2013 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

2013 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Palmetto Bowl champion
Capital One Bowl, W 34–24 vs. Wisconsin
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 4
AP	No. 4
Record	11–2 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach	Steve Spurrier (9th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Steve Spurrier Jr. (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Shawn Elliot (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Lorenzo Ward (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Williams-Brice Stadium
Seasons ←  2012 2014  →

2013 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 5 Missouri x		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 4 South Carolina		6	–	2					11	–	2
Georgia		5	–	3					8	–	5
No. 24 Vanderbilt		4	–	4					9	–	4
Florida		3	–	5					4	–	8
Tennessee		2	–	6					5	–	7
Kentucky		0	–	8					2	–	10
Western Division
No. 2 Auburn xy$		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 7 Alabama x%		7	–	1					11	–	2
No. 14 LSU *		5	–	3					10	–	3
No. 18 Texas A&M		4	–	4					9	–	4
Mississippi State		3	–	5					7	–	6
Ole Miss *		3	–	5					8	–	5
Arkansas		0	–	8					3	–	9
Championship: Auburn 59, Missouri 42
$ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * LSU and Ole Miss vacated all wins (except for Ole Miss' Music City Bowl win) due to NCAA violations. Rankings from AP Poll

The 2013 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks competed as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as part of its East Division. The team was led by head coach Steve Spurrier, in his ninth year, and played its home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Entering the season, the Gamecocks had lost a school-record thirteen players to the last two NFL drafts, ^[1] but returned several key players such as senior quarterback Connor Shaw, ^[2] defensive sensation Jadeveon Clowney, ^[3] wide receiver Bruce Ellington, ^[4] and running back Mike Davis. ^[5] South Carolina started highly ranked, like the previous two seasons, but lost an early contest on the road at No. 11 Georgia, the program's first loss to the Bulldogs since 2009. ^{[6] [7]} The Gamecocks won their next four games but then stumbled again, losing on the road to unranked Tennessee, the program's first loss to an unranked team since 2011. ^[6] They subsequently fell to No. 20 in the country, their lowest ranking since 2010. ^{[6] [8]}

However, South Carolina had its best finish to a season in program history. ^[9] On the road at undefeated No. 5 Missouri, the Gamecocks started 0–17. ^[10] An injured Connor Shaw subsequently came in to replace Dylan Thompson, and engineered a 17-point comeback in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. ^[10] South Carolina won in double overtime after Missouri's kicker missed a field goal, giving the Gamecocks the first overtime victory in school history, ^{[6] [10] [11]} known since as the "Miracle at Mizzou". ^{[12] [13] [14]} The Gamecocks won the next three games at home against unranked teams, climbing back into the top ten. ^[6] In the highest-ranked Palmetto Bowl ever, South Carolina beat No. 6 Clemson at home, a school-record fifth consecutive victory against the Tigers. ^{[6] [15]} Connor Shaw won his final home game, finishing 17–0 at Williams–Brice Stadium. ^[2] South Carolina was invited to play No. 19 Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl to end the season. ^[6] The Gamecocks defeated the Badgers, with Shaw scoring all five of his team's touchdowns in the final game of his college career. ^{[6] [16]} South Carolina finished with eleven wins, becoming only the twelfth team in college football history to win eleven games in three straight seasons. ^{[17] [18]} The Gamecocks finished the season ranked No. 4, which remains the highest final ranking in school history. ^{[19] [20]}

