2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier
, who was in his sixth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium
in Columbia
, South Carolina
and were members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference
. The Gamecocks finished the season 9–5, 5–3 in SEC play to win the Eastern Division. They earned their first appearance in the SEC Championship
where they were defeated by Auburn
17–56. They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl
, the most lucrative bowl in the program's 116-year history, where they were defeated by Florida State
17–26.
, the program's 5th time hosting the popular ESPN show.
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, who was in his sixth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium
Williams-Brice Stadium
Williams-Brice Stadium is the home football stadium for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the college football team representing the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina...
in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and were members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The Gamecocks finished the season 9–5, 5–3 in SEC play to win the Eastern Division. They earned their first appearance in the SEC Championship
2010 SEC Championship Game
The 2010 SEC Championship Game was played on December 4, 2010, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the 2010 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The game featured the Auburn Tigers, the champion of the West Division, and the South Carolina Gamecocks, champion of the...
where they were defeated by Auburn
2010 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2010 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2010–2011 college football season. The Tigers, led by second year head coach Gene Chizik were members of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference and played their home games at Jordan-Hare Stadium...
17–56. They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl
2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl is the forty-third edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. It was played Friday, December 31, 2010 at 7:30 EST, and featured the #23 Florida State Seminoles versus the #19 South Carolina Gamecocks.-South...
, the most lucrative bowl in the program's 116-year history, where they were defeated by Florida State
2010 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2010 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Seminoles were led by 1st year head coach Jimbo Fisher and played their home games at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium. They were members of...
17–26.
Preseason
On April 10, 2010, the White squad defeated the Garnet squad, 21–17, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 22,000.Schedule
The October 9 game against Alabama played host to ESPN's College GameDayCollege GameDay
College GameDay is an ESPN entertainment show previewing college football games. It first aired in 1987 with Tim Brando as host and Lee Corso and Beano Cook as commentators. Beginning more-or-less as a report on college football games, the show would undergo a radical transformation beginning in...
, the program's 5th time hosting the popular ESPN show.
Southern Miss
Quarterback Stephen Garcia and freshman running back Marcus Lattimore each rushed for two touchdowns and USC head coach Steve Spurrier won his 18th straight season opener, 41-13 over Southern Miss. Sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffery also had 106 receiving yards and freshman wide receiver Ace Sanders had a 53-yard run off of a reverse. Freshman backup quarterback Connor Shaw also had a highlight, throwing his first touchdown pass as a Gamecock to wide receiver D.L. Moore.Georgia
Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore carried for 182 yards and two touchdowns, as #24 South Carolina outmatched #22 Georgia, 17-6, in the SEC opener for both teams. Quarterback Stephen Garcia was 12-17 for 165 yards, with seven of his passes caught by wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who finished with 103 yards. Lattimore had 103 yards rushing in the first half, and USC held a 228-73 edge in total yards after the first two quarters. Georgia's 6 points were the fewest allowed by Carolina to a Bulldog team since a 2-0 USC victory in 1904, and the Gamecock defense held the Bulldogs to 61 rushing yards. Head Coach Steve Spurrier won his 106th SEC game, tying him for second all-time in the conference with former Ole Miss coach Johnny Vaught.Furman
Stephen Garcia went 13-20 for 150 yards with two touchdown passes, and Marcus Lattimore had 19 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown to lead the #13 Gamecocks to a 38-19 win over Furman. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore sealed the game with an 80-yard interception return for touchdown in the 4th quarter.Auburn
Alabama
The Gamecocks toppled Alabama at home to notch their first defeat of a top-ranked team in school history.Kentucky
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Arkansas
Florida
Troy
Clemson
2010 SEC Championship vs. Auburn
2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl vs. Florida State
Depth chart
Projected starters and primary backups for SEC Championship Game versus Auburn on December 4, 2010.Awards
- Steve Spurrier - SEC Coach of the Year
- Stephen Garcia - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Watch List; Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
Watch List; Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, 10/10/10; SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 10/11/10; Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, 10/11/10; Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week, 10/14/10 - Alshon Jeffery - Biletnikoff Award Finalist; Maxwell Award Watch List; Rivals.com National Player of the Week, 10/11/10; AFCA Coaches' All-America Team; AP & Coaches First-Team All-SEC; Walter Camp Second-Team All-American
- T.J. Johnson - SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/6/10
- Spencer Lanning - Lou Groza AwardLou Groza AwardThe Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
Watch List, Ray Guy AwardRay Guy AwardThe Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
Nominee; SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 11/15/10; SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 11/29/10 - Marcus Lattimore - Maxwell Award Watch List; SEC Offensive Player of the Week & SEC Freshman of the Week, 9/13/10; SEC Freshman of the Week, 11/1/10; SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 11/15/10; SEC Freshman of the Week, 11/22/10; AP & Coaches First-Team All-SEC; AP & Coaches SEC Freshman of the Year; Walter Camp Second-Team All-American
- Devin Taylor - SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, 11/1/10; AP First-Team All-SEC; Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
- Garrett Chisolm - Campbell Trophy Semifinalist; Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
- Stephon Gilmore - Bednarik Award Watch List, Nagurski Trophy Watch List; Coaches First-Team All-SEC; AP Second-Team All-SEC
- Cliff Matthews - Hendricks Award Watch List, Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Lott TrophyLott TrophyThe Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
Watch List; Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
2010 recruiting class
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | 24 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 22 |
| Coaches | RV | 25 | 16 | 15 | 22 | 20 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 22 |
| Harris | Not released | 11 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | ||||||
| BCS | Not released | 21 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |||||||
Coaching staff
- Steve SpurrierSteve SpurrierStephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
- Head Coach - Ellis JohnsonEllis Johnson (football coach)Ellis Johnson is an American college football coach. Johnson is currently the Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Johnson's 27 years as a collegiate coach include four as a head coach and 13 as a defensive coordinator. Johnson was formerly the Defensive...
- Assistant Head Coach & Defense Assistant Coach - Lorenzo Ward - Defensive Coordinator & Safeties
- Shane Beamer - Cornerbacks/Special Teams & Recruiting Coordinator
- Shawn Elliott - Offensive Line/Running Game Coordinator
- Craig Fitzgerald - Strength & Conditioning
- Jay Graham - Running Backs
- Johnson Hunter - Tight Ends
- Brad Lawing - Defensive Line
- G.A. Mangus - Quarterbacks
- Steve Spurrier, Jr. - Wide Receivers
See also
- 2010 Southeastern Conference football season2010 Southeastern Conference football seasonThe 2010 Southeastern Conference football season began on Thursday, September 2, 2010 with South Carolina defeating Southern Miss on ESPN.-Preseason:...
- 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season2010 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
- 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings