This might be the golden age of South Carolina athletics. While much of the past decade-plus has seen historical moments, the school enjoyed another one on Sunday in Greenville, S.C.
There are many to choose from, but in no particular order, here are 10 of the greatest moments in South Carolina sports history:
2 CWS titles
The springs and early summers of 2010 and 2011 were magical on the diamond for the Gamecocks as they captured back-to-back College World Series titles. Pitcher Michael Roth was in the middle of them and in the second title, Roth helped beat Florida, 5-2, to sweep the best-of-three championship series and win back-to-back titles. South Carolina finished 10-0 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament (3-0 in Regional, 2-0 in Super Regional, 5-0 in CWS) to become the first team to go 10-0 in NCAA Tournament play in one season. With the second title in hand, South Carolina established NCAA records with 16 consecutive postseason wins and 11 consecutive wins in the CWS. The Gamecocks became just the ninth repeat champ and first since Oregon State in 2006 and 2007.
Stephen Garcia leads upset of No. 1 Alabama
In 2010, five years after Steve Spurrier arrived in Columbia, the Gamecocks shocked No. 1 Alabama behind three touchdown passes from Stephen Garcia, including two to Alshon Jeffery and three scores by Marcus Lattimore. “I think that this game was meant to be,” Spurrier said afterward. “I said, ‘Fellas, if fate means for us to win this game Saturday then let’s give it a chance. Let’s give fate a chance to happen.'”
The Gamecocks were ranked No. 19 at the time. It was the first win over a No. 1-ranked team for the football program. It was the third consecutive ranked SEC opponent for Alabama after the reigning national champion had won 19 straight games, including a 31-6 victory over Florida. Nick Saban fell to 1-3 against Spurrier.
Steve Spurrier beats Florida Part I
In his first season in Columbia, 2005, Steve Spurrier watched Mike Davis and Daccus Turman each rush for two touchdowns, and the Gamecocks beat the 12th-ranked Gators 30-22 in his first meeting against Florida. It broke Florida’s 14-game winning streak in the series that went back to 1939. Spurrier won 10 of those as Florida’s coach. It meant a fifth consecutive SEC victory for South Carolina, a program first. Urban Meyer, hired the previous fall after Spurrier took his name out of the running at Florida, had Chris Hetland kick a 43-yard field goal with 2:51 left to make it 30-22. But the onside kick was unsuccessful and the Gators never got the ball again.
Spurrier beats Florida, Part II, clinches first SEC East title
In November 2010 at Florida, Lattimore ran 40 times for a career-high 212 yards and three touchdowns as the 22nd-ranked Gamecocks upset No. 24 Florida 36-14 to clinch the program’s first SEC East title.
The Gamecocks won for the second time in 19 tries against Florida, snapped an 0-for-12 streak in Gainesville and set up a meeting with No. 2 Auburn on Dec. 4. It was Florida’s first three-game losing streak at home since 1989.
Spurrier owned Clemson
Steve Spurrier left South Carolina with a 7-6 mark against Clemson and 5-2 against Dabo Swinney, and in the middle of that was a five-game winning streak over Clemson, most notably with a come-from behind victory in Connor Shaw’s final home game in 2013. Tied 17-17 after three quarters, South Carolina took the lead after a Mike Davis touchdown run with 11:47 left. Then, in the Wildcat formation, Pharaoh Cooper’s pass to Brandon Wilds sealed the 31-17 victory against the No. 6 Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Clowney’s hit against Michigan
One of the most memorable hits of all time in the SEC came in the January 2013 Outback Bowl against Michigan. Jadeveon Clowney, in Michigan territory, with 8:22 remaining in the game unloaded in the backfield on running back Vincent Smith to force and recover a Michigan fumble. The Gamecocks got the ball on the Michigan 31-yard-line, and struck quickly when Connor Shaw completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Ace Sanders as the Gamecocks reclaimed a 27-22 lead. The hit popped the helmet off Smith and led to South Carolina’s 33-28 New Year’s Day victory. The hit won an ESPY for the year’s best play.
Men’s basketball beats Duke to advance to Sweet 16
In short-term and long-term view points, Sunday’s upset over No. 2 seed Duke was unlikely. Entering the weekend, the Gamecocks had not won an NCAA Tournament game in 44 years, had not made an appearance in 13 seasons, and had never won consecutive tournament games.
What’s more, this season’s team had dropped five of its final seven games entering the NCAAs.
South Carolina is heading to the #Sweet16 for the first time in school history! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/BLLnhyDkFg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2017
In the Sweet 16 for the first time since the tournament expanded in 1985, the Gamecocks have an opportunity to add another magical moment Friday when they take on Baylor.
Signing Marcus Lattimore
In one of the more widely reported stories of recruiting, one of the turning points to get running back Lattimore to sign with South Carolina was when Spurrier did the cha-cha slide with Lattimore’s mother. The suspense in Lattimore’s announcement was the fact that fellow Spartanburg, S.C., native and former Auburn and NFL running back Stephen Davis was a part of the event, and that led some to think Lattimore was bound for Auburn. Lattimore was the key figure in a solid recruiting class in 2010 that included Shaw, Ace Sanders, Dylan Thompson and A.J. Cann.
Hiring Spurrier
In November 2004, after weeks of speculation following the retirement of Lou Holtz, the South Carolina Board of Trustees hired Spurrier as football coach. Spurrier, 59, replaced Holtz, who coached the Gamecocks for six seasons.
“South Carolina is the very ideal spot for me to coach, and hopefully I’ll be the ideal coach for South Carolina,” the new Gamecocks coach said after his introductory news conference at Williams-Brice Stadium. Trustees approved a seven-year contract that would pay Spurrier $1.25 million a year.
USC President Andrew Sorensen was hired as Florida provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1990, the same time Spurrier was hired to lead the Gators.
Men’s basketball beats No. 1 Kentucky
In January 2010, Devan Downey scored 30 points and South Carolina sent Kentucky to its first loss of the season 68-62. Earlier that week, the Wildcats moved to No. 1 for the first time since 2003. On the day of the game, President Barack Obama told the Cats to play with the same focus and passion that got them to No. 1. That Kentucky team featured John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, the No. 1 and No. 5 overall picks, respectively. Kentucky had five players taken in the first round of that draft.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