The 2013 Gamecocks had statistically the best offense in school history, averaging 34.1 points and a school-record 452.3 yards per game. ^{[21] [22]} Connor Shaw was a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, ^[23] while Mike Davis had the fourth highest single-season rushing total in school history. ^[24]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	6:00 pm	North Carolina *	No. 6	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN	W 27–10	81,572
September 7	4:30 pm	at No. 11 Georgia	No. 6	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	ESPN	L 30–41	92,746
September 14	7:00 pm	Vanderbilt	No. 12	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN	W 35–25	81,371
September 28	12:00 pm	at UCF *	No. 12	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	ABC	W 28–25	47,605
October 5	7:30 pm	Kentucky	No. 13	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECRN	W 35–28	82,313
October 12	12:21 pm	at Arkansas	No. 14	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	SECTV	W 52–7	66,302
October 19	12:00 pm	at Tennessee	No. 11	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN	L 21–23	95,736
October 26	7:00 pm	at No. 5 Missouri	No. 20	Faurot Field Columbia, MO (Mayor's Cup)	ESPN	W 27–24 2OT	67,124
November 2	12:21 pm	Mississippi State	No. 14	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECTV	W 34–16	82,111
November 16	7:00 pm	Florida	No. 11	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPN2	W 19–14	83,853
November 23	1:00 pm	No. 11 (FCS) Coastal Carolina *	No. 12	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	PPV	W 70–10	81,411
November 30	7:00 pm	No. 6 Clemson *	No. 10	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (Palmetto Bowl)	ESPN2	W 31–17	84,174
January 1, 2014	1:00 pm	vs. No. 19 Wisconsin *	No. 8	Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium Orlando, FL (Capital One Bowl)	ABC	W 34–24	56,629
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source: ^[25]

Players

Depth chart

Projected starters and primary backups versus Mississippi State on November 2, 2013.

Defense FS Chaz Elder T.J. Gurley WLB MLB SLB ⋅ Marquis Roberts ⋅ Kaiwan Lewis Skai Moore ⋅ SS Brison Williams Kadetrix Marcus CB Victor Hampton (American football) Ahmad Christian DE DT DT DE Chaz Sutton J.T. Surratt Kelcy Quarles Jadeveon Clowney Gerald Dixon Gerald Dixon, Jr. Phillip Dukes Darius English CB Jimmy Legree Rico McWilliams Offense WR Damiere Byrd Nick Jones LT LG C RG RT Corey Robinson (offensive tackle) A.J. Cann Cody Waldrop Ronald Patrick Brandon Shell Mason Zandi Brock Stadnik Clayton Stadnik Will Sport Cody Gibson TE Rory Anderson Jerell Adams WR Bruce Ellington Shaq Roland QB Connor Shaw Dylan Thompson Key reserves WR Pharoh Cooper WR Shamier Jeffery WR K.J. Brent WR Kane Whitehurst TE Mason Zandi DE Mason Harris LB Jonathan Walton LB Cedrick Cooper RB Mike Davis Shon Carson FB Connor McLaurin Jordan Diaz Special teams PK Elliot Fry P Tyler Hull KR Pharoh Cooper PR Pharoh Cooper LS Drew Williams H Patrick Fish

Awards

• A.J. Cann – SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/30/13 ^[26]
• Mike Davis – AgSouth Athlete of the Week, 9/30/13 ^[27]
• Elliott Fry – SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 10/28/13; ^[28] SEC Freshman of the Week, 11/18/13 ^[29]
• Victor Hampton – SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 11/4/13 ^[30]
• Kelcy Quarles – SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, 10/28/13 ^[28]
• Connor Shaw – AgSouth Athlete of the Week, 9/16/13; ^[31] AgSouth Athlete of the Week, 10/28/13; ^[32] Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week, 10/28/13; ^[28] SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 10/28/13 ^[28]
• Clayton Stadnik – SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/16/13 ^[33]

Game summaries

North Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tar Heels	0	7	3	0	10
#6 Gamecocks	17	3	7	0	27

See also: 2013 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

Georgia

	1	2	3	4	Total
#6 Gamecocks	3	21	0	6	30
#11 Bulldogs	10	14	10	7	41

See also: 2013 Georgia Bulldogs football team and Georgia–South Carolina football rivalry

Vanderbilt

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	10	0	15	25
#12 Gamecocks	21	7	7	0	35

See also: 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

UCF

	1	2	3	4	Total
#12 Gamecocks	0	0	14	14	28
Knights	7	3	0	15	25

See also: 2013 UCF Knights football team

Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	7	0	21	28
#13 Gamecocks	14	10	3	8	35

See also: 2013 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
#14 Gamecocks	10	14	14	14	52
Razorbacks	7	0	0	0	7

See also: 2013 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
#11 Gamecocks	0	7	14	0	21
Volunteers	3	14	0	6	23

