Sept. 18, 2015
The South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1, 0-1 SEC) have their first true road test of the season this week when they travel to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 SEC) in another SEC Eastern Division matchup. Game time for the September 19 contest is set for 6 p.m. at Sanford Stadium (92,746). The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN with Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge in the booth and Holly Rowe on the sidelines. Sports USA will produce a national radio broadcast with John Ahlers handling the play-by-play, Gary Barnett providing the color and Aaron Marks on the sidelines.
A HISTORY LESSON: 2015 marks the 122nd season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 109th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina is 30 games over the .500 mark with an all-time record of 584-554-44. The Gamecocks were nine games under .500 until head coach Steve Spurrier took the reins in 2005, but are 39 games over since that time (85-46).
SEC, SEC: 2015 marks South Carolina’s 24th year of football in the Southeastern Conference. Carolina and Arkansas joined the league prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned their first SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. Carolina was 37-66-1 (.361) in SEC action from 1992-2004, but are 44-37 (.543) in conference play since Coach Spurrier took the reins, including a 21-12 mark since the start of the 2011 season.
CAROLINA VS. GEORGIA: This is the 68th all-time meeting between these two bordering flagship state schools. Only Clemson (112) has faced the Gamecocks more often than Georgia. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series over South Carolina by a 47-18-2 margin. Georgia holds a 27-8 lead in games played in Athens, a 19-10-2 advantage in games played in Columbia, and won the only game played at a neutral site. Since becoming SEC Eastern Division rivals in 1992, UGA owns a 14-9 advantage in the series.
ADVANTAGE CAROLINA: The Gamecocks have won four of the past five meetings with Georgia, posting a 17-6 win in Columbia in 2010, holding on in a 45-42 shootout in Athens in 2011 and running up a 35-7 decision in Columbia in 2012. Georgia won in Athens in 2013 by a 41-30 count, but the Gamecocks bounced back with a 38-35 win in Columbia last season. The Gamecocks had never won four of five games in the series prior to the current run.
SPURRIER VS. GEORGIA: South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier owns a 16-6 record against Georgia. He was 11-1 while head coach at Florida, with his lone loss coming in the 1997 season. He is 5-5 in 10 tries while in charge of the Gamecock program. His squads have scored 30 or more points in 14 of 22 contests against the Bulldogs.
GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Steve Spurrier has more wins (16) against Georgia than any other coach in history. He broke a tie with Auburn’s Shug Jordan last season with a win in Columbia.
SPURRIER VS. RICHT: Steve Spurrier has faced Georgia’s Mark Richt 11 times as a head coach, with Coach Spurrier holding a 6-5 advantage. The HBC won the 2001 meeting in his last season as head coach at Florida, and is 5-5 since taking over the Carolina program. Richt was an assistant coach at Florida State from 1987-2000, during which time Coach Spurrier went 5-8-1 vs. FSU.
RUNNING HARD, MAKING YARDS: The Gamecocks have been able to mount a solid rushing attack against Georgia in recent years. In four of the past five meetings, South Carolina has produced a 100-yard rusher against the Bulldogs, and that player has also been the game’s top rusher:
Year – SC (Att-Yds.) UGA (Att.-Yards)
2010 — Lattimore (37- 182) Ealey (19-75)
2011 — Lattimore (27- 176) Crowell (16-118)
2012 — Lattimore (24 -110) Malcome (5-45)
2013 — Davis (16-149) Gurley (30-132)
2014 — Wilds (14-93) Gurley (20-131)
RECRUITING THE PEACH STATE: The Peach State is well-represented on Carolina’s roster, as 27 players claim Georgia as their home. That represents nearly 25 percent of the 110-man roster.
MAKING A POINT: After playing 34 times from 1971-2008 without scoring 30 points in any single contest, Carolina has tallied 30-plus points in five of the last six meetings with the Bulldogs.
