University of South Carolina Football Facts and History
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- South Carolina’s first football game was in 1892 when the team nicknamed the “College Boys” played Furman in a Christmas Eve
contest that was played in Charleston.
- The Gamecocks earned their first bowl game appearance when Coach McMillan’s squad was invited to play in the Gator Bowl
following the 1945 season. South Carolina lost that game 26-14 to Wake Forest. The Cocks first bowl victory was earned with a
24-21 win over West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl that followed the 1994 campaign.
- South Carolina’s biggest Rival: USC Gamecocks fans get most fired up about their annual contest that’s called the “Palmetto
Bowl.” Up until 1959, the South Carolina vs. Clemson game was played in Columbia each year and was known as “Big
Thursday.” These two instate rivals first met in 1896.
- Gamecocks home football games are played at Williams-Brice Stadium. The 80,250 seat stadium is traditionally packed with fans
proudly wearing their USC Garnet and Black Colors. The stadium’s nickname is “The Cockpit.” The stadium was built in 1934 and
originally seated 17,600 people. One of college football’s best traditions takes place at Williams-Brice Stadium when the theme
from 2001: A Space Odyssey is played as the team runs onto the field at the start of every game.
- South Carolina Heisman Winners: Gamecocks running back George Rogers won college football’s top award in 1980. The
bruising tailback gained 1,781 yards rushing on his way to the Heisman Trophy winning season. Rogers beat out an impressive
group of Heisman finalist that included Hugh Green and Herschel Walker. During halftime ceremonies of South Carolina’s final
1980 home game, Rogers #38 jersey was retired. Rogers later became the first pick of the 1981 NFL Draft when the New Orleans
Saints selected him. The former Gamecock became the 1981 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was a two-time Pro Bowl
selection (1981, 1982).
- University of South Carolina retired football jerseys: Along with George Rogers retired #38, three additional individuals have had
their number honored. The group includes the #37 worn by Steve Wadiak (1948-51), #56 donned by Mike Johnson (1964), and the
#2 Gamecocks jersey worn by Sterling Sharpe (1983, 85-87).
- South Carolina conference affiliations: Prior to the Cocks joining the SEC in 1992, the program have participated in other athletic
conferences. The school played in the ACC Conference from 1953 through 1970. The university competed as a major
independent from 1971 through 1991.
- National Coaches of the Year: Two former coaches earned first place national coaching honors while wearing USC Garnet and
Black. Morrison was the Walter Camp Foundation’s National College Football Coach of the Year when he coached his squad to a
10-2 record. Head Coach Lou Holtz won National Coach of the Year honors in 2000 from the American Football Coaches Quarterly
and Football news when he engineered a tremendous turnaround is the Gamecocks football program. After his first USC squad
went 1-10 in 1999, Holtz guided the 2000 team to an 8-4 record. That turnaround is one of the most dramatic ones in college
football history.
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