2003 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

2003 South Carolina Gamecocks football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record5–7 (2–6 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorSkip Holtz (5th season)
Offensive schemeOption
Defensive coordinatorChris Cosh (1st season)
Home stadiumWilliams-Brice Stadium
Seasons
← 2002
2004 →
2003 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 7 Georgia xy   6 – 2     11 – 3  
No. 15 Tennessee x   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 24 Florida x   6 – 2     8 – 5  
South Carolina   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Vanderbilt   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Kentucky   1 – 7     4 – 8  
Western Division
No. 2 LSU xy$#   7 – 1     13 – 1  
No. 13 Ole Miss x   7 – 1     10 – 3  
Auburn   5 – 3     8 – 5  
Arkansas   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Alabama   2 – 6     4 – 9  
Mississippi State   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Championship: LSU 34, Georgia 13
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2003 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gamecocks were led by Lou Holtz in his fifth season as head coach and played their home games in Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

After starting the final two games of last season, Dondrial Pinkins was the Gamecocks' starting quarterback in 2003.[1][2] South Carolina started 2–0 and ranked No. 25 after a blowout upset win over No. 15 Virginia,[3] the first ranked opponent they had beaten since 2001, and the highest-ranked opponent they had beaten since 2000.[4][5][6][3] However, out of the next five games, the Gamecocks lost three, all to top-10 opponents.[3] South Carolina won one more game, against Vanderbilt, before ending the season on a four-game losing streak.[3] This included a historic blowout loss to archrival Clemson in front of one of the largest crowds that Williams–Brice Stadium has ever held.[7]

The Gamecocks finished the season with a final record of 5–7, but this would be their last losing season until 2015.[8]

  1. ^ "Football Feature: Dondrial Pinkins". University of South Carolina Athletics. September 8, 2003. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Stephen Garcia". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "2003 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "2000 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "2001 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "2002 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "63-17: It Was An Empty Bleachers Kind of Game". TigerNet.com. November 21, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.