9 potentially fun non-conference football games for the Gamecocks (plus one to avoid)
South Carolina-North Carolina matchups have been the flavor of late for the Gamecocks’ non-conference scheduling plans.
The past four non-Clemson Power 5 opponents South Carolina has had have been either UNC or N.C. State. The next two are a trip to East Carolina and another neutral-site meeting with the Tar Heels.
It won’t be until 2024 before the Gamecocks have a chance to shake things up, but here are a few names that might be interesting if USC could get them on the slate.
Regional opponents
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have been feisty of late under Dave Clawson. It’s a solid program the Gamecocks should be in position to beat. They’ve had plenty of meetings with Wake’s rivals in the Woflpack (three times since 2008) and Tar Heels (four times since 2007), but have not seen Wake since 1987. The Deacons are South Carolina’s fourth-most played opponent with 56 total meetings.
Duke
Just to round out the batch of North Carolina schools, the Blue Devils are a decent program that isn’t too threatening. David Cutcliffe has raised them to respectability and never seems to shy away from a non-conference challenge. Durham is a reasonable drive under three hours, and the teams have not met since the Gamecocks joined the SEC. They played each other every year from 1974-85 (the Gamecocks handed Steve Spurrier’s last Duke team a loss in the season opener).
Virginia Tech
Yes, this game is technically already scheduled. But with the first meeting in 2034, the seniors in that game would be finishing up first grade right now. (It would also be a theoretical 19th year of the Will Muschamp era.) The two programs seem to often find themselves battling for recruits and have some shared history as independents for much of the 1980s. They played each other from 1986-91, and both joined conferences a year apart.
Florida State
This is a series with a little bit of fun history. As fellow independents, they played all but one season from 1982-1991. That was the rise of the Bobby Bowden era, and it brought a string of highly talented teams into Williams-Brice Stadium. The famed 1984 Gamecocks handed FSU a rare loss, and a run of three USC coaches had to deal with an ascending power every season. The Seminoles aren’t what they were, but it could be a good barometer for both programs.
Georgia Tech
Two programs that were ships passing in the night in the ACC, as South Carolina exited after 1970 and the Jackets joined 13 years later. The teams played a four-game series in the late 1980s and early 1990s and had a long series through much of the 1970s. There’s a little history as USC faced off against the Yellow Jackets 1990 title team, and GT handed the No. 8 Gamecocks their first loss in 1987. Plus, Paul Johnson is no longer there, so there are no worries about knee injuries and cut blocking.
National opponents
Notre Dame
The Lou Holtz bowl. It’s the final stop for the coach against the most notable place he coached. One of his finest players in South Bend, Tony Rice, was a South Carolina guy, and that program from time to time has reached into the Palmetto State for recruits. For both having shared the title of independents, they did not face off often, only four times. The Gamecocks took the final meeting, a 36-32 victory in Indiana in 1984.
Southern Cal
The battle for “the real USC” would certainly be a good one to settle out on the field. They’ve not met since 1983 and only played twice overall. In 1980, George Rogers ran for 141 yards in his Heisman season — the Trojans prevailed with Marcus Allen, who won the Heisman the next season. Three years later, Joe Morrison’s rising program hammered a team with future NFL analyst Sean Salisbury and NFL coach Jack Del Rio.
Michigan
The teams haven’t met often, but it’s usually been memorable. The last matchup was the 2017 Outback Bowl that symbolized the peak of the Muschamp era at USC. Jadeveon Clowney’s hit came against the Wolverines in 2012. Rogers had 142 yards in a 1980 upset of UM, one of only two defeats for the Rose Bowl champion. The only time the Wolverines ever topped the Gamecocks was when they finished No. 2 in 1985 (when the Gamecocks were coming off their own 10-win season but slipped back to the pack).
Texas
There are a few South Carolina links that can be drawn to Austin. Former Gamecocks defensive coordinator Charlie Strong had a short tenure as head coach of the Longhorns. Current coach Tom Herman was linked to the USC opening after Steve Spurrier left, but opted to wait a year before landing the blue blood job. And Texas just hired Gamecocks assistant Coleman Hutzler. One has to go back to 1957 to find the last meeting, a game in which a 5-5 Gamecocks squad that included King Dixon upended No. 20 Texas. That Longhorns squad was the first for coach Darrell Royal and ended up ranked No. 11 in the country despite four losses.
Hawaii
USC has played the Warriors twice, both not highly competitive games in 1977 and 1981. But each game was at the end of the season and came on the island. It’s not a bad excuse to take a trip to some nice beaches and get in a multi-purpose vacation.
The matchup no USC fan wants to see
Navy
Nothing good seems to come of this. Facing an option team is a pain. Facing a good option team is more of a pain. The teams have faced off eight times with two rather memorable meetings. In 1984, the Midshipmen spoiled the Gamecocks’ chance at a national title with USC sitting at No. 2 (and No. 1 Nebraska lost the same day). In 2011, South Carolina needed 37 carries and 246 yards — plus some late defensive stops from a group with Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore and Clowney — to pull out a three-point win in Williams-Brice. That Navy squad lost the next five games to miss a bowl, while the Gamecocks went on to go 11-2. Most of the games (five of them) were between 1982 and 1988, and all but one were either close or low-scoring affairs.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 5:35 AM.
