Our countdown to the 2014 college football season continues as just 56 days separate us from kickoff between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Texas A&M Aggies at Williams-Brice Stadium on August 28.
Who wears #56: Number retired
No one wears the number 56 anymore as it was retired in 1965. In 1964, center Mike Johnson, #56, became gravely ill before the start of his junior season, and the illness cut short a potentially great football career. Johnson had finished his sophomore season as the regular center.
What 56 days left means:
Well with USA now out of the World Cup, America’s attention will return to its regularly scheduled love of college football. Also, 56 days left till the first Gamecocks football game means 57 days left till the first Gamecocks soccer match. Tickets are just slightly less than football season tickets at $25, which gets you not only season tickets to men’s soccer, but women’s soccer as well. So if you were pumped up about the World Cup, why not go out and support USC soccer for 22 games for less than the price of a dinner for two.
Gamecock football in 1956
Record: 7-3
Conference: ACC (5-2 in the conference)
Coach: Warren Giese was the coach this year, in his first of five seasons at Carolina. The team had a massive running attack that year, as King Dixon led the team with over 650 yards, QB Alex Hawkins had more than 560 yards, and Don Johnson had more than 400 yards. The Gamecocks were not ranked higher than 15th this season, and fell out of the polls about halfway through the season. All three of their losses were fairly close, including a 7-0 loss to Clemson that year.
Also in 1956:
- Israel bombs Egypt as part of the Suez Canal Crisis
- Prince Rainier of Monaco marries Grace Kelly
- Elvis Presley has first hit song with “Heartbreak Hotel”
- Elvis Presley appears on the Ed Sullivan Show
- “As the World Turns” begins on TV
- “The King & I”, “Guys & Dolls” were in movie theaters