2014 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

2014 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Independence Bowl champion
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record7–6 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorSteve Spurrier Jr. (3rd as Co OC, 10th overall season)
Co-offensive coordinatorShawn Elliott (3rd as OC, 5th overall season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorLorenzo Ward (3rd as DC, 6th overall season)
Base defense3–4
Home stadiumWilliams-Brice Stadium
Seasons
← 2013
2015 →
2014 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 14 Missouri x   7 – 1     11 – 3  
No. 9 Georgia   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Florida   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Tennessee   3 – 5     7 – 6  
South Carolina   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Kentucky   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Vanderbilt   0 – 8     3 – 9  
Western Division
No. 4 Alabama x$^   7 – 1     12 – 2  
No. 11 Mississippi State   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 17 Ole Miss *   5 – 3     9 – 4  
No. 22 Auburn   4 – 4     8 – 5  
LSU *   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Texas A&M   3 – 5     8 – 5  
Arkansas   2 – 6     7 – 6  
Championship: Alabama 42, Missouri 13
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * LSU and Ole Miss vacated all wins (except for Ole Miss' win over Presbyterian) due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2014 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2014 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 tenth year, and played its home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. They finished the season 7–6, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in fifth place in the East Division. They were invited to the Independence Bowl where they defeated Miami (FL).[1]

After three eleven-win seasons, South Carolina began ranked No. 9 in the country, and tied for the tenth-best odds to win the national championship.[2][3] However, despite Dylan Thompson breaking the school record and leading the SEC in passing yards,[4] this season would mark the end of South Carolina's golden age.[a] The opening upset blowout loss to No. 21 Texas A&M snapped the Gamecocks' eighteen-game home winning streak.[11] The Gamecocks rebounded, winning the next three games, including an upset over No. 6 Georgia.[12] However, South Carolina lost five of their last eight games in the regular season, including a loss that sent them out of the top 25 for the first time since 2010,[13] and their first loss to archrival Clemson since 2008.[14][15] The fourth consecutive bowl victory was a school record, but the seven wins were the fewest since 2009.[16][17] For the rest of the mid-to-late 2010s, South Carolina would struggle to return to national prominence.[b]

  1. ^ "2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  2. ^ "2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "2014 College Football Championship Odds". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "Dylan Thompson". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "'Look: South Carolina honors top football teams of Steve Spurrier era'". Yahoo. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "D.J. Swearinger calls out South Carolina program for timing of 2010-13 reunion: 'Do better'". Saturday Down South. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "How 2009 USC win over Clemson served as a springboard to program's glory years".
  8. ^ Miller, Kevin (October 1, 2024). "South Carolina football changed forever when Ole Miss last visited". On3. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "Who is the SEC's most underrated player of the 21st Century?". Saturday Down South. May 26, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Steve Spurrier recalls being talked out of retirement prior to final season with South Carolina". CBSSports.com. February 4, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Texas A&M 52-28 South Carolina (Aug 28, 2014) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks Poll History". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "2014 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "Winsipedia - South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Clemson Tigers football series history". Winsipedia. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  17. ^ "South Carolina 24-21 Miami (Dec 27, 2014) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "2017 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks Poll History". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  20. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks School History". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 26, 2024.


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