2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Capital One Bowl champion
Capital One Bowl, W 30–13 vs. Nebraska
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 8
AP	No. 9
Record	11–2 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach	Steve Spurrier (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Ellis Johnson (4th season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Williams-Brice Stadium (Capacity: 80,250)
Seasons ←  2010 2012  →

2011 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 19 Georgia x		7	–	1					10	–	4
No. 9 South Carolina		6	–	2					11	–	2
Florida		3	–	5					7	–	6
Vanderbilt		2	–	6					6	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					5	–	7
Tennessee		1	–	7					5	–	7
Western Division
No. 2 LSU x$		8	–	0					13	–	1
No. 1 Alabama  %#		7	–	1					12	–	1
No. 5 Arkansas		6	–	2					11	–	2
Auburn		4	–	4					8	–	5
Mississippi State		2	–	6					7	–	6
Ole Miss*		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: LSU 42, Georgia 10
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions * Ole Miss vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Rankings from AP Poll

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 are a member of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference and finished 11-2 for the season and 6–2 in SEC play. While they finished undefeated against the East Division, a 13–16 loss to Auburn and a 28–44 loss to Arkansas left them second in the division standings behind Georgia. In the Capital One Bowl, they defeated Nebraska 30–13. The 11 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 10 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.

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 Stadium Charlotte, NC	FSN	W 56–37	58,272
September 10	4:30 pm	at Georgia	No. 12	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	ESPN	W 45–42	92,746
September 17	6:00 pm	Navy *	No. 10	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN2	W 24–21	78,807
September 24	7:00 pm	Vanderbilt	No. 12	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN2	W 21–3	77,015
October 1	3:30 pm	Auburn	No. 10	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	CBS	L 13–16	81,767
October 8	12:21 pm	Kentucky	No. 18	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 54–3	75,838
October 15	12:21 pm	at Mississippi State	No. 15	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECN	W 14–12	55,418
October 29	7:15 pm	at Tennessee	No. 14	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 14–3	96,655
November 5	7:15 pm	at No. 8 Arkansas	No. 10	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	ESPN	L 28–44	73,804
November 12	12:00 pm	Florida	No. 15	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	CBS	W 17–12	80,250
November 19	12:00 pm	The Citadel *	No. 14	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	FSS	W 41–20	76,816
November 26	7:45 pm	No. 18 Clemson *	No. 14	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (Palmetto Bowl)	ESPN	W 34–13	83,442
January 2	1:00 pm	vs. No. 21 Nebraska *	No. 10	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL (Capital One Bowl)	ESPN	W 30–13	61,351
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

East Carolina

See also: 2011 East Carolina Pirates football team

1 2 3 4 Total East Carolina 7 17 7 6 37 •South Carolina 0 14 28 14 56 Date: September 3 Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Georgia

See also: 2011 Georgia Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total •South Carolina 0 14 14 17 45 Georgia 6 7 7 22 42 Date: September 10 Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA

Navy

See also: 2011 Navy Midshipmen football team

1 2 3 4 Total Navy 7 7 7 0 21 •South Carolina 7 10 0 7 24 Date: September 17 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Vanderbilt

See also: 2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 3 0 0 0 3 •South Carolina 0 14 7 0 21 Date: September 24 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Auburn

See also: 2011 Auburn Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total •Auburn 3 6 0 7 16 South Carolina 6 0 7 0 13 Date: October 1 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Kentucky

See also: 2011 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 3 0 0 0 3 •South Carolina 7 13 13 21 54 Date: October 8 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Mississippi State

See also: 2011 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total •South Carolina 0 7 0 7 14 Mississippi State 7 0 0 5 12 Date: October 15 Location: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS

Marcus Lattimore was injured during this game and he remained out for the remainder of the season.

