiver D.L. Moore. Georgia. Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore carried for 182 yards and two touchdowns, as #24 South Carolina outmatched #22 Georgia, 17-6, in the SEC opener for both teams. Quarterback Stephen Garcia was 12-17 for 165 yards, with seven of his passes caught by wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who  finished with 103 yards. Lattimore had 103 yards rushing in the first half, and USC held a 228-73 edge in total yards after the first two quarters. Georgia's 6 points were the fewest allowed by Carolina to a Bulldog team since a 2-0 USC victory in 1904, and the Gamecock defense held the Bulldogs to 61 rushing yards. Head Coach Steve Spurrier won his 106th SEC game, tying him for second all-time in the conference with former Ole Miss coach Johnny Vaught. Furman. Stephen Garcia went 13-20 for 150 yards with two touchdown passes, and  Marcus Lattimore had 19 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown to lead the #13 Gamecocks to a 38-19 win over Furman. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore sealed the game with an 80-yard interception return for touchdown in the 4th quarter. Alabama. USC toppled Alabama at home to notch their first defeat of a top-ranked team in school history. Players. Depth chart. Projected starters and primary backups for SEC Championship Game versus Auburn on December 4, 2010.