Five memorable on-field moments for Steve Taneyhill at South Carolina
South Carolina football legend Steve Taneyhill died Monday. He was 52 years old.
The former Gamecocks quarterback and his signature mullet hairstyle were the stars of the program in the early 1990s. Taneyhill played for South Carolina from 1992-1995 and left his mark all over the record book.
His 62 passing touchdowns are the most of any player to wear the garnet and black. Taneyhill threw for 8,782 passing yards during his career with South Carolina, putting him at No. 2 in the record book.
Taneyhill had a number of memorable moments during his time with the Gamecocks. Here are five that stand out when recalling his legacy.
1992 win over Clemson
There’s no better way to start your legacy at South Carolina than beating arch-rival Clemson, in Death Valley no less.
South Carolina started 0-5 in the 1992 season but turned it on late, thanks to the freshman Taneyhill. The Gamecocks won five of their last six games, including the big win over Clemson.
Taneyhill threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-13 victory. Taneyhill jawed with Clemson fans all game long and even pretended to sign the tiger paw at the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium after the win.
The victory kept Clemson out of a bowl game and helped the Gamecocks finish a rough year on a high note.
SEC accolade, memorable freshman season
Taneyhill was named the 1992 SEC Freshman of the Year during South Carolina’s first year competing as a member of the conference.
Taneyhill helped South Carolina win five of its last six games after being named the starter, including victories over No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 16 Tennessee and Clemson.
He played in nine games that season and threw for 1,272 yards and seven touchdowns.
Taneyhill was the only Gamecock to win SEC Freshman of the Year honors for over a decade. He’s been since joined by Ko Simpson, Sidney Rice, Marcus Lattimore, Jadeveon Clowney and LaNorris Sellers.
Breaking a USC passing record more than once
During Taneyhill’s junior season in 1994, he set the South Carolina single-game record for passing yards in a brutal loss to East Carolina.
The Gamecocks fell to the Pirates in a 56-42 shootout. Taneyhill, however, set a new program record by throwing for 451 yards in the loss. The previous record was set by Todd Ellis in 1987 when Ellis threw for 425 yards in a win, also against East Carolina.
Taneyhill logged 58 pass attempts and 39 completions in the loss to ECU that season, and both are still single-game program records.
Nearly a full year later, Taneyhill broke his own record for passing yards in a game.
During his senior season in 1995, Taneyhill led South Carolina to a 65-39 win on the road at Mississippi State.
Taneyhill threw for 473 yards in the game. That record stood until Jake Bentley broke it in 2018 vs. Clemson with 510 passing yards. Taneyhill recorded 512 total yards of offense against Mississippi State, a mark that is still the program record for a single game.
South Carolina’s first bowl win
South Carolina struggled to put together winning seasons during Taneyhill’s career, but he still found a way to lead the Gamecocks to a bowl game during his junior season in 1994.
USC had never won a bowl game prior to 1994, despite eight trips.
The Gamecocks started the 1994 season off hot with a 5-1 record but stumbled into the final week of the season 5-5.
Taneyhill led South Carolina to a 33-7 win over Clemson to secure a trip to face West Virginia in the CarQuest Bowl in Miami.
South Carolina ultimately won the game 24-21 thanks to a stellar performance from Taneyhill, who threw for 227 yards and a touchdown, while adding a score on the ground as well. Taneyhill was named the MVP of the game.
Touchdown records in 1995
The Gamecocks went 4-6-1 in Taneyhill’s senior season, but he still added to the South Carolina record book.
In a 68-21 win over Louisiana Tech, Taneyhill threw five touchdown passes. He was the first Gamecock to do so since Jeff Grantz in 1975. The mark tied Taneyhill with Grantz and Tommy Suggs atop the single-game program record book.
Nearly a month later, Taneyhill again threw for five touchdown passes in a 52-14 win over Vanderbilt.
The five-touchdown mark has been tied by several other South Carolina quarterbacks since, but the record stood until Spencer Rattle threw six TD passes against Tennessee in 2022.
After tying Todd Ellis’ single-season record with 20 touchdowns in 1994, Taneyhill set a new program record with 29 touchdowns in 1995. That record still stands to this day.
This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM.