THE LAST TIME OUT: Kentucky raced out to a 24-7 halftime lead, then held off a Carolina second-half rally to hold on for a 26-22 win in Columbia last Saturday night. Carolina rolled up 417 yards of offense, including 106 on the ground by Brandon Wilds and 100 receiving by Pharoh Cooper. The Gamecocks scored on four of five trips into the redzone, but had to settle for Elliott Fry field goals on three of those possessions. Starting quarterback Connor Mitch left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right shoulder and is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. He was replaced by former walk-on Perry Orth, who completed 13-of-20 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
100-100 CLUB: The Gamecocks recorded a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game for just the third time since the start of the 2011 season when Brandon Wilds carried 16 times for 106 yards and Pharoh Cooper caught nine passes for 100 yards against Kentucky. The same tandem accomplished the feat last season against Tennessee when Wilds ran for 143 yards and Cooper logged a school-record 233 receiving yards.
NATIONAL LEADER: Junior linebacker Skai Moore picked off his third pass of the season against Kentucky, setting up the Gamecocks’ first score. He is one of six players tied for the NCAA lead in interceptions, joining Taylor Barton (Illinois), Antonio Glover (Georgia Southern), Karl Joseph (West Virginia), Damontae Kazee (San Diego State) and Kai Nacua (BYU).
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Five Gamecocks made their first collegiate start in the win over UNC. They included Carlton Heard, Marquavius Lewis, Connor Mitch, Deebo Samuel and Taylor Stallworth. In addition, Kansas transfer Isaiah Johnson made his first start in the Garnet & Black. Larenz Bryant earned the start for the first time in his career against Kentucky.
MR. AUTOMATIC: Junior placekicker Elliott Fry has converted all three of his extra points this season, extending his school record to 102 consecutive made PATs. He ranks fourth among current active kickers in consecutive PATs made:
Rk. Kicker (Team) PATs 1. Robert Aguayo (Florida State) 161
2. Ross Martin (Duke) 121
3. Cody Clark (Middle Tennessee) 103
4. Elliott Fry (South Carolina) 102
5. Jake Elliott (Memphis) 97 6. Michael Geiger (Michigan State) 90
6. Sean Nuernberger (Ohio State) 90
ROAD WARRIORS: South Carolina went 2-3 on the road in 2014, and are 14-8 in their last 22 true road contests. Five of the eight road losses in that stretch came to teams ranked in the top 11 in the country: at No. 8 Arkansas in 2011, at No. 9 LSU and No. 3 Florida in 2012, at No. 11 Georgia in 2013, and at No. 5 Auburn in 2014. They also lost at No. 23 Clemson in 2014.
MITCH SIDELINED: Carolina starting quarterback Connor Mitch will be sidelined for at least a month after suffering a sprained right shoulder in the loss to Kentucky. Mitch is also suffering from a hip pointer he suffered in the win over UNC.
NEXT MAN UP: Former walk-on Perry Orth, who spent part of the summer working in a local grocery store, is slated to make his first career start at Georgia. Orth, who went on scholarship prior to the start of the season, had completed 3-of-5 passes in his career before being thrust into extensive duty last week against Kentucky. He responded by completing 13-of-20 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His 33-yard fourth-quarter TD pass to Jerell Adams was the first scoring pass of his career.
WHO’S BEHIND HIM? True freshman Lorenzo Nunez could find his way onto the field. Nunez saw the first action of his career against Kentucky. He rushed twice for 40 yards, including a 33-yard scramble when the Wildcats went into a prevent defense as the first half expired. Nunez, a 6-3, 210-pounder, was a four-star prospect as a prep standout at Harrison High in Kennesaw, Ga.
RUNNING WILDS: Fifth-year senior Brandon Wilds is off to a solid start in his final campaign for the Garnet & Black. The 6-2, 220-pounder rambled for 106 yards on 16 carries against Kentucky, his fifth-career 100-yard rushing game. He ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing with an average of 78.5 yards per game, while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
1,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS: Brandon Wilds is 27th on Carolina’s all-time list in career rushing with 1,434 yards.
No. (PLAYER YEARS) ATT. — YARDS – AVG.
1. George Rogers (1977-80) 954-5,204 – 5.5
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17. Bishop Strickland (1947-50) 381-1,965 – 5.2
18. Duce Staley (1995-96) 345-1,852 – 5.4
18. Andrew Pinnock (1999-02) 422-1,852 – 4.4
20. Rob DeBoer (1990-93) 386-1,810 – 4.7
21. Connor Shaw (2010-13) 452-1,683 – 3.7
22. Spencer Clark (1976-79) 319-1,652 – 5.2
23. Mike Dingle (1988-90) 389-1,634 – 4.2
24. Troy Hambrick (1996-98) 302-1,586 – 5.3
25. Jeff Grantz (1972-75) 405-1,577 – 3.9
26. Alex Hawkins (1956-58) 339-1,490 – 4.4
27. Brandon Wilds (2011-15)286 -1,434 – 5.0
HERE’S SHONNY: Senior Shon Carson waited patiently for his opportunity, and it finally came early in the fourth quarter in the season opener against North Carolina when he took his first handoff of the season and raced 48 yards to paydirt, giving the Gamecocks a 17-13 lead which they would not relinquish. Carson, a 5-8, 206-pounder from Scranton, S.C., finished the game with a team-high 75 yards rushing on just four carries. He added 36 yards on just five carries against Kentucky, and is averaging 12.3 yards per carry this season, with nine carries for 111 yards.
PHAROH IS KING: One of the most versatile players in all of college football is junior wide receiver Pharoh Cooper. The 5-11, 207-pounder from Havelock, N.C. is the Gamecocks’ best bet to earn All-America accolades after a breakout season a year ago. His preseason accolades are many, but most notably, he earned three spots on the SEC Coaches’ first-team all-conference squad, as a wide receiver, an all-purpose back and a return specialist. He is a preseason candidate for the Maxwell, Hornung and Biletnikoff awards.
SOUTH CAROLINA PHAROH: Pharoh Cooper had a special season in 2014. He set the school record for receiving yards in a game with 233 against Tennessee and logged the third-highest single-season receiving yards total in school history with 1,136, a mark topped by only Alshon Jeffery and Sidney Rice.
AMONG THE BEST: With 84 career receptions, Pharoh Cooper has moved into the top-25 in South Carolina history for career receptions.
No. PLAYER (YEARS) REC.
1. Kenny McKinley (2005-08) 207
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14. Philip Logan (1974-77) 105
15. Ace Sanders (2010-12) 99
16. Harold Green (1986-89) 94
17. Brian Scott (1998-01) 93
17. Nick Jones (2011-14) 93
19. Troy Williamson (2002-04) 91
20. Jim Mitchell (1969-71) 90
21. Ira Hillary (1981-84) 90
22. Toby Cates (1991-94) 89
23. Pharoh Cooper (2013-15) 84
REACHING PAYDIRT: With a TD reception in the season opener, Pharoh Cooper is just two touchdown catches from moving into South Carolina’s top-10 for receiving touchdowns.
RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. Sidney Rice (2005-06) 23
Alshon Jeffery (2009-11) 23
3. Robert Brooks (1988-91) 19
Jermale Kelly (1997-00) 19
Kenny McKinley (2005-08) 19
6. Sterling Sharpe (1983-87) 17
Zola Davis (1995-98) 17
8. Bruce Ellington (2011-13) 16
9. Philip Logan (1974-77) 15
10. Toby Cates (1991-94) 13
Monty Means (1992-95) 13
Troy Williamson (2002-04) 13
Ace Sanders (2010-12) 13
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Pharoh Cooper (2013-15) 11
2015–THE YEAR OF PHAROH: Pharoh Cooper caught nine passes for 100 yards against Kentucky, the fifth-career 100-yard receiving game of his career. After two games, he ranks fourth in the SEC with 6.0 receptions per game. is sixth with 72.5 yards receiving per game, and is seventh with a 12.0 punt return average.
TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: Pharoh Cooper is not just a great pass catcher, but can also run and throw. He has averaged 8.3 yards per carry in his career, rushing 51 times for 422 yards with three touchdowns, and has completed 8-of-13 passes for 101 yards with three scores. He also returns punts with a career long of 36 yards.
ADAMS’ WAY: Senior tight end Jerell Adams is poised for a breakout season in his final campaign for the Garnet & Black. The 6-6, 231-pounder from Pinewood, S.C. has five receptions for 70 yards in the first two contests, including a 33-yard TD catch against Kentucky. He has 43 career catches for 626 yards, a 14.6-yard average with five touchdowns. Adams has also produced in the classroom, as he is a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and was named the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Representative of the University of South Carolina at the 2015 Garnet & Black Spring Game.
CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: South Carolina has individual game captains early in the season before electing permanent team captains.
UNC: Pharoh Cooper, Gerald Dixon Jr., T.J. Gurley, Brandon Shell.
UK: Isaiah Johnson, Mike Matulis, Skai Moore, Brandon Wilds.
DIAMONDS AREN’T FOREVER: 22-year-old walk-on freshman tight end Hayden Hurst came in this summer and quickly worked his way up the depth chart. Hurst was originally committed to attend Florida State on a baseball scholarship, before electing to turn pro and signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was drafted as a pitcher and eventually was moved to first base before giving up the game for good. He was encouraged to walk-on at South Carolina by Perry Orth, who he has known for years.
THE SHELL GAME: The Gamecocks feature an experienced first unit up front, headlined by fifth-year senior left tackle Brandon Shell. Shell, a 6-6, 328-pounder from Goose Creek, S.C. who has been tabbed to some preseason All-SEC units, made the move from right tackle to left tackle this season, a position where he made his first career start (at Vanderbilt in 2012), before moving to the right side where he made 35 consecutive starts entering the season. His 38 career starts is more than any other two players on the squad combined.
MAGIC MIKE: Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Mike Matulis, who was penciled in as the starting right guard a year ago, but suffered a left knee injury midway through fall camp and only saw limited time during the season before undergoing surgery, returns for his final campaign. The 6-5, 293-pounder from Boynton Beach, Fla., was a first-team Freshman All-American in 2011, and gives the Gamecocks veteran leadership up front. He has started 12 games in his career, the first 10 at tackle, while battling a slew of shoulder and knee injuries.
KNOTT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION: Sophomore Alan Knott handles the center position for the Gamecocks. The 6-4, 270-pounder from Tyrone, Ga., started eight games a year ago and earned a spot on the Rimington Watch List. He had an excellent spring in which he not only was named the Most Improved Offensive Lineman but also garnered the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring honors.
UNDER PRESSURE: The Gamecocks, under new co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, is looking to find ways to get more pressure on the quarterback this season. Last year, the first year without Jadeveon Clowney since 2010, the Gamecocks recorded just 14 sacks all season. Clowney alone registered 24 sacks during his three-year stint in Columbia. With a few holdovers and a bevy of newcomers, the early returns were encouraging, as the Gamecocks notched four sacks in the season opener against North Carolina. Kelsey Griffin led the way with 1.5, while Phillip Dukes and Dante Sawyer each notched his first career sack. Darius English picked up the lone Carolina sack against Kentucky. English and Gerald Dixon each had a sack against the Bulldogs last season in the Gamecocks’ 38-35 win.
THE SKAI’S THE LIMIT: The Gamecocks top linebacker each of the past two seasons has been Skai Moore. Moore, a 6-2, 218-pound junior from Cooper City, Fla., has led the team in tackles in each of the past two years, becoming the first player to do so since Emanuel Cook (2007-08). The last to do it three years in a row was Tony Watkins (1992-94). The 6-2, 218-pounder who garnered Defensive MVP honors in the 2014 Independence Bowl, picked up right where he left off, with a team-high 11 tackles and a pair of interceptions in the season opening win over North Carolina, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week accolades. It was the third time he’s logged two interceptions in a game, also in the 2014 Capital One Bowl versus Wisconsin and in 2014 against South Alabama. He was credited with eight stops, including seven solos, and another interception against Kentucky. He is tied for 10th in the SEC averaging 9.5 tackles per game. Moore now owns 168 career tackles and 10 interceptions.
PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’: South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore has 10 career interceptions, including three this season, two in the opener against North Carolina and one against Kentucky. He is tied for the nation’s lead and is among the school’s all-time leader in career interceptions:
CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
1. Bo Davies (1969-71) 14
2. Dick Harris (1969-71) 12
3. Henry Laws (1973-75) 11
Robert Perlotte (1979-81) 11
Pat Bowen (1979-82) 11
Bryant Gillard (1982-84) 11
Robert Robinson (1985-88) 11
8. 8 players tied 10
Most recent: Skai Moore (2013-15) 10
PICK THIS: The Gamecocks intercepted 11 passes a season ago. Carolina got off to a fast start in that department this year, picking off three passes in the season opening win over North Carolina, including two by Skai Moore and Jordan Diggs’ first career pick, and have tallied four after two games, matching Georgia and Ole Miss for the SEC lead.
BOTKIN’S BODIES: Linebackers coach Kirk Botkin has a group of linebackers that are both young and experienced. Junior Skai Moore leads the way from the MIKE position, but is not the only capable linebacker. Junior Jonathan Walton came on strong last season and is the expected starter at WILL linebacker. Maybe the hardest hitter on the team, Walton was named the Most Improved Linebacker in the spring. He tallied a team-high 11 tackles against Kentucky and is second on the squad with 15 stops on the season. Junior T.J. Holloman is listed as the backup at MIKE, but can play either spot. He has played in 27 games over the past two seasons, making seven starts. Bryson Allen-Williams earned a start in his first game as a true freshman a year ago before moving around some, but has settled in to the WILL position. When playing a traditional 4-3 scheme, Larenz Bryant and Ernest Hawkins are the candidates to play the SAM position.
WAVING THE WHEAT GOODBYE: Senior safety Isaiah Johnson graduated from the University of Kansas, came to Carolina late in the summer, and quickly moved into a starting role. The Cary, N.C. product picked off six passes in the last two seasons for the Jayhawks. The 6-0, 206-pounder was voted the Big 12 Coaches’ Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2013. He is third on the squad with 14 tackles.
KELLY’S A HERO: Making his Gamecock debut against North Carolina, Sean Kelly, a junior walk-on, punted five times for a 46.2-yard average, including a 60-yarder and two that were downed inside the 10-yard line. It was the Gamecocks’ first punt of 60 yards or more since 2011 when Joey Scribner-Howard launched a 60-yarder at Mississippi State. The 5-10, 189-pounder from Oakland, Fla., who punted for FAU for two seasons, also ran 17 yards for a first down on a fake punt for South Carolina’s initial first down of the season, and made the tackle on the return of a field goal attempt that came up short, that may have kept points off the scoreboard. For the season, he has punted eight times for a 44.1-yard average, fourth in the SEC, with two over 50 yards and three inside the 20.
THE FRISCO KID: Elliott Fry, a 6-0, 164-pound junior placekicker from Frisco, Texas is 4-for-6 this season, missing from 57 and 42 yards out. Fry is a 2015 Groza candidate, was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, was a second-team preseason All-SEC selection by the media and a third-team choice by the league’s 14 coaches. Last season, he was a Groza Award semifinalist, connected on 18-of-25 field goals, ranked third in the SEC with 105 points, the third-highest single-season mark in school history, and was fifth in the SEC in points per game at 8.1. He has hit on 37-of-49 career field goal attempts (75.5 percent) and on 108-of-109 extra points, including his last 102 in a row, a school record. His field goal percentage increases to 82.2 when he attempts from under 54-yards out (37-of-45). A member of the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, Fry’s career long is a 47-yard field goal, but he connected from 52 yards out in the team’s final fall scrimmage. He is moving up the charts in several career categories:
FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 72
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 49
3. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 39
Reed Morton (1993-96) 39
5. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 37
FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 98
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 69
3. Reed Morton (1993-96) 54
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) 53
5. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 49
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
1. Spencer Lanning (2007-10) .773 (34 of 44)
2. Elliott Fry (2013-15) .755 (37 of 49)
3. Josh Brown (2003-05) .741 (20 of 27)
4. Mark Fleetwood (1981-83) .736 (39 of 53)
5. Collin Mackie (1987-90) .735 (72 of 98)
PATs MADE
1. Scott Hagler (1983-86) 117
2. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 114
3. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 108
4. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 104
5. Daniel Weaver (2000-03) 88
PATs ATTEMPTED
1. Scott Hagler (1983-86) 118
2. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 115
3. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 109
4. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 106
5. Daniel Weaver (2000-03) 94
PAT PERCENTAGE (Min. 40 Made)
1. Adam Yates (2008-12) 1.000 (49 of 49)
2. Scott Hagler (1983-86) .992 (117 of 118)
3. Collin Mackie (1987-90) .991 (114 of 115)
Elliott Fry (2013-15) .991 (108 of 109)
5. Ryan Succop (2005-08) .981 (104 of 106)
CONSECUTIVE PATs
1. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 102
2. Scott Hagler (1984-86) 82
POINTS SCORED
1. Collin Mackie (1987-90) 330
2. Ryan Succop (2005-08) 251
3. Marcus Lattimore (2010-12) 246
4. Elliott Fry (2013-15) 219
5. George Rogers (1977-80) 202
6. Reed Morton (1993-96) 201
THE HEAD BALL COACH: Steve Spurrier is in his 11th season directing the Carolina football program. He has logged an 85-46 mark (.649) in Columbia. The Head Ball Coach is the school’s winningest coach and is second in games coached behind Rex Enright (140). Coach Spurrier owns a 227-86-2 mark (.724) in 26 seasons as a college head coach.
IN THE CLASSROOM: The Gamecocks placed 35 players on the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Among those who made the SEC Honor Roll include returnees Jerell Adams, Landon Ard, Pharoh Cooper, Jordan Diggs, Gerald Dixon Jr., Elliott Fry, Garrison Gist, Kelsey Griffin, Ali Groves, T.J. Gurley, T.J. Holloman, Rico McWilliams, Devin Potter, Jasper Sasser, Brandon Shell, Will Sport, Cody Waldrop and Drew Williams.
TOTING THE SHEEPSKIN: Eleven Gamecocks will have earned their degree prior to the start of the 2015 season, including: Landon Ard, Cedrick Cooper, Gerald Dixon, Gerald Dixon Jr., Phillip Dukes, Garrison Gist, Shamier Jeffery, Isaiah Johnson, Mike Matulis, Brandon Shell and Will Sport. Only Virginia (13) has more graduated players on their roster in the FBS.
BIG SPRING: The Gamecocks put up a big number in the classroom this spring, logging a Spring 2015 team GPA of 2.938, the highest on record. Gamecock student-athletes have posted a 3.0 GPA in 17-consecutive semesters.
BEATING THE EAST: The Gamecocks went 3-3 against SEC Eastern Division foes in 2014 and are 21-8 since the start of the 2010 season. In three of the past four seasons, Carolina has defeated the SEC Eastern Division champion (Georgia in 2011 and `12 and Missouri in 2013). Carolina had never won as many as four games in the division prior to Coach Spurrier’s arrival, but have done it five times since 2005
UP NEXT: South Carolina returns home next week to host the UCF Knights (0-2) in a non-conference battle. The Gamecocks have defeated the Knights in all four previous meetings, with the first three coming in Columbia, and the last one in Orlando. Carolina posted wins by scores of 33-14 and 35-31 in 1996 and `97, then won by a 24-15 score in 2005 in head coach Steve Spurrier’s debut as the Carolina head coach. The last meeting came in the 2013 season when the Gamecocks escaped Orlando with a 28-25 win. That turned out to be the only blemish on the Knights’ record that season, as they went 12-1 including a Fiesta Bowl win over Baylor.
