2013 South Carolina Gamecocks football | |
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Capital One Bowl champion | |
Capital One Bowl, W 34–24 vs. Wisconsin | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
East Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 4 |
AP | No. 4 |
Record | 11–2 (6–2 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Co-offensive coordinator | Steve Spurrier, Jr. (2nd as Co OC, 9th overall season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Shawn Elliot (2nd as OC, 4th overall season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple |
Defensive coordinator | Lorenzo Ward (2nd as DC, 5th overall season) |
Base defense | 4–2–5 |
Home stadium | Williams-Brice Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 NFL draft over the past two years,[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 began the season 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]