South Carolina adds FCS foe to complete 2021 slate. Here’s how schedule shapes up
Tony Romo’s alma mater is coming to Williams-Brice Stadium.
Eastern Illinois, the Football Championship Subdivision program that famously hosted the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, is on South Carolina’s 2021 football schedule as the Gamecocks’ opener.
FBSchedules.com reported the news Monday. The move finalizes USC’s 2021 schedule.
EIU, which last made the FCS playoffs in 2015, is 0-8 this season. The Panthers and Gamecocks have never played each other.
After opening with Eastern Illinois, USC travels to play East Carolina on Sept. 11. That game is the back end of a home-and-home with the Pirates. ECU comes to Columbia in 2020. The Pirates are 3-4 this season and haven’t made a bowl since 2014.
Troy, the other non-Clemson opponent of 2021’s non-conference slate, had three straight 10-win seasons from 2016-18. The Trojans are 3-3 this season.
Like Alabama was this season, Auburn is South Carolina’s rotating SEC West Division foe in 2021. The Tigers will visit Williams-Brice for the first time since 2011. Auburn leads the all-time series 10-1-1 and has taken each of the last eight meetings.
The rest of the ‘21 slate matches what USC is facing this season — SEC home dates with Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt and conference road trips to Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
South Carolina football 2021 schedule
Sept. 4 — Eastern Illinois
Sept. 11 — at East Carolina
Oct. 2 — Troy
TBA — at Georgia
TBA — at Missouri
TBA — at Texas A&M
TBA — at Tennessee
TBA — Auburn
TBA — Florida
TBA — Kentucky
TBA — Vanderbilt
Nov. 27 — Clemson
This story was originally published October 21, 2019 at 4:32 PM.