See also: 2013 Tennessee Volunteers football team

Missouri

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
#20 Gamecocks	0	0	0	17	7	3	27
#5 Tigers	7	7	3	0	7	0	24

See also: 2013 Missouri Tigers football team

Mississippi State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	7	3	0	6	16
#14 Gamecocks	14	3	17	0	34

See also: 2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Gators	7	7	0	0	14
#11 Gamecocks	3	3	7	6	19

See also: 2013 Florida Gators football team

Coastal Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chanticleers	0	7	0	3	10
#12 Gamecocks	28	14	21	7	70

See also: 2013 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team

Clemson

	1	2	3	4	Total
#6 Tigers	7	3	7	0	17
#10 Gamecocks	7	10	0	14	31

See also: 2013 Clemson Tigers football team and Clemson–South Carolina rivalry

Wisconsin (Capital One Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
#19 Badgers	0	14	3	7	24
#8 Gamecocks	7	6	7	14	34

See also: 2013 Wisconsin Badgers football team and 2014 Capital One Bowl

Rankings

See also: 2013 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	15	Final
AP	6	6	13	12	12	13	14	11	20	14	13	11	12	10	8	8	4
Coaches	7	6	14	13	13	12	12	9	20	16	15	12	11	9	7	8	4
Harris	Not released							11	20	17	15	12	12	10	8	8	Not released
BCS	Not released								21	14	12	10	11	10	8	9	Not released

Coaching staff

South Carolina Gamecocks offense (in white) prepares to snap the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks defense

• Steve Spurrier – Head coach ^[34]
• Lorenzo Ward – Defensive coordinator ^[35]
• Deke Adams – Defensive line coach ^[36]
• Kirk Botkin – Linebackers, spurs coach ^[37]
• Grady Brown – Secondary coach, assistant special teams coordinator ^[38]
• Shawn Elliott – Co-offensive coordinator, offensive line coach ^[39]
• G. A. Mangus – Quarterbacks coach ^[40]
• Joe Robinson – Special teams coordinator, tight ends coach ^[41]
• Everette Sands – Running backs coach ^[42]
• Steve Spurrier, Jr. – Recruiting coordinator, wide receivers coach ^[43]

References

1. "DraftHistory.com". www.drafthistory.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
2. "Connor Shaw". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
3. "Jadeveon Clowney". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
4. Bennett, Charles. "South Carolina Football: Bruce Ellington's Head Finally Overrules His Heart". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
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12. Kendall, Josh (September 23, 2014). "'Miracle at Mizzou': The night Connor Shaw rescued the Gamecocks". The State. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
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14. Kendall, Josh (October 29, 2013). "Gamecocks' history sprinkled with comeback victories". The State. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
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16. "South Carolina 34-24 Wisconsin (Jan 1, 2014) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
17. "South Carolina Gamecocks College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
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21. "Shawn Elliott". University of South Carolina Athletics. February 16, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
22. "South Carolina Football's GOAT Series: Top-10 greatest offenses of all-time". Garnet and Cocky. May 19, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
23. "Connor Shaw". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
24. "Kevin Long, the Gamecocks' first 1,000-yard rusher, has died". Yahoo Sports. September 11, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
25. "2013 South Carolina football schedule". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
26. "Cann Selected as SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. September 30, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
27. "Mike Davis Named AgSouth Athlete of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. September 30, 2013. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
28. "Weekly Honors Pour in for Gamecocks". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. October 28, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
29. "Fry Named SEC Freshman of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. November 18, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
30. "Hampton Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
31. "Connor Shaw Named AgSouth Athlete of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. September 16, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
32. "Connor Shaw Named AgSouth Athlete of the Week". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. October 28, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
33. "Clayton Stadnik Earns SEC Accolades". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. September 16, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
34. "Bio: Steve Spurrier". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
35. "Bio: Lorenzo Ward". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
36. "Bio: Deke Adams". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
37. "Bio: Kirk Botkin". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
38. "Bio: Grady Brown". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
39. "Bio: Shawn Elliott". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
40. "Bio: G.A. Mangus". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
41. "Bio: Joe Robinson". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
42. "Bio: Everette Sands". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
43. "Bio: Steve Spurrier, Jr". University of South Carolina Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 31, 2013.