What Do We Know About South Carolina Football?

The Tennessee-South Carolina series has been lopsided from the very beginning, but South Carolina is looking to change things, and with Steve Spurrier as their coach, they are confident they can do just that.

In 1992 South Carolina earned just their second victory over their neighbors to the northwest. Growing up, I heard very little about the University of South Carolina, and they certainly were not considered to be in the same league with the Southeastern conference teams that boast great tradition and strong winning percentages.

I was shocked when I first learned that the Southeastern conference expansion would include the Gamecocks. South Carolina can only boast one championship in their history and that is an Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Their only championship came in 1969, that team finished with a 7-4 record. Hardly impressive to a lifelong SEC fan like me.

The only previous knowledge I had of the South Carolina football program was back in the early to mid-eighties when Joe Morrison, a well known coach in the Chattanooga area, began to take the Gamecock program to new heights. Morrison's record at South Carolina 39-28-2 wasn't impressive, but he did have 3 seasons with 8 wins or more and one 10 win season with the Gamecocks.

The most recognizable name to those outside of the Palmetto state was George Rogers who is really the Gamecocks' only claim to fame with his Heisman trophy back in 1980. Doesn't sound like much, but South Carolina does have one thing the Vols don't, a Heisman winner.

Here are some facts about South Carolina that you may or may not know.

The Gamecocks have won a total of 528 games, good enough to rank them 60th out of 120 Division 1-A college football teams according to the College Football data warehouse. The all-time record for South Carolina currently stands at 534-531 with 44 ties. Tennessee has an all-time record of 779-331-53 just in case you were wondering, good for 9th all-time.

Tennessee ranks 10th all-time in winning percentage compared to South Carolina who stands at 86th nationally.

South Carolina has only ended five seasons ranked in the top 20. Their highest ranking at the end of a season was 11th back in 1984 under Coach Joe Morrison. By contrast, Tennessee has finished ranked in the top 20 forty-five times. The Vols have finished 2nd or better six times and 13 times Tennessee has finished in the top 5 in the Associated Press college football poll.

South Carolina has competed in 14 bowl games and currently have a 4-10 bowl record. They have played in the Gator Bowl 4 times, Outback Bowl 3 times, and the Liberty Bowl twice. Tennessee has played in 47 bowl games.

South Carolina has 1 ten win season in their history compared to 20 for Tennessee.

Tennessee holds a 21-4-2 advantage over South Carolina all-time but in the last four games, the Gamecocks have won 2 and they won rather convincingly last year in Columbia.

Since 2005, Spurrier's first year as coach of the Gamecocks, South Carolina is 34-24, while Tennessee record stands at 33-25.

When you look at history, there is no comparison, Tennessee wins hands down, but South Carolina is looking to change things and they started in 2005. They have a good start since Spurrier took over.

It will take a while to overtake the Vols in the all-time head to head record, but the same could have been said about Florida back in the late 80's and they overtook the Vols, can South Carolina do it? Only time will tell.