Remembering South Carolina's best wins from 2010-2013

There was no better time in South Carolina football history than the early 2010’s.

Three straight 11-win seasons, an SEC Championship game appearance, multiple big wins. It was unlike anything the Gamecocks had ever done before.

South Carolina will honor their 2010-13 teams on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. It will be a celebration of one of the best four-year runs in recent memory.

Before the festivities begin, let’s look back at some of the best wins from the glory years.

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2011 — No. 12 South Carolina at Georgia

If you like a game with a lot of scoring and stress, this was one for the ages.

Trailing by six in the second quarter, South Carolina lined up to punt. However, the Gamecocks ran a fake as Melvin Ingram caught the snap and was off to the races. The 276-pound defensive end dashed down the sideline, looking like a running back.

Ingram took it to the house for a 68-yard touchdown to give the Gamecocks the lead. But that wouldn’t be all from him, though.

With a three-point lead in the fourth quarter, Jadeveon Clowney got a hand on Aaron Murray, who lost the football. The ball kicked around until Ingram scooped it up and dashed into the end zone to seal the deal.

2010 — No. 23 South Carolina at No. 22 Florida

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Winner goes to the SEC Championship.

For South Carolina, it had never been to such a place. But the pressure never got to the team. Marcus Lattimore led the way with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries.

As a result, the Gamecocks won in convincing fashion by a score of 36-14. After years of helping Florida get to Atlanta, head coach Steve Spurrier was able to beat his old squad in The Swamp.

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2013 — No. 21 South Carolina at No. 5 Missouri

South Carolina was in a big hole. Missouri was in complete control, leading 17-0 in the fourth quarter. It would almost take a miracle to make a comeback.

But little by little, the Gamecocks started to come back to life. It began with a six-yard touchdown catch by Bruce Ellington. Then they got a field goal after Missouri couldn’t cash in on a field goal of its own. After forcing a punt, Connor Shaw drove down the field and threw a two-yard pass to Nick Jones for a game-tying touchdown.

Just like that, this game was going to overtime.

The Tigers retook the lead four plays into sudden death on a one-yard rushing touchdown. South Carolina responded with a touchdown of their own, a 15-yard pass from Shaw to Ellington.

In double overtime, the Gamecocks had to settle for a field goal to retake the lead. It would be up to the defense to keep Missouri in check.

On fourth and goal, the Tigers’ field goal unit came out onto the field for a 24-yard attempt. Andrew Baggett’s kick hit the left upright and was no good. A sea of garnet and white poured out onto the field and celebrated a massive come-from-behind win.

2012 — No. 10 South Carolina vs. No. 18 Michigan

Trailing by one in the fourth quarter, South Carolina needed a spark to turn the tide. And it got one, a major one. Without a blocker in front of him, Clowney laid a hit on Vincent Smith that knocked his helmet off.

Clowney immediately picked the ball up with one hand and made a massive play to give the Gamecocks great field position. One play later, Shaw threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Ace Sanders for the go-ahead score.

But the Wolverines weren’t done yet. Devin Gardner led a long drive down the field, capped off with a 17-yard touchdown pass on third and long. It was now up to South Carolina’s offense to pull out an Outback Bowl win.

All day, Spurrier had used two quarterbacks: Shaw and Dylan Thompson. Both played a vital role in the final drive. After Shaw started the drive with a few completions, Thompson finished it off a 32-yard touchdown pass to Ellington with 11 seconds to go.

South Carolina came away with a 33-28 win over Michigan to cap off an 11-win season for the second straight year.

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2010 — No. 1 Alabama at No. 19 South Carolina

After losing a close one to Auburn a week prior, the Gamecocks desperately needed a win. However, they’d have to do it against the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

Right out of the gate, Alabama scored with a field goal. But South Carolina responded with three straight touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead. And it would roll the rest of the way.

The Tide gave their best effort to make a comeback but couldn’t do so. The Gamecocks pulled off the upset, winning 35-21.

It was a career day for Stephen Garcia, who finished 17-for-20 with 201 yards and three touchdowns. Alshon Jeffery was the recipient of two of those scores, finishing with 127 yards on seven catches.

Lattimore finished with 93 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

This was the game that put South Carolina on the map.

Honorable mentions

It’s hard to rank these wins during this era because there were so many of them. But here are some of the other notable wins during the early 2010’s that were just as good.

2010-13 — Any win over Clemson

2011 — No. 9 South Carolina beats No. 20 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl

2012 — No. 6 South Carolina curb stomps No. 5 Georgia, 35-7

2013 — No. 9 South Carolina beats No. 19 Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl (Shaw’s final game)

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