Tennessee

See also: 2011 Tennessee Volunteers football team

1 2 3 4 Total •South Carolina 0 7 7 0 14 Tennessee 3 0 0 0 3 Date: October 29 Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Arkansas

See also: 2011 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

1 2 3 4 Total South Carolina 7 7 7 7 28 •Arkansas 10 14 6 14 44 Date: November 5 Location: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR

Florida

See also: 2011 Florida Gators football team

1 2 3 4 Total Florida 3 0 3 6 12 •South Carolina 0 14 0 3 17 Date: November 12 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

The Citadel

See also: 2011 The Citadel Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total The Citadel 7 6 0 7 20 •South Carolina 7 13 7 14 41 Date: November 19 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Clemson

See also: 2011 Clemson Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total Clemson 0 10 0 3 13 •South Carolina 10 7 7 10 34 Date: November 26 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Capital One Bowl

See also: 2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team and 2012 Capital One Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total Nebraska 13 0 0 0 13 •South Carolina 9 7 0 14 30 Date: January 2 Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL

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; ^[1] AP Second-Team All-American ^[2]
• A.J. Cann – Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team ^[3]
• Jadeveon Clowney – Coaches Second-Team All-SEC; ^[4] Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team; ^[5] SEC Freshman of the Year; ^[6] Sporting News All-Freshman Team ^[7]
• Bruce Ellington – SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, 10/17/11; ^[8] Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team ^[9]
• Melvin Ingram – Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, 9/11/11; ^[10] SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 9/12/11; ^[11] SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 9/26/11; ^[12] SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 10/3/11; ^[13] AP & Coaches First-Team All-SEC; ^{[14] [15]} AFCA All-American Team; ^[16] Walter Camp First-Team All-American; ^[17] AP First-Team All-American; ^[18] Sporting News All-American Team ^[19]
• Alshon Jeffery – AP Second-Team All-SEC; ^[20] Capital One Bowl MVP
• Marcus Lattimore – SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 9/19/11; ^[21] AP & Coaches Second-Team All-SEC ^{[22] [23]}
• Mike Matulis – Sporting News All-Freshman Team ^[24]
• Travian Robertson – SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, 10/14/11 ^[25]
• Connor Shaw – SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 10/10/11; ^[26] SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 11/28/11 ^[27]
• D.J. Swearinger – SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, 10/17/11 ^[28]
• Rokevious Watkins – SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/5/11; ^[29] AP First-Team All-SEC; ^[30] Coaches Second-Team All-SEC ^[31]
• Brandon Wilds – SEC Freshman of the Week, 10/31/11 ^[32]
• Dalton Wilson – Capital One Academic All-America Second Team ^[33]

2011 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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
	Recruiting 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.

Rankings

See also: 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.

	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						15	13	14	11	16	15	13	14	9	Not released
BCS	Not released							14	13	9	13	12	12	12	9	Not released

Coaching staff

• Steve Spurrier – Head coach ^[34]
• Ellis Johnson – Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator ^[35]
• Lorenzo Ward – Defensive coordinator, cornerbacks coach ^[36]
• John Butler – Special teams coordinator ^[37]
• Shawn Elliott – Offensive line coach, running game coordinator ^[38]
• Craig Fitzgerald – Strength & conditioning coach ^[39]
• Jay Graham – Running backs and tight ends coach ^[40]
• Jeep Hunter – Safeties coach ^[41]
• Brad Lawing – Defensive line coach ^[42]
• G.A. Mangus – Quarterbacks coach ^[43]
• Steve Spurrier, Jr. – Wide receivers coach ^[44]

References

1. Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
2. Ingram Named First-Team AP All-American
3. Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
4. Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
5. Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
6. Clowney Named Freshman of the Year
7. Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
8. Swearinger, Ellington Honored by SEC
9. Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
10. Ingram Honored as Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week
11. Ingram Honored by SEC
12. Ingram Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
13. Ingram Earns SEC Honors Again
14. Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
15. Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
16. Ingram Named AFCA All-American
17. Ingram Named to First Team Walter Camp All-America Squad
18. Ingram Named First-Team AP All-American
19. Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
20. Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
21. Lattimore Honored For Performance
22. Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
23. Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
24. Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
25. Robertson Honored By SEC
26. Shaw Earns SEC Accolades
27. Shaw Honored by SEC
28. Swearinger, Ellington Honored by SEC
29. Watkins Named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week
30. Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
31. Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
32. Wilds Named Freshman of the Week
33. Dalton Wilson Named to Capital One Academic All-America Second Team
34. "Bio: Steve Spurrier". Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
35. "Bio: Ellis Johnson". Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
36. "Bio: Lorenzo Ward". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
37. Bio: John Butler
38. Bio: Shawn Elliott
39. "Bio: Craig Fitzgerald". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
40. "Bio: Jay Graham". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
41. Bio: Jeep Hunter
42. "Bio: Brad Lawing". Archived from the original on 2008-12-25. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
43. "Bio: G.A. Mangus". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
44. "Bio: Steve Spurrier, Jr". Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2011-09-01